王海峰原创免费资源。 未经授权，禁止用于任何以营利为目的的商业出版活动。 1 B1 Unit 3 Travel journal Mekong a River that Links China and Southeast Asia by Wang Haifeng Being the 12th longest river in the world and 7th longest in Asia, the Mekong River starts from the Tibetan Plateau (高原) in China and runs through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. With the length of 4,350 km and the total drainage (流域) area of 795,000 square km, Mekong River plays a vital role in economic, transport as well as tourism development. The section in China is called the Lancang River. It originated from Tanggula Mountain in Qinghai Province, where most of the native people are Tibetans. Tibetans are religious Buddhists. They make a living by raising yaks and goats. They are honest, friendly and living a simple life. Tibetans care little for money. So instead of saving money, they usually devote their money to temples so that they can live a happy future life.(1) Yaks are the most important animals for the Tibetans. Female yaks can provide milk and male ones produce beef and fur. Yaks are also used to carry things. When herdsmen (牧民) travel to another meadow (牧场) for a shift, they will pack up their simple belongings and have the yaks carry them on their backs. Apart from beef, milk and fur, yaks are the providers of fuel. Herdsmen use their dry waste to boil milk tea and warm themselves in winter. In recent years yaks even help the owners to make money by being taken photos with tourists. Flowing through Tibetan Plateau, the Lancang River finally roars down Yunnan and finally rushes out of China at Mengla County, Yunnan. Dai people regard peacocks and elephants as their 王海峰原创免费资源。 未经授权，禁止用于任何以营利为目的的商业出版活动。 2 lucky animals. They have many wonderful folk stories. Dai people like to live by water. They love cleanliness and washing hair is a common practice for girls to strengthen their friendship. The Lanchang River is rich in water power resources. China has a plan to build 15 dams on the river in order to make electricity. There is no doubt that making use of this water power will greatly push the development of the local economy. (2) However, these huge projects have greatly damaged the local ecological environment. Besides, in drought years such dams are likely to make the situation even worse in the lower reaches. After flowing out of China, the river has got a new name which is Mekong. Mekong is the boundary (边界) river between Myanmar and Laos. Myanmar, whose capital used to Yangon, is a country mainly engaged in agriculture. (3) Burmese believe in Buddhism, so they are kind and generous to give. Walking around in Myanmar, one can often find people collecting money and giving money, which has been a traditional practice for them. Laos is the only inland country in Southeast Asia. It is also neighbored with China. Mountains and highlands account for eighty percent of its area. More than 63% the Laotians believe in Buddhism. Laos is a socialist country and it is also one of the poorest countries in Asia, yet the Laotians live a relaxed life. (4) They have little material desire and never force themselves to make money so as to live a better-off life. Cambodia is a small country which has a long history. Yet it is also an unlucky country. Because it was scourged (祸害) by Khmer Rouge (红色高棉), Cambodia is still one of the poorest countries in Asian. The Khmer Rouge was one of the most wicked organizations in human history. It was estimated that this evil government killed a quarter of 王海峰原创免费资源。 未经授权，禁止用于任何以营利为目的的商业出版活动。 3 the then Cambodian population within five years. (5) Vietnam used to be a socialist country. Owing to its economic reform carried out in 1986, its economy develops very fast in recent years. However, its average per capita GDP is merely 2053 dollars, which accounts for only one fifth of Malaysia. (6) Facing the South China Sea, Vietnam has a coastline as long as 3200 kilometers. So it is rich in marine tourism resources such as Da Nang and Nha Trang. Thailand is one of the founders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Thailand used to be called Siam. On May 11, 1949, Siam was changed to Thailand, mainly taking the meaning of freedom. Thailand is a religious country and Buddhists make up more than 90% of its population. Being the capital of Thailand, Bangkok is a metropolis (国际大都市). Over 20 international organizations and multinational corporations have their regional head- quarters in Bangkok. It is an international center for transport and health care, and has become a hub for the arts, fashion, and entertainment. Thailand has been troubled by unbalanced economic development for decades. As a result, political turbulence (骚乱) often occurs. 1. Answer the following questions briefly. 1. What countries does the Mekong River run through? 2. What does the author evaluate the Tibetans? 3. What role do yaks play in the daily life of Tibe