Changing China: a booming economy in this nation of more than 1 billion people means big challenges for the environment. Is China developing too quickly for its own good?* OBJECTIVES Students should understand * the recent boom in China's economy has significantly affected its environment; * what the Three Gorges Dam Three Gorges Dam, 607 ft (185 m) high and 7,575 ft (2,309 m) long, on the Chang (Yangtze) River, central Hubei prov., China, 30 mi (48 km) W of Yichang. The largest concrete structure in the world, the dam was constructed from 1994 to 2006. will be, why it is being built, and some of the pros and cons pros and cons Noun, pl the advantages and disadvantages of a situation [Latin pro for + con(tra) against] of the project. * TEACHING STRATEGY Ask students to consider the relationship between population and natural resources. As population increases, the demand for resources such as water also increases. Yet, in order to make room for the growing population, the same resources are often damaged or lost. Discuss: Is it possible to balance the two conflicting needs? * BACKGROUND Since Chinas Communist government relaxed its controls on production, the country's economy has boomed. While bringing many lifestyle improvements, the boom has also caused problems--such as increased pollution. * CRITICAL THINKING COMPREHENSION: Why is China having to build a huge dam and a lot of other new infrastructure? (to keep pace with its huge and growing population) NOTING DETAILS: How does Zhu Chaoren's appreciation of the artist Pablo Picasso highlight the changes in China in recent decades? (For a long time, China was closed off from interaction with and influence from other world cultures. Until recently, a kid like Chaoren would never have heard of Picasso.) * ACTIVITY DRAWING PARALLELS: One of the most famous dams in the U.S. is Hoover Dam Hoover Dam, 726 ft (221 m) high and 1,244 ft (379 m) long, on the Colorado River between Nev. and Ariz.; one of the world's largest dams. Built between 1931 and 1936 by the U.S. , on the Arizona-Nevada border. Assign small groups of students to research one of the following questions: When was it built? Why was it built? What was the area like before it was built? Did people have to be moved? Who was it named after? Compare and contrast the Hoover Dam with the Three Gorges Dam. Hu Ying, 12, can see the Yangtze (yahng-dzuh) River from her bedroom window. She lives in Lingshi, a small city in China's central Sichuan (sechwan) Province. Ying likes to watch giant passenger boats on the river, which is the longest in Asia. (In China, people say their family names first.) Ying can also see the Yangtze when she walks to school each morning. Along the way, she passes fields where farmers grow rice, wheat, and vegetables. School is the center of Ying's life. She has classes every weekday from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. After eating dinner at home, she returns to school to do homework until 9:30. "I feel like I'm always studying," she says. This year, Ying's toughest classes are Chinese, English, math, and geography. Her favorite class is art. "I like to draw cartoons," she says. She especially likes to draw a cartoon character who changes into different shapes to help people. That may explain why Ying, who is in the seventh grade, wants to become a doctor when she grows up. "I want to be able to cure diseases," she says. To realize her dreams, Ying will have to work hard. There are 50 students in her class. If she wants to get into a good high school, she will have to get high test scores. But it's hard to study sometimes. Her school doesn't even have heat. In winter, Ying and her classmates Classmates can refer to either:
Life in the City Zhu Chaoren (joo chow-wren), 12, lives in Beijing, halfway across the country from Lingshi. His home is not far from the Forbidden City Forbidden City: see Beijing and Chinese architecture. Forbidden City Imperial Palace complex in Beijing, containing hundreds of buildings and some 9,000 rooms. It served the emperors of China from 1421 to 1911. , the palace where China's emperors lived for hundreds of years. Chaoren's father is a musician, and his mother is an artist. When he looks out his bedroom window, he can see Beijing's skyline, with its hundreds of skyscrapers. On weekends, Chaoren likes to go to the Summer Palace, a huge park built for Chinas emperors in the 18th century. He also likes to eat Beijing duck--slices of duck, chives chives alliumschoenoprasm. , and celery wrapped in thin pancakes. "It tastes very sweet," he says. When Chaoren had his birthday party last November, his parents and grandparents grandparents npl → abuelos mpl grandparents grand npl → grands-parents mpl grandparents grand npl took him to one of Beijing's best duck restaurants. Chaoren's school is better equipped than Ying's. He likes his computer class, and often plays computer games with his friends. But some things about Ying's and Chaoren's lives are similar. Like Ying, Chaoren enjoys art. His favorite artist is Pablo Picasso, a Spanish painter who lived from 1881 to 1973. "I like his abstract style," Chaoren says. An Environmental Crisis Not long ago, kids like Chaoren might never have heard of Picasso. But China has become more international since Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping or Teng Hsiao-p'ing (both: dŭng` shou`pĭng`), 1904–97, Chinese revolutionary and government leader, b. Sichuan prov. (duhng shyow-ping), Chinas most influential leader in the 1980s and 1990s, opened the country to foreign trade. Before the Chinese Communist Party Chinese Communist party: see Communist party, in China. Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Political party founded in China in 1921 by Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao, Mao Zedong, and others. seized power in 1949, almost all of Chinas citizens were farmers. The Communist Party Communist party, in China Communist party, in China, ruling party of the world's most populous nation since 1949 and most important Communist party in the world since the disintegration of the USSR in 1991. , led by Mao Zedong Mao Zedong or Mao Tse-tung (mou dzŭ-d  ng), 1893–1976, founder of the People's Republic of China. (mow zeh-dawng), wanted to make China into a world power. To do that, the government built many large factories, bringing millions of rural Chinese into the cities. The goal of Mao's government, in theory, was to make all Chinese equal. The Communist Party eliminated private ownership of land and created collectives, making farmers work together to grow crops and share the profits. But the changes led to disaster. Poor management, disorganization disorganization /dis·or·gan·iza·tion/ (-or?gan-i-za´shun) the process of destruction of any organic tissue; any profound change in the tissues of an organ or structure which causes the loss of most or all of its proper characters. , and bad weather resulted in a famine, beginning in 1959, that killed 20 million Chinese. In 1976, when Mao died and Deng took over, the government gave some land back to farmers. Deng also allowed citizens to start private companies. That led to rapid economic development. Since the early 1980s, China's economy has grown an average of 9 percent a year, the fastest in the world. More and more Chinese can now afford to buy cars and homes. But rapid growth has added to problems caused by Mao's factories. The air in China is polluted pol·lute tr.v. pol·lut·ed, pol·lut·ing, pol·lutes 1. To make unfit for or harmful to living things, especially by the addition of waste matter. See Synonyms at contaminate. 2. , and many rivers are so dirty that all the fish have died. This has Chaoren and Ying concerned. "China doesn't have enough clean water," Chaoren says, "so our teachers tell us that we shouldn't waste any." Chinas development also means that companies don't have enough electricity to run their machinery. To help solve the problem, the government began construction in 1994 on the Three Gorges Dam. which will be the world's largest hydroelectric dam. When the project is completed in 2009, it will create a giant reservoir about 400 miles long. To build the dam, which will cover 160 towns with water, the government will have to relocate more than 1 million people. Twenty students from Ying's school have already been moved to Chinas eastern coast. Effects of the Dam The Three Gorges Dam is a symbol of the enormous changes taking place here. China has 1.3 billion citizens, so the government has to build a lot of new infrastructure to keep pace with the growing population. In the past few years, China has attracted roughly $60 billion in foreign investment to help fund high-rise buildings, superhighways, and other ambitious projects. China's government has been slower to reform politics. Personal freedoms are limited, and citizens do not elect their national leaders, all of whom come from the Communist party. The government also controls the press. When Ying's former classmates were told that they had to move to make way for the dam, there was no one to whom they could appeal. But others in her province have begun to protest against the government in increasing numbers. Last fall. as many as 100,000 farmers who stood to lose land because of another dam being built in Sichuan Province barred work on the project for several days. At the moment, Ying is more concerned about how the dam might scar her province's natural beauty. "The Three Gorges The Three Gorges (Simplified Chinese: 三峡; Traditional Chinese: 三峽; Pinyin: Sānxiá [ region," she says, "is Chinas most beautiful place, and it is important in Chinese history." The Three Gorges area, with its deep valleys and towering mountains carved by the Yangtze, is one of the most scenic areas in the world. Chaoren thinks that the dam will be "both good and bad" for China. Like many other Chinese, he is worried that the reservoir will fill with trash and spread disease. "We'll have to work hard to keep its waters clean," he says. Debate about the dam's effects on Chinas people and environment is likely to continue for a long time to come. Words to Know * collective: a state-owned farm worked under a communal system. * Communist: a political system that ends private ownership in an effort to create a more equal distribution of wealth. * hydroelectric: related to the generation of electricity by waterpower waterpower Power produced by a stream of water as it turns a wheel or similar device. The waterwheel, probably invented in the 1st century BC, was widely used throughout the Middle Ages and into modern times for grinding grain, operating bellows for furnaces, and other . * infrastructure: the basic facilities necessary fur a community to function, including roads, bridges, water pipes, and power lines. * reservoir: a natural or artificial pond or lake used to store water. Your Turn THINK ABOUT IT What are the pros and cons of building the Three Gorges Dam? China FACTS TO KNOW AREA: China has a land area of 3,696,100 sq mi, about the same as that of the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. . POPULATION: China's population of 1.3 billion people is the largest in the world, nearly four times as large as that of the U.S. LANGUAGE: Mandarin, other Chinese dialects The following is a list of Chinese dialects and languages. Classification Linguists classify these languages as the Sinitic branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Within this broad classification, linguistics identify between seven and fourteen subgroups. , other languages. Instead of an alphabet, the Chinese language has 40,000 characters, each of which stands for a word or part of a word. GOVERNMENT: Communist one-party state. The President is Hu Jintao Hu Jintao (h  ` jĭn`tou`), 1942–, Chinese political leader, b. Jixi, Anhui prov. A hydroelectric engineering graduate (1965) of Qinghua Univ. . ECONOMY: Chinas economy is rapidly growing. Yet, because of China's large population, half of the world's countries have a higher per capita [Latin, By the heads or polls.] A term used in the Descent and Distribution of the estate of one who dies without a will. It means to share and share alike according to the number of individuals. GDP GDP (guanosine diphosphate): see guanine. *. PER CAPITA GDP: $5,000. LITERACY: Males, 93%; females, 79%. QUESTIONS 1. Are most of China's large cities located in the eastern or western part of the country? -- 2. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is located at 40[degrees]N latitude. Which Chinese city is at the same latitude? -- 3. The Great Wall is located just south of which large geographical feature?-- 4. The Three Gorges Dam is being built on which large river? -- 5. What are the latitude and longitude latitude and longitude Coordinate system by which the position or location of any place on the Earth's surface can be determined and described. Latitude is a measurement of location north or south of the Equator. of Hangzhou? -- 6. Hong Kong Hong Kong (hŏng kŏng), Mandarin Xianggang, special administrative region of China, formerly a British crown colony (2005 est. pop. 6,899,000), land area 422 sq mi (1,092 sq km), adjacent to Guangdong prov. was a British colony until 1997. What is the distance in miles between Hong Kong and China's capital? -- 7. A non-Communist Chinese government Ever since Republic of China founded in January 1st, 1912, China has had several regional and national governments. List
8. Most of China west of 100[degrees]E longitude is sparsely settled. Which geographical feature(s) might explain why? -- 9. Which city has the largest population: Guangzhon (Canton), Shanghai, or Wuhan?-- 10. The Huang He Huang He, Hwang Ho (both: hwäng` h `), or Yellow River, great river of N China, c. (Yellow River) empties into which body of water?-- ANSWERS 1. eastern 2. Beijing 3. Gobi Desert Gobi Desert Desert, Central Asia. One of the great desert and semidesert regions of the world, the Gobi stretches across Central Asia over large areas of Mongolia and China. 4. Chang Jiang (Yangtze) 5. 30[degrees]N, 120[degrees]E 6. about 1,200 miles 7. Taiwan 8. a large desert and many mountains 9. Shanghai 10. Bo Gulf STANDARDS SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8 * People, places, and environments: How the booms in China's economy and population are affecting its natural environment and resources. * Production, distribution, and consumption: How the Chinese government's relaxation of Communist-style controls on production has affected the nation's economy and quality of life. RESOURCES * Ji-li Jiang, Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution (HarperCollins, 1998). Grades 6-8. * Torr, James D., China (Thomson Gale (Thomson Gale, a Thomson Learning business, Farmington Hills, MI, www.gale.com). A leading information publishing company for libraries, schools and businesses. Thomson Gale was formed in 1998 as a merger of Gale Research, Information Access Company and Primary Source Media, three Thomson , 2001). Grades 6-8. WEB SITES * Chinese Government's Official Site china.org.cn * The Three Gorges Dam cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/china.50 /asian.superpower/three.gorges Write the letter of the correct answer on the line before each question. --16. What were the collectives created by China's Communist Party under Mao Zedong? A. factories designed to reduce pollution B. privately owned farms worked by families C. state-owned farms run under a communal system --17. Which river in China is the longest river in Asia? A. the Amazon B. Chang Jiang (Yangtze) C. the Yellow River (Huang He) --18. What disaster of the 1950s killed 20 million Chinese? A. the Asian flu Asian Flu may refer to:
B. a famine that began in 1959 C. the Korean War Korean War, conflict between Communist and non-Communist forces in Korea from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953. At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into Soviet (North Korean) and U.S. (South Korean) zones of occupation. of 1950-1953 --19. Who was the influential leader of the 1980s and 1990s who opened China to foreign trade? A. Deng Xiaoping B. Hu Jintao C. Mao Zedong --20. When finished, the Three Gorges Dam will be what? A. the world's deepest dam reservoir B. the world's largest hydroelectric dam C. the world's most expensive infrastructure ANSWERS 16. C 17. B 18. B 19. A 20. B |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion