May 4—Chinese Youth Day

Youth Day in China falls on May 4. It originates from the May 4th Movement,     1     happened during World War One. China attended the so called “Peace Conference” in Paris as one of the victorious nations. However, the Chinese delegates’ demand     2     (abolish) unfair treaties and stop the aggression into and from China was rejected.

The news incensed students in Beijing. Along with those from the business and educational circles, they sent a number of telegrams     3     (ask) the Chinese government to rethink to national sovereignty. Succumbed to the pressures of imperialism, the Beiyang government was prepared to sign the treaty regardless of the anger of the people.

On May 4, 1919, many students gathered around Tiananmen Square and staged demonstrations. They boycotted classes in order to make     4     (speak) and ask to meet representatives of other countries. Many students joined in the strike and student groups from other cities answered the appeal. Some students were initially arrested,     5     eventually released due to a significant strike that threatened to crash the economy.

The effect of the movement worked as the government refused to sign the treaty. However, on September 30, 1919, the Paris Peace Treaty     6     (sign) by the USA, England, France, Japan and other countries except China and the Chinese delegates didn’t attend the signing ceremony of the Paris Peace Conference.

The May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist as well as     7     anti-feudal movement. The core of the May Fourth Movement spirit is: patriotism, progress, democracy and science and marked the beginning of China’s new democratic revolution.     8     a broader sense, it occurred in the time when the country was going through the New Culture Movement. In memory of the May 4th Movement, in December 1949, the Chinese government     9     (office) announced May 4 to be Youth Day of the People’s Republic of China to inherit and carry forward the spirit of rebellion and revolution. It encouraged the youth to make bold changes and to be     10     (innovate).

Dujiangyan is    1    oldest man-made water system in the world, and a wonder in the development of Chinese science.

    2     (build) over 2, 200 years ago in what is now Sichuan Province in Southwest China, this amazing engineering     3    (achieve) is still used today. In ancient times, the region     4    Dujiangyan now stands suffered from regular floods caused by overflow from the Minjiang River.     5    (help) the victims of the flooding, Li Bing, the region governor, together with his son, decided to find a solution. Li designed a series of channels built at different levels along Mount Yulei that would take away the floodwater while leaving the river     6    (flow) naturally. Better still, the extra water could be directed to the dry Chengdu Plain, making     7    suitable for farming.

Once the system was finished, no more floods occurred and the people were able to live     8     (peaceful). Today, Dujiangyan     9    (admire) by scientists from around the world because of one feature. Unlike modern dams where the water is blocked with a huge wall, Dujiangyan still lets water flow through the Minjiang River naturally, enabling ecosystem and fish populations to exist     10     harmony with each other.