“Jingwei Determines to Fill Up the Sea”is a Chinese mythological story.

According to the ancient work Shanhaijing ( The Classic of Mountains and Seas ),the youngest and most favored daughter of the Sun God was named Nü Wa(meaning“little girl”).The Sun God would go to the East Sea to direct the rising of the sun early in the morning every day and he wouldn’t return home till sunset.Nü Wa eagerly hoped that her father would take her to the sun-rising place at the East Sea for a look.One day,Nü Wa was rowing a small boat by herselftoward the East Sea sun-rising spot.Unfortunately,a sea storm came and mountain-like waves capsized the small boat.Nü Wa lost her life to the merciless sea.

After she died,Nü Wa turned into a bird with red claws and a white beak, vowing to fill up the sea.She would hold stones and tree branches with her beak and throw them into the sea,crying the sound of“jingwei,jingwei...”as if encouraging herself.She kept filling up the sea year after year without stop.

Later,the story“Jingwei Determines to Fill Up the Sea”became one of the most important Chinese myths.It is widely considered as a symbol ofdogged determination and perseverance in the face of seemingly impossible odds.

Questions Based on the Text

1.Why do the Chinese value the story thoughit is not true?

2.Do we have other stories sharing the same theme in Chinese and English?What are they?

3.Retell the story in your own words. BWtwQasDMGmToQooMeYsif00Jn9vV5X+J9o69muI84BcgGA0wbt4IZ+O57spM/P4