India

主  持  人：谢建民（正高级教师，江苏省特级教师）

本期撰稿：江苏省无锡市谢建民名师工作室成员王琛（宜兴市和桥镇第二中学）

India is an interesting and mysterious country with a long history. About 5，000 years ago， Indian civilization（文明） was born. It is one of the four ancient civilizations in the world.

India is a developing country with a large population. More than two thirds of the Indians still live a poor life in the countryside. Hindi（印地语） is the mother tongue of Indian people. But Britain occupied India in 1757 and stayed there until 1947. Because of this， English slowly became the other official language. The country is home to many famous people， for example， Rabindranath Tagore（拉宾德拉纳特·泰戈尔） influenced the world with his beautiful poems.

As an ancient civilization， its rapid economic development is making India a rising power.

India is well known for its software industry. The city of Bangalore is also called the Silicon Valley（硅谷） of India. About one third of IT talents in India work there. It is the center of software production for India. Indian IT products， from computer programs to mobile phone parts， have become common in people’s daily lives.

Besides， India attracts young people around the world with its modern culture industry. Bollywood films are famous for stories with happy endings and lovely music. Three Idiots（《三傻大闹宝莱坞》） and Dangal（《摔跤吧！爸爸》） are some of the best ones.

India is also a wonderful place to travel. Spicy curry（咖喱） and exciting dance give people a happy time there. But be careful about local customs. In India， cows are very special animals. Indians don’t sell or eat beef. Do not show bare（赤裸的） legs or wear revealing clothing including skirts and shorts. Do not touch others or eat with your left hand which is thought to be unclean. Do not wear your shoes indoors， especially when visiting a temple. It is thought to be impolite.

1. What’s the official language in India？

2. Why do Indians use right hand to eat？

现在越来越多的国际友人希望了解中国。（剩余2015字）