Unlike the scary dragons you might read about in Western stories like “The Hobbit,” where dragons like Smaug are greedy and fierce, Chinese loongs are seen as lucky and wise. The loong is a big part of China’s history and culture. Chinese people proudly claim they are the descendants of loongs!
One of the oldest stories, from over 2,000 years ago, tells us about Liu Bang, the first emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. The story says his mother dreamed of a loong, which was a sign that she would give birth to a great leader. Chinese emperors loved loongs so much that everything important was decorated with them — their clothes, their thrones, even their beds!
The loong was seen as the God of rain. People believed it controlled the weather, especially rain. So, if there was a drought or too much rain, people would pray to the loong for better weather. They thought loongs could cause natural disasters like floods or tornadoes if they were upset.
Loong is also one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, which is a cycle of animals linked to each year. Each animal has a specific time. The sequence is determined by the time of day the animal is most active, at least in the eyes of the ancient Chinese. The loong’s time is from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. when it’s often foggy. This made people think of loongs riding on clouds and mist.
In Chinese paper cutting, a typical pattern shows a loong riding on clouds or two loongs playing with a pearl (珍珠), which represents the balance of yin and yang. The loong is also a popular symbol in Chinese calligraphy, representing beautiful and flowing writing.
Many Chinese parents hope their children will be strong and successful, just like a loong. This is shown in the saying “望子成龙”, which means they have high hopes for their kids. People born in the Year of the Loong are thought to be natural leaders, full of energy and creativity.
奇速英语 原创编写 版权所有 侵权必究！ 每日更新 个性化阅读 英语飙升！
2.When would people ask the loong for help?
A When the weather is unfavorable.
B When they have poor harvests.
C When they wish for money.
D When they want kids.
解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第三段的“if there was a drought or too much rain, people would pray to the loong for better weather”可知，当干旱或者洪涝的时候，人们会向龙祈求，即当天气不如意时。故选A。
3.Why the loong’s time is in the early morning?
A It’s most energetic then.
B It’s riding on clouds then.
C It’s giving birth then.
D It’s starting a new day then.
解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第四段的“The sequence is determined by the time of day the animal is most active”可知，时辰的顺序与生肖最活跃的时间有关，故龙时在早上7点到9点是因为这时龙最为活跃（精力充沛）。故选A。
4.Which of the following aspects is not mentioned about loong?
A Its old history.
B Its cultural influence.
C Its common saying.
D Its modern phenomenon.
解析：选D。D推理判断题。根据全文内容可知，文章第二段提及历史，最后两段分别提及文化影响和俗语。并未提及现代龙文化现象。故选D。
