第3个回答 2009-08-27
长城：
The Chinese were already familiar with the techniques of wall-building by the time of the Spring and Autumn Period, which began around the 8th century BC. During the Warring States Period from the 5th century BC to 221 BC, the states of Qi, Yan and Zhao all constructed extensive fortifications to defend their own borders. Built to withstand the attack of small arms such as swords and spears, these walls were made mostly by stamping earth and gravel between board frames. Qin Shi Huang conquered all opposing states and unified China in 221 BC, establishing the Qin Dynasty. Intending to impose centralized rule and prevent the resurgence of feudal lords, he ordered the destruction of the wall sections that divided his empire along the former state borders. To protect the empire against intrusions by the Xiongnu people from the north, he ordered the building of a new wall to connect the remaining fortifications along the empire's new northern frontier. Transporting the large quantity of materials required for construction was difficult, so builders always tried to use local resources. Stones from the mountains were used over mountain ranges, while rammed earth was used for construction in the plains. There are no surviving historical records indicating the exact length and course of the Qin Dynasty walls. Most of the ancient walls have eroded away over the centuries, and very few sections remain today. Later, the Han, Sui, Northern and Jin dynasties all repaired, rebuilt, or expanded sections of the Great Wall at great cost to defend themselves against northern invaders.
The Great Wall concept was revived again during the Ming Dynasty following the Ming army's defeat by the Oirats in the Battle of Tumu in 1449. The Ming had failed to gain a clear upper-hand over the Manchurian and Mongolian tribes after successive battles, and the long-drawn conflict was taking a toll on the empire. The Ming adopted a new strategy to keep the nomadic tribes out by constructing walls along the northern border of China. Acknowledging the Mongol control established in the Ordos Desert, the wall followed the desert's southern edge instead of incorporating the bend of the Huang He.
Photograph of the Great Wall in 1907Unlike the earlier Qin fortifications, the Ming construction was stronger and more elaborate due to the use of bricks and stone instead of rammed earth. As Mongol raids continued periodically over the years, the Ming devoted considerable resources to repair and reinforce the walls. Sections near the Ming capital of Beijing were especially strong.[10]
During the 1440s–1460s, the Ming also built a so-called "Liaodong Wall". Similar in function to the Great Wall (whose extension it, in a sense, was), but more basic in construction, the Liaodong Wall enclosed the agricultural heartland of the Liaodong province, protecting it against potential incursions by Jurched-Mongol Oriyanghan from the northwest and the Jianzhou Jurchens from the north. While stones and tiles were used in some parts of the Liaodong Wall, most of it was in fact simply an earth dike with moats on both sides.[11]
Towards the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall helped defend the empire against the Manchu invasions that began around 1600. Under the military command of Yuan Chonghuan, the Ming army held off the Manchus at the heavily fortified Shanhaiguan pass, preventing the Manchus from entering the Chinese heartland. The Manchus were finally able to cross the Great Wall in 1644, when the gates at Shanhaiguan were opened by Wu Sangui, a Ming border general who disliked the activities of rulers of the Shun Dynasty. The Manchus quickly seized Beijing, and defeated the newly founded Shun Dynasty and remaining Ming resistance, to establish the Qing Dynasty.
In 2009, an additional 290 kilometres (180 miles) of previously undetected portions of the wall, built during the Ming Dynasty, were discovered. The newly discovered sections range from the Hushan mountains in the northern Liaoning province to Jiayuguan in western Gansu province. The sections had been submerged over time by sandstorms that moved across the arid region.[12]
Under Qing rule, China's borders extended beyond the walls and Mongolia was annexed into the empire, so construction and repairs on the Great Wall were discontinued.
金钱不是万能的：
Money will buy me a house, but not a home, a bed, but not a good night's sleep.- Zig Ziglar
Is Money Everything? This was the title of my speech at a seminar in Central London organised by Find Your Voice. Many professional speakers from all walks of life attended and delivered messages that motivated and empowered people to take control of their lives. I was one of the four speakers and the theme was: "Money Makes the World Go Round." I would like to share the views I expressed at the seminar with you.
One of the problems with literature about success is that most of the time the word 'success' is usually interpreted as material success or power. This usually includes the amount of money a person earns or has; the type of car they drive and the size and location of their house. However, we need to remind ourselves that true success isn't just Hollywood's definition of it!
Success is a journey and not a destination. The mistake most people make is aligning money with success. Money is only a medium of exchange and can never be measured side-by-side with success.
I believe that success can be divided into eight categories; these are: spiritual, health, family, career & business, financial, self-development/intellectual, personal needs, and community. It is therefore worth noting that true success is not just when you are financially rich, rather it is when you are rich in all of the eight categories.
Money can buy you material possessions, but it cannot buy you happiness and peace of mind. Money is used in exchange for other things, but this paper money we spend (e.g. Pounds, Naira, Dollars, etc) is not the only money we should have. There are hidden 'monies' in all of us; the only problem is discovering we have such 'monies' within us.
Let us consider this; if one is only financially wealthy and lacks the intellect to make other riches, or is unsuccessful in their family life and health, then the person is as good as being poor. Let us not be overly carried away by this mere medium of exchange - money - and fail to consider other aspects of life.
I once knew a rich man, who, in spite of his wealth, is deficient in his health. He died despite the great financial wealth he had accumulated. Would you say such a man was wealthy? No. Why? Because he was only monetarily wealthy - this appeared to be at the expense of his health.
I was at the mansion of one of my mentors, Richie Dayo Johnson, in Netherne-On- the-Hill, Surrey and as we sat down in his study that Sunday evening I asked: " DJ (as I fondly call him) tell me what money can and can not buy. He replied, "Dayo, money can buy you a house, but it can't buy you a home. Money can buy you insurance, but it can't buy you security. Money can buy you entertainment, but it can't buy you happiness. Money can buy you medicine, but it can't buy you good health. Money can buy you a bed, but it can't buy you sleep. Money can buy you companionship, but it can't buy you friendship. Money can buy you sex, but it can't buy you love. Money is called currency, because it is designed to flow through you. Money doesn't change you; it only reveals who you truly are."
I totally agree with Richie Dayo Johnson. In addition to this, I believe that money can buy you many women but it cannot buy you a good wife. It can buy you a good book, but it cannot buy you wisdom and knowledge. It can sponsor you through school, but it cannot buy you intellect. However, the things money can buy are temporal but the things money cannot buy are, most times, everlasting.
Who are you when you have money and who are you when you don't have? The bottom line is that money does not change you; it merely uncovers you. Why don't you take time to reflect on those things money cannot buy; you may be surprised to realise that money is actually not everything?
Is your spiritual life in order? Are you enjoying good health? Are you in control of your finances? Are you developing yourself intellectually? Are you giving back to the society? If you answer YES to all these questions, then you can confidently say that you are prospering and therefore successful.
Now tell me, IS MONEY EVERYTHING? I rest my case.
计算机是一项重要发明：
Computers have brought a dramatic and significant change in every home, making it an adorable pet of the family. Definitely computers have made our lives easier and a lot more convenient, compared to our lives back in the 80's and 90's. No wonder, its magic!
Computers have by far changed the life of each and every person, both physically and mentally. Even people who were naive and oblivious about computers have now started using them because of its simple and effortless operations and the result it reaps. It is employed in almost every aspect of our life, especially in the fields of education, business, medical innovations, etc., making our work easier, thus saving time.
There are myriad examples to prove the above statement; The trend of sending letters and telegrams to convey our wishes and concerns are now being replaced with emails and instant messages, which does not raise a question of dissent, since it has created a strong bond and intensified the communication among our near and dear ones, who are thousands of miles apart. Another very good example is the online shopping, which enables us to purchase what we require, irrespective of place and time. There are several others to consider; for example, the availability of a wide selection of movies and music for us to download, the opportunity to browse through a massive pile of information to get the required, the facile way of paying the bills while sitting at home, munching some popcorn, etc., and the peak of these comforts is that they are just done with a click of a button. All these advantages entice people to at least give it a try, before they fully get indulged in.
The only disadvantage or drawback that I could infer from using computers is the health problems, that are anticipated to arise from spending hours with computers. It is very obvious that it makes us feel lazy and lethargic, but this could for sure be straightened out if we restrict our access to computers. I really could not think how it could make our life stressful.
On the whole, it is a fact, which should be realized by everyone that computers have metamorphosed our entire life in regard to our attitude, behavior, appearance, relationship and our complete life style.本回答被提问者采纳