Unit 1 Listening

Welcome to this lecture, everyone. Today we’re going to talk about the Chinese explorer Zhang Qian and the Silk Road.

Zhang Qian was a pioneer in setting up the Silk Road. He was an official in the Han Dynasty. At that time, China knew little about the lands in the far West. The emperor sent Zhang Qian to explore and open routes to the outside world. Zhang Qian travelled to many countries and made useful reports on the people and cultures there. His journeys helped lead to the development of the Silk Road.

The Silk Road got its name from the Chinese silk trade. It was started over 2,000 years ago. Although it was called a“road”, the Silk Road was actually many different routes, both on land and by sea. These routes spread from East, South and West Asia to North and North-East Africa as well as Europe. They allowed people to carry goods between countries, and helped spread knowledge and ideas across the world. The Silk Road was important in the development of countries such as China, India and Egypt.