Spark Study Buddy (Challenger): China’s ‘Spider-Woman’ scales heights without safety gear

[3] The Miao people traditionally live in remote and mountainous regions. They believed that high-altitude burials allow the dead to “look towards their ancestral homeland” in central China. They also saw boat-shaped coffins as symbols of hope for souls looking to return home after death. Practical reasons also played a role in these burials – laying the dead to rest in cliffs preserved precious farmland and protected bodies from wildlife.

[4] Over time, the Miao people have continued to work on their bare-handed climbing skills, a tradition passed down through generations. Currently, however, Luo is the only woman among the region’s “spider people”.

[5] She began rock climbing at the age of 15, guided by her father. At first, her motivation came from a wish to compete with boys. She also wanted to make money by collecting medicinal herbs and gathering bird poop from swallows’ nests on cliffs, which can be used as a fertiliser. “They said this was only for boys, but I believe men and women are equal, so I learned. That is how my journey as a spider woman began,” Luo shared in a 2017 interview with the BBC.

[6] “Before this area was developed, I climbed every day to collect swallows’ droppings. We would scale 108 metres. Foreigners were often frightened by our bare-handed climbing, but I grew accustomed to it. After doing it so many times, my hands became calloused,” she said in a recent interview with Shandong TV. Becoming good at this technique requires not only physical strength but also a lot of skill; the challenging task of gathering medicinal herbs can take four to five hours.

[7] Today, she no longer needs to collect poop from swallows. Now, her skills are a form of entertainment for tourists. “Many visitors wanted to see how we gathered the herbs and paid us to demonstrate. My income isn’t high, but I take pride in being a spider woman,” Luo stated.

Source: South China Morning Post, October 10

1. What safety equipment does Luo wear while climbing cliffs according to paragraph 1?
___________________________________________________

2. Which phrase can replace “ascends” in paragraph 2?
A. take off
B. climb up
C. pull out
D. get out

3. In paragraph 3, the Miao people bury their dead in high places because …
A. they want to keep the bodies away from wild animals
B. they want to save land for growing food
C. they want the deceased to see their ancestral homeland
D. all of the above

4. Why did Luo start rock climbing according to paragraph 5?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. According to paragraph 6, what does one need to be good at cliff climbing?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Complete the following paragraph using “who” or “whom”. (3 marks)

Luo Dengpin, (i) _______ is also known as the ‘Chinese Spider-Woman,’ has impressed people with her amazing skill of climbing cliffs. She began climbing at the age of 15, guided by her father, (ii) _______ taught her the skills. The Miao people, (iii) _______ she comes from, are experts in bare-handed rock climbing.

1. nothing
2. B
3. D
4. She wanted to compete with boys and earn a living by collecting medicinal herbs and gathering bird droppings from swallows’ nests on cliffs.
5. They need to be physically strong and very skilful. (accept all similar answers)
6. (i) who; (ii) who; (iii) whom