The Secret of Silk
According to legend, Huang Ti, the Emperor of China, was troubled because worms were
eating up his fruit trees. He asked his wife to study the worms in order to learn how to get rid of
One day while the empress was experimenting the worms that were destroying their trees, she
accidentally dropped a cocoon into hot water. To her amazement, the fibers began to unwind
from the cocoon. She soon discovered that
the cocoon had many yards of fibers that could be
twisted into a strong, shiny thread, which could be woven into beautiful cloth. The Chinese began
to raise silk worms and make silk cloth from the thread they produced. For many years, they kept
their silk-making a secret. Other countries could buy Chinese silk but they could not find out how to
Secrets however has a way of getting out. A Chinese princess going to India to many an
Indian prince hid a box of silkworm eggs in her fancy high-piled hairdo so she could make silk cloth
in her new home. That is how Indian leamed the secret of silik-
making.
Some Japanese traders kidnapped four young Chinese women took them to Japan, and
force them to tell their silk-making secret. Then Japan began making silk.
Two European monks hid silk worm eggs in their walking sticks and brought them to Europe
much later. Gradually the secret of silk-making spread throughout Europe.
make it.
1. Who was the emperor of China?
A. Huang Yu B. Huang Lim
C. Huang Ti
D. Huang Wo
2. Why was the emperor troubled to find worms
A. eating his rice.
C. eating his medicinal plants
B. eating his fruit trees
D. eating his peanut plants
3. Why did the emperor ask his wife to study the worms
A. to give her something to do
C. to write a book about worms
B. to make a tasty dish of them
D. to discover how to get rid of them
4. Where did the cocoon accidentally dropped?
A. oil
B. the river
C. the fire
D. hot water
5. What did the empress discover about the fiber that came from the cocoon?
A. it could be eaten
C. it could be made into thread.
B. it could be used as medicine
D. it could be made into jewelry
6. What happened when the Chinese learned how to make -silk?
A. they kept it a secret
C. they told it to their friends
B. they forgot about it
D. they informed others about it
7. Where did the Chinese princess going to India to many a prince hide a box of silkworm eggs.
A. in her wooden trunk
C. in her fancy hairdo
B. in her stylish clothing
D. in her left shoe
8. How did the Japanese learned the secret?
A. by going to India
C. by studying books
B. by kidnapping Chinese women D. by making war with China
9. When did Europe learn the secret of making silk?
A. much later
B. after World War I
C. after World War II D. Soon
10. Who brought silk worm eggs to Europe?
A. a Chinese princess
B. The two monks
C. a merchant
D. An Indian prince​