China had one of the earliest civilizations(文明) in the world. ⑶We know the Chinese had a written language as early as 1500 BC. You can see that Chinese writing is very different from the writing in other countries. The Chinese use a different character for each word. People in many countries have to learn only 26 letters but people in China have to memorize about 600 characters before they can do even basic reading and writing.

    A man in China, named Confucius(孔子), was teaching the people of China what they should and should not do. He was a great wise man. His teachings filled several books and became a way of life for the Chinese, and many other people in Asia. Confucius taught that people should listen to their kings, and also that rulers should take care of their people. He taught people to listen to their parents and teachers and to be kind to others. He said, “⑷Don't do to others what you would not want others to do to you.”

    Many inventions were made and used in China before the rest of the world even heard of them. By 600 AD the Chinese had invented printing. After a few centuries, they made the compass, which was a great help to sailors. A compass can tell north from south. The Chinese were the first to discover how to make explosive powder(火药).

    From all this, you can see that the Chinese were very busy making things that the rest of the world found really exciting and helpful when people learnt about them.

⑴⑵根据短文简要回答问题；⑶⑷将短文中划线的句子译成汉语；⑸请给短文拟一个适当的标题。

    There was once a captain who loved money so much that he cheated his sailors at the end of every voyage and took their wages (工资).

    On the last day of one voyage, the ship was in a small port. It was winter time, and the sea was very cold, so the captain said to his sailors, “If one of you stays in the water during the whole night, I will give him my ship. But if he comes out before the sun appears, I shall get his wages.”

    The sailors (船员) had heard about the captain's cheating, so they didn't trust him. But then one of them, who thought that he was cleverer than the captain, said that he would do it. He got into the water, and, though it was very cold, he stayed in it. When it was nearly morning, some fishermen lit a fire on the shore about half a mile away.

    “You are cheating,” the captain said to the sailor. “The fire's warming you.”

    “But it's half a mile away!” said the sailor.

    “A fire's fire,” answered the captain. “I have won.”

    The sailor came out of the water, and said, “Perhaps you think that you are clever because you have won my wages, but you can't cook a chicken.”

    “I can,” answered the captain.

    “If you cook this chicken,” said the sailor, “I shall work for you without wages for seven years, but if you can't, you will give me your ship.”

The captain agreed, took the chicken and said, “Where's the fire?”

    “There it is,” answered the sailor. “On the shore.”

    “But it's half a mile away,” said the captain angrily.

    “‘A fire's fire,' you said,” answered the sailor. “If it is enough to warm me in the water, it is enough to cook your chicken.”