Xi'an is always a popular destination for tourists. For a foreign tourist, Xi'an is     1     must-go place in China.     2     ( stand) at the crossing of the East, West, South, and North avenues in city proper, the Bell Tower has been a symbol of Xi'an. The Bell Tower first lay in the center of Xi'an City     3     built in 1384. In 1582, the city went through an expansion so the     4     (locate) of the Bell Tower changed.

People then pulled down the    5     ( origin) bell tower and rebuilt a bell tower in the center of the expanded city. The tower base is square and it     6     ( cover) an area of 1377 square meters. It is 8.6 meters high and 35.5 meters wide and built     7     (complete) with green bricks.

As to the Bell Tower, there is a magical folk legend. In the Ming Dynasty, several earthquakes     8     (strike) Guanzhong area, and thousands of people were dead or injured. It is said that a dragon in the river    9     flowed across the center of Xi'an City was so active that the earthquakes happened. An official of Xi'an government asked 5 000 craftsmen     10     ( repair) the Bell Tower day and night in order to use the tower to lock the dragon. After establishing the Bell Tower, earthquake did not occur in Xi'an again.

Written in bone

You may never write words on an oracle bone(甲骨)     1     a tortoise(龟) shell, but you might see them in a museum. The earliest confirmed evidence shows that more than 3,000 years ago, people in     2     Shang Dynasty started to write characters on pieces of bones and turtle shells. They are     3     we call “the oracle bone scripts”.

The scripts are pictograms(象形文字), with     4     (record) of divinations(占卜) and prayers to the gods from people in that era. They come from pictures of the objects they refer to and simplify over time, retaining(保留)the shapes but are easier     5     (write). “The oracle bone scripts, as an earliest     6     (know) and mature form of Chinese characters, present the beauty and uniqueness of a language that has been passed down     7     (consistent),” said Chen Nan, a professor of Tsinghua University’s Academy of Art and Design.

The society that produced the oracle bone scripts shared many of the characteristics that     8     (recognize) today as typically Chinese. These valuable inscriptions from China demonstrate that the memory recorded in the documentary heritage     9     (be) an irreplaceable way of transmitting tradition, culture and historical awareness. The scripts are the     10     (evident) of ancient Chinese culture but also have an “important influence” on modern Chinese values.

Poetry is an interesting form of writing. It is very free, has few    1    (restriction) and can be a great way to express feelings. Writing a poem is all about    2    (observe) the world within you or around you.

    3    (compose)a poem, first you should begin with an idea or inspiration. Inspiration may come at any time unexpectedly. It may be a specific person, place or thing that causes some sort of strong emotion. It may be more of     4    abstract idea. After getting the idea, you can write down everything    5    comes to mind. Don’t think much and let all feelings pour out. Then you can think about its form and begin to organize thoughts. Poetry comes in many forms, from epic (史诗般的) poetry that has a story to dramatic poetry intended to be performed. Try them all out. One will come    6    (natural). When you write a poem, think about both metre(格律)    7    rhythm carefully, which are equally important in poetry. Metre is the fixed pattern of the poem, while rhythm    8    (refer) to the sound when it is spoken. It is also important to use a lot of descriptive words. Create imagery with words, trying to make it     9    (attract) to all the senses. For auditory (听觉的) interest, try to repeat similar sounds in a sentence or a phrase. All of these add life and interest    10    a poem.

As a combination of “sound” and “sense”, poetry usually implies a deeper meaning beyond the words on the page. So, how to understand poetry easily and     1     (thorough)?

Firstly, follow your ears. When beginning to read a poem aloud, it is better     2     (ask) “How does it sound?” Focus     3     its rhythm, repeated words or other special effects,     4     will help you have a better understanding of the poem in the end. Secondly, approach the poem as if you were     5     explorer in an unfamiliar landscape. Ask some basic     6     (question) about the poem. As you slowly explore your surroundings, you     7     (dig) up clues that give you a better understanding of the poem. Thirdly, if you are still struggling to interpret the meaning of a poem, even with much painstaking effort, just have a little bit     8     (patient). Generally speaking, a poem can not     9     (understand) if you only read it once. Finally, remember that you don’t have to fully understand a poem to appreciate it. You might need to abandon     10     (it) true inner beauty. As long as the journey to poetry reading makes you feel something or lets you perceive another level of meaning, it is worth your effort.