In the gentle winter sunlight, Gulangyu Island lies like a pearl in the ocean, quietly revealing     1     (it) unique charm. This small island is a witness     2     history. Every brick seems to tell stories of the past.     3     (original) named “Yuanshazhou” and also known as “Yuanzhouzi”, it     4     (refer) to as “Wulongyu” during the Southern Song Dynasty. Later, due to the sound resembling a drum, it was renamed “Gulangyu.” Famous for its natural landscapes and cultural heritage, Gulangyu boasts     5     (attraction) such as Sunlight Rock, Shuzhuang Garden, and more. Figures like Ba Jin and Lin Yutang found inspiration here,     6     (enrich) the island’s intellectual heritage.

During the winter, life here seems to slow down. In the early morning, it’s preferable to walk through the alleys     7     (surround) by European-style buildings. Breathing in the air filled with the smell of the sea     8     (bring) an extraordinary sense of freshness and joy.     9     walk to Sunlight Rock on the island offers a view of the entire city of Xiamen. In the afternoon, one can enjoy a rich cup of coffee in a café by the sea,     10     feels like being in a moving painting with the occasional fishing boat passing by. As the sun sets, the entire island is enveloped in a golden sunset. At this moment, Gulangyu becomes even more gentle and romantic.

When you step off the train in Anyang, you step back in time.

The city     1     (sit) on the borders of Shanxi and Hebei provinces, and its central location puts it within a few hours by fast train of many Chinese cities.

It is     2     comfortable place where accommodation is cheap, dining affordable and taxi fares low. But leaving the ordinariness of modern life behind, the visitors will soon be able to survey some of the city’s     3     (glory) past, for it is one of China’s eight ancient capitals, and in it there are ruins and relics     4     (date) back as much as 3,000 years.

The city has just got a little more attractive because the Henan government     5     (announce) recently that visitors to 432 A-level scenic areas in the province would not require entrance tickets between Oct 10 and Nov 10,     6     (include) all of Anyang’s 35 A-level scenic spots.     7    , if you wish to take advantage of this you’ll need to be quick, because the free visits can be offered only when you make reservations     8     advance.

Visitors can also enter Fuhao’s underground tomb, which was discovered in 1976 in the Yinxu Ruins. There are also exhibitions about     9     (write) languages of China’s ethnic minority (少数民族) groups and the development of printing techniques, such as movable type printing, one of the four great     10     (invent) in ancient China.