Zheng He (1371-1435), or Cheng Ho, is arguably（可论证地） China’s most famous navigator. Starting from the beginning of the 15th Century, he traveled to the West seven times. In 28 years, he traveled more than 50,000km and visited over 30 countries, including Singapore. Zheng He died in the tenth year of the reign（统治） of the Ming emperor Xuande (1435) and was buried in the southern suburbs of Bull’s Head Hill (Niushou) in Nanjing.
In 1985, during the 580th anniversary（周年纪念） of Zheng He’s voyage, his tomb（坟墓） was rebuilt. The new tomb was built on the site of the original tomb in Nanjing and reconstructed according to the customs of Islamic teachings, as Zheng He was a Muslim.
At the entrance to the tomb is a Ming-style building, which was a memorial hall. Inside are paintings of the man himself and his navigation maps. To get to the tomb, there are newly laid stone platforms and steps. The stairway consists of 28 stone steps that are divided into four sections with each section having seven steps. This represents Zheng He’s seven journeys to the West. The Arabic words which mean “Allah (God) is great” are written on top of the tomb.
Zheng He built many wooden ships, some of which are the largest in history, in Nanjing. Three of the shipyards still exist today.
56. Zheng He’s tomb was rebuilt ________.
A. because he was a Muslim B. following the Islamic customs
C. to celebrate Zheng’s 580th birthday D. beside the original one
57. You can see _____ at Zheng He’s tomb.
A. a Ming-style hall in the tomb B. ZhengHe’s portraits and his maps for his voyage
C. Arabic-style buildings and materials D. four flights of 28 stone steps
58. The passage mainly tells us ______.
A. how ZhengHe built his ships B. something about his tomb
C. that ZhengHe was a Muslim navigator D. about ZhengHe, his voyages and his tomb
