Zou Bin, 27, a building worker from Xinhua, Hunan province, was the first Chinese to be awarded first prize for his splendid bricklaying technique at the World Skills Competition in 2015.
Zou’s story of construction began in his early childhood when he played at a construction site where his parents made a living, reported CCTV. As he grew older, he assisted them with their work. “At first, I was just helping them move the bricks and mix mortar (砂浆). Later on, I started learning the skill,” Zou told China Daily.
From the moment he became a building worker, Zou set strict standards for himself to build every wall perfectly, brick by brick. According to Zou, the more walls workers build, the more money they will get. “But if I’m not satisfied with my work, I would push it over and redo it. My fellow workers would rag me that no matter how well I do, I wouldn’t get extra pay for that. But I wanted to set the bar high for myself,” said the 27-year-old to China Daily. This working philosophy is surely part of the factors that contributed to his present glory.
When preparing for the competition, he not only practiced for over ten hours during the day, but also learned to read different diagrams at night, determining to build the best wall with all he can. Even if his hands were full of blisters (水泡), he didn’t stop. Finally he got on the stage and won a medal at his first show, reported China Daily.
Although he was crowned as a world champion, Zou is quite humble in life. Calling himself an ordinary migrant worker, he said there are many more outstanding craftsmen out there. Zou is only one representative of the tens of thousands of construction workers who pursue excellence in their work.
【小题1】What do we know about Zou?| A．He learned building skills from his parents. |
| B．He was forced to work at a young age. |
| C．His parents encouraged him to be a bricklayer. |
| D．He won a medal at an international competition. |
| A．Zou’s career plan. | B．Zou’s attitude toward his job. |
| C．Zou’s colleague’s opinions of him. | D．Zou’s effort toward the competition. |
| A．Congratulate. | B．Laugh at. | C．Show gratitude to. | D．Follow. |
| A．Creative and strict. | B．Hardworking and humorous. |
| C．Determined and modest. | D．Social and ambitious. |
