Module 5　Great People and Great Inventions of Ancient China

　　【美文导读】　

　　The Four Great Inventions of ancient China

　　China held the world's leading position in many fields in the study of nature，from the 1st century before Christ to the 15th century，with the four great inventions having the greatest global significance(重要性)．

　　 Papermaking，printing，gunpowder and the compass-the four great inventions of ancient China－are significant contributions of the Chinese nation to world civilization.

　　 Papermaking(造纸)

　　 Chinese legend tells that the new invention of paper was presented to The Emperor in the year 105 AD by Cai Lun.Historical evidence，however，shows that paper was in use two hundred years before then.Either way，the Chinese were greatly ahead of the rest of the world.The craft (工艺) of papermaking relied upon an abundance(丰富) of bamboo fiber to produce a fine quality paper.In ancient China, the papermaker uses only the traditional materials and methods to produce fine art paper.

　　 Printing(印刷)

　　 Bi Sheng invented moveable type (活字) of printing in the year 1045 AD，three hundred years ahead of Europe，which furthered Chinese technology and its role in the advancement of human civilization.

　　Gunpowder(火药)

Imagine their enemy's surprise when the Chinese first demonstrated(展示) their newest invention in the eighth century AD. Chinese scientists discovered that an explosive mixture could be produced by combining sulfur(硫磺)，charcoal(木炭)，and saltpeter(硝石)．The military uses were clear.New weapons were rapidly developed