2015개정 영어1 지학(민) 5과 본문

 

영어1 지학민 5과 본문.hwp

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영어1 지학민 5 Popular Flowers of the World

Flowers have various meanings, depending on the culture or country. For example, a particular flower may have a certain meaning in one country. That same type of flower may have a completely different meaning in another country. Also, some flowers have very special meanings in some countries. Many of these flowers are national flowers. The stories behind how certain flowers have become associated with particular countries are quite interesting.

 

The peony of China

The peony is one of the most popular flowers in China. It has long been a significant part of Chinese culture, inspiring many artists and writers through the ages. The story of the peony started one snowy night. Wu Zetian, the only female in Chinese history to rule as empress, once ordered that all the flowers in her garden were to bloom in winter. The flowers, afraid of the empress, all bloomed, except for the peonies. This enraged the empress and she ordered all of the peonies to be removed from the capital city, Chang'an. So she had all the peonies in the city transported to Luoyang, another important city during that time. She then ordered the people of the city to burn them.

 

Though seemingly completely destroyed, the following spring, the burnt branches surprisingly blossomed into beautiful flowers. Wu Zetian and many others were amazed that the flowers had come back to life. Afterwards, Wu Zetian declared the peony to be the national flower of the Tang Dynasty. The Chinese have such great appreciation for the peony that over 200 Chinese poets have written more than 500 poems to celebrate it.

 

The Cornflower of Germany

In German history, the cornflower is associated with the beautiful Louise of Prussia, who was the mother of William, the first Emperor of Germany. It is said that during the battle of Jena and Auerstedt (1806), Queen Louise escaped from Berlin with her two sons. On the way to Koenigsberg, their wagon broke down, and they got off and waited by the road until the damage was repaired. Not wanting her boys to worry about the delay, the queen told them to look at the countless beautiful cornflowers that were growing nearby. "Go," she said, "and gather some of those flowers, and I shall make a crown for you." Excited by their mother's suggestion, the little boys ran off and picked a lot of flowers. The queen then made a crown from the flowers and placed it on the head of her older son. Little William, not to be left out, begged his mother to make one for him, which she did. Before the close of the century, that little boy was crowned Emperor of United Germany. Needless to say, he never forgot his mother making a crown with cornflowers when he was a child.

 

The Thistle of Scotland

In Scotland, the story of the thistle goes back to the rule of Alexander III. In 1263, there was a great battle between the Danes and the Scots. The northern Danish invaders, under King Haakon, succeeded in landing on the coast of Scotland, not far from where Alexander's army was encamped. Their invasion went almost undetected. In the darkness, the Danish soldiers crept secretly toward the Scottish camp. Victory seemed certain until a shoeless Danish soldier stepped on a thistle. The soldier's sharp cry of pain awoke the Scottish soldiers. They fought with such bravery and skill that the Danish invaders were driven from the Scottish shore. Since that time, the Scotch thistle has been considered the national flower of Scotland.Different countries have different flowers they highly value, and there are interesting stories about them. What is the most popular flower in Korea? What kinds of interesting stories do you know about it?