Question

As William Shakespeare is to literature in English, so is the poet Du Fu to the Chinese literary tradition. Recently, a new BBC documentary, which is aiming at introducing the beauty and fascination of traditional literature, was brought to the public.

It records the poet - Du Fu’s life experiences. Bom in 712, Du lived under the rule of die Tang Emperor Xuanzong (713-756) (唐玄宗統(tǒng)治時期) a golden time in the long history of China. However, as the An Lushan Rebellion (安史之亂) of 755 broke out, Du, had to take his family on the road as refugees (難民) and suffered a lot along the way. Through ups and downs, the poet never stopped writing and about 1,500 poems have been kept over the ages. In these poems, he stated his worries for his country and people as well as the importance of celebrating the simple joys of life.

“Chinese people really value the recording of history and Du is better than anyone at doing that in his poems. Historical events are mirrored both in his own life and spiritual journey,” Zeng Xiangbo, a professor told China Daily.

Even though he never held a high position in the government, Du still cared about common people. For example, in the poem My Cottage Unroofed By Autumn Gales (《茅屋為秋風所破歌》), he wrote that “Could I get mansions covering ten thousand miles, I’d house all scholars poor and make them beam with smiles.”

“That’s why he was honored as a Poet Sage (詩圣) by Chinese people. A difficult life and his spirit of caring about the world helped him create so many great works,” Shi Wenxue told the Global Times.

1.What is the purpose of the new BBC documentary?

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2.When did Du suffer a lot in his life?

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3.How did Du record the Chinese history?

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4.Du was once a high official (官員) in the government, wasn’t he?

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5.What made Du create so many great works?

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Answer 1