英语听力材料大漠英豪成吉思汗

英语听力材料：大漠英豪成吉思汗ThenameGenghisKhanprobablymakesmanypeoplethinkofconqueringwarriorsonhorsebackleavingburningcitiesandpilesofdeadbodiesbehindthem.

WhilethereisnodoubtthatGenghisKhanwastheleaderofahighlyefficientkillingmachine,therewasmuchmoretohimthanmilitaryskill.Hewasalsoatalentedpoliticianwithexcellentdiplomaticabilities.

Inthe1160s,thetribesoftheCentralAsiansteppeswerealmostconstantlyatwarwithoneanother.Inthemiddleofthechaos,oneofthetriballeadershadasonnamedTemujin.Whentheboywasnineyearsold,hisfatherwaspoisonedbyenemies.Thetribethenabandonedthefamily,leavingthemtosurvivebyeatingratsandinsects.

Despitehisdifficultchildhood,Temujingrewupstrongenoughtoclaimhishereditarypositionastriballeader.Hebecameadeptatformingalliances,aswellasfightingbattles.By1206,alltheMongoltribeswerereadytorecognizehimassupremeleader.TheygavehimthetitleGenghisKhan,whichmeans“emperorofallemperors.“

HavingunitedthetribesofCentralAsia,GenghisKhanturnedhisattentionelsewhere.Hisambitionwasworldconquest,andheadvancedatanastonishingrate.HeinvadednorthernChinaandcapturedPeking,butwasunabletosubduethewholecountry.Instead,heturnedwestwards.Bythetimeofhisdeathin1227,hehadcreatedanempirethatstretchedfromthePacificcoasttothe

CaspianSea.TheMongolsweresuperbhorsemenwhowontheirvictorieswithatechniqueofpretendingtoretreat,thenlaunchingasurpriseattack.Theirdisciplineandorganizationmadethemextremelyeffectivefighters.Theywereexpertarchersandcouldmaintaintotalcontroloftheirhorseswhilekeepingbothhandsfreeforfighting.GenghisKhan”sarmiesweredividedintotightlyorganizedunitswhichweredirectedbyanefficientsignalingsystemusingblackflags.Theirfavoritetacticinopenbattleinvolvedprovokinganattack,andscatteringastheenemycameforward.TheMongolswouldharasstheenemyfromthesidesuntilthelatterwereexhausted,thencloseinforthekill.

Aftercapturingacity,Mongolarmieswouldtestthesincerityoftheinhabitants”surrender.Theywouldpretendtogoaway,leavingbehindasmallnumberofrepresentatives.Ifthesewerekilled,theMongolswouldreturntomurdertheentirepopulation.Theyseldomtookprisoners.

Despitehisruthlessmethods,GenghisKhanwasnotanimpulsivekiller.Heavoidedbattleifdiplomacywouldwork,andhewasskilledatusingspiestohelpachievehisaims.Healsomaintainedthetraditionofchoosingleadersinamassmeeting,andpeopleunderhisrulewereabletoadvancebyabilityratherthannoblebirth.

Forthecitizensofmodern-dayMongolia,GenghisKhanisafolkheroandasymboloftheiremergingdemocracy.AmainstreetinthecapitalofUlanBatorhasbeennamedafterhim,andhisimageisonabanknote.Heevenhasabrandofvodkanamedafterhim,notan