PART 1 Core question

In what way did religion influence Su Tunpo's spirit?

Su's spirit was consisted of a medley of three schools of thought: the Buddhism, the Confucian and the Tao. Buddhism provided Su with an escape from the mundane world and helped him achieve true peace of mind when facing the caprice of fate. The Confucian, on the flip side, embedded a sense of duty towards his fellow men in Su's soul. The Buddhist goal to free from all personal attachments and the realist Confucian teaching kept struggling with each other in Su's mind. Su's spirit deviated from Tao to Buddhism after he found himself unable to control impulses by Tao. But Tao still lay deep in Su's soul as he applied himself to the Taoist art of prolonging life.

PART 2 Sentences

1. SuTungpo now was to become a farmer by necessity and a recluse by temperament and natural inclination.

2. The Linkao House might not be much, but half of the beauty of a landscape depends on the region and the other half on the man looking at it.

3. It has always seemed to me that wherever the spirit of man lives, religion comes to life again. Whenever the spirit of man dies, religion also decays.

PART 3 Expressions

1. He had hastened there by the most direct overland route, leaving his family to come after him in charge of his brother.

hasten: [ˈheɪsn]1. to go somewhere quickly

2. hasten to do sth: to do or say sth quickly SYN hurry

I hastened to assure her that there was no danger.

3. I hasten to add: used when you realize that you have said may not have been understood correctly

an exhausting course, which, I hasten to add, was also great fun

2. To this friend he wrote a perfectly correct answer, full of a contrite spirit.

contrite: [ˈkɒntraɪt] 内疚的

a contrite apology, a contrite heart

It is the victims, not the perpetrators who determine when the perpetrator is sufficiently contrite.

contrition: [kən'trɪʃn]

Zong has since apologized, but the public was not convinced of his contrition.

3. The soup in the lower pot consisted of a medley of cabbage, turnips, rape turnip, and shepherds purse.

medley: [ˈmedli] (音乐)混合曲；（体育）混合赛

He played a medley of Beatles songs.

Japan won the Men's 200 meters Individual Medley (混合游泳赛).

a medley of: a mixture of different types of the same thing which produces an interesting effect

an exotic medley of smells

a medley of architectural styles

4. When Tienlin hears of cases of indigent expectant mothers in his neighborhood, he usually runs over to the family, and by giving the parents food and clothing is able to save many babies lives.

indigent: [ˈɪndɪdʒənt] very poor

The town government is responsible for assistance to indigent people.

an expectant mother/ father: a mother or father whose baby will be born soon

(a woman) be expecting a baby: she is going to have a baby

后文中有出现过：When a woman is expecting a child, her neighbors and landlord are bound to know about it.

5. I have made bold to bring this matter to your attention because I know I am speaking to a true friend, and I crave your pardon for the intrusion.

bold: (a.) confident or determined that you sometimes offend people 勇敢的；莽撞的

You should be feeling confident and bold when you meet your bank manager.

make/be bold to do sth, make/ be so bold as to do sth: formal, to do sth that other people feel is rude or not acceptable

I see you have been so bold as to ask for food at this time.

Su Tungpo