阅读下面的现代文，完成小题。
                                                                                                               父亲的布鞋
                                                                                                                   周海亮
        ①一位朋友童年时，正赶上三年困难时期。他告诉我，他能活到现在全靠了父亲的一双布鞋。
         ②朋友老家在鲁西南，一个平常都吃不饱饭的贫困山村，何况全国人民都挨饿的那三年?朋友记事比较早，在那三年的漫长时间里，他每天要做的唯一事情，就是寻找各种各样的东西往嘴里塞。槐树叶吃光了吃槐树皮，草根吃光了吃观音土。可是，在那样的年月，即使可以勉强吞咽下去的东西，也是那么少。朋友经常坐在院子里发呆，有时饿得突然昏厥过去。
       ③朋友的父亲在公社的粮库工作。有一阵子，粮库里有一堆玉米，是响应号召，留着备战用的。饥肠辘辘的父亲守着散发着清香的玉米，念着骨瘦如柴甚至奄奄一息的妻儿。有几次他动了偷的心思，但朋友的父亲说，那是公家的东西，即使我饿死了，也不去拿。
        ④可是他最终还是对那堆粮食下手了。确切说是下脚。他穿着一双很大的布鞋，要下班时，他会围着那堆玉米转一圈，用脚在玉米堆上踢两下，然后，若无其事地走回家。他的步子迈得很扎实，看不出任何不自然。可是他知道，那鞋子里面，硌得他双脚疼痛难忍的，是几粒或者十几粒玉米。回了家，他把鞋子脱下，把玉米洗净，捣碎，放进锅里煮两碗稀粥。朋友的母亲和朋友趴在锅沿贪婪地闻着玉米的香味，那是两张幸福的脸。
        ⑤这时朋友的父亲会坐在一旁，往自己的脚上抹着草木灰。他的表情非常痛苦。这痛苦因了磨出血泡甚至磨出鲜血的脚掌，更因了内心的羞愧和不安。可是他没有办法。他可以允许自己被饿死，但他绝不允许自己的妻儿被饿死。朋友的父亲在那三年的黄昏里，总是痛苦着表情走路。他的鞋子里，总会多出几粒或者十几粒玉米、高粱、小麦、黄豆……这些微不足道的粮食，救活了朋友以及朋友的母亲。朋友说，他小时候认为最亲切的东西，就是父亲的双脚和那双破旧的布鞋。那是他们全家人的希望。那双脚，那双鞋，经常令我的朋友垂涎三尺。
        ⑥饥荒终于过去，他们终于不必天天面对死亡。可是他的父亲，却没能熬过来。冬天回家的路上，父亲走在河边，竟然跌进了冰河。或许是饿晕了，或许被磨出鲜血的双脚让父亲站立不稳，总之父亲一头栽进了冰河，就匆匆地去了。直到死，他的父亲，都没能吃过一顿饱饭。
       ⑦朋友那天一直在呜咽。他喝了很多酒。他说多年后替父亲偿还了公社里的粮食，还了父亲的心债；可是，面对死去的父亲，他将永远无法偿还自己的心债。

阅读短文，根据短文内容回答问题。
    We've all heard of mermaids. They are the beautiful half-human, half-fish creatures(生物). They have the head and body of a human and the tail of a fish. We also know that mermaids only exist in fairy tales. But where did all the stories about these creatures come from? If you have ever seen a manatee, then you might have an idea.
    Manatees, which are also called sea cows, are mammals(哺乳动物) that live in the sea. Since they are mammals, they have to swim up to the surface to breathe air. Many people believe that the story of the mermaid began with the ancient sailors who saw the manatees putting their heads out of the water to breathe. Because manatees are upright when they do this, it looks like they are standing. If a sailor saw a manatee doing this from far away across the sea, it is possible that the sailor would mistake the manatee for a creature that is half-human, half-fish.
Mermaids are described as having very long hair. This is probably because manatees like to swim up to the surface of the water in areas where there is sea grass. Manatees eat all kinds of plants in the sea, including sea grass. The sea grass around the manatee’s head when they eat could create a picture of long hair.

    Manatees also have powerful tails that are very similar to the fish-like tail of a mermaid. The sailors probably watched manatees come up for air and then swim back below the surface, using their paddle-shaped tails. This would explain why the sailors thought mermaids had fish-like tails.

东南亚最大的平原是____ ，它是由____ 河泥砂冲积而成。