Unit 1 The Origin of Human Civilization
Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
? enlarge your vocabulary of human civilization;
? grasp the main idea of the text and each paragraph;
? strengthen cultural confidence;
? use the present and past participles as adverbials;
? identify the author’s point of view;
? write an essay on the topic “Building a Global Community of Shared Future.”

Warming-up
Civilization is a big topic, it might be useful to start by asking ourselves three big questions:
? What is civilization?
? When and where did civilization begin?
? Where is civilization heading?
The future of civilization has a central bearing on the future of humanity. What should we seek in a world of diverse civilizations? What kind of relationship do we want between different civilizations? These questions require some serious thinking. Discuss
with your classmates and try to answer these questions.

Section A
Lead-in
Dunhuang is not only a splendid treasure of ancient Chinese civilization but also an important witness to the frequent cultural integration and mutual learning among the diverse civilizations on the ancient Silk Road. The multiculturalism is testament to Dunhuang’s past, which benefited both China and the rest of the world.