The Kingdom of Ireland     1     (add) to create the United Kingdom of Great Brain and Ireland in the 19^th century. But in the 20 century, the southern part of Ireland broke away from the UK,     2     resulted in the full name we have today: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As part of the four countries in the UK, Ireland is referred to     3     “Emerald Isle” due to its beautiful landscape. Its beautiful countryside excites and inspires all,     4     (offer) something for each of the senses. Wherever you go, you’ll find its rolling green hills     5     (dot) with sheep and cattle. On     6     quiet morning in the mountains, feel the sun on your skin and breathe in the sweet scent of fresh lowers while birds greet the new day with their morning song. With all this beauty, it is not     7     (surprise) that Ireland has developed strong traditions including music, dancing and dining.     8     (have) a chance to experience this, stop by a village pub and relax with a local beer. Better yet, enjoy a delicious     9     (tradition) Irish. Beef Stew. If you introduce yourself to a friendly face, you are more than likely     10     (experience) local culture and customs first-hand.

The Olympics Through the Years

The first modern Olympics was held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. At    1    opening ceremony(典礼), King Georgios I and a crowd of 60,000 onlookers welcomed 280 athletes,    2    would compete in 43 events, including track and field, gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, cycling, tennis and so on. The    3    (office)symbol(象征)of the modern Games is five interlocking(紧密相连的)colored    4    (ring), representing(代表)the continents(大陆)of North and South America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia. The Olympic flag, featuring(以……为特色)this symbol on a white background,    5    (fly) for the first time at the Antwerp Games in 1920.

The Olympics    6    (true )took off as an international sporting event after 1924, when the VIII Games were held in Paris. Some 3,000 athletes from 44 nations competed that year, and for the first time the Games featured a    7    (close)ceremony. The Winter Olympics was first held that year, such events as figure skating, ice hockey, and the biathlon    8    (include). Eighty years later, when the 2004 Summer Olympics returned    9    Athens for the first time in over a century, nearly 11,000 athletes from 201 countries competed. In a gesture that joined both ancient and modern Olympic traditions, the shotput(铅球)    10    (compete)that year was held at the site of the classical Games in Olympia.

Besides Cambridge, could you imagine a more beautiful university town?     1     its narrow medieval passageways and 801-year-old university, this small English city is packed with history.

Cambridge is less than     2     hour from London by train. And once you’ve arrived, you’re going to want to do what the locals do and get yourself a bike. Cambridge     3     (consider) the cycling capital of the UK. Bike hire shops are everywhere and parking is easy.

In the center of Cambridge is one of the world's most well-known and respected universities. Founded in 1208, Cambridge University is the fourth oldest university in the world still     4     (teach). One of the jewels in the university’s crown is     5     (it) library. Cambridge University Library holds around 8 million books, maps and journals.

One of the best ways to see Cambridge’s     6     (hide) spots is by boat, or punt (平底船), to be exact. Punting began in the early 20th century and remains the best way     7     (explore) the River Cam and its many bridges—25 in all.

There are plenty of     8     (place) to stay in the city but if you want to get some country air, just a short drive out of town is Clopton Courtyard,     9     you can rent your own barn and enjoy the     10     (peace) and pleasant life in the countryside.

The word hutong was borrowed from the Mongolian word to mean, “water well”, about 700 years ago. Later it referred to a place     1     people live. Hutong we see today are made up of small lanes     2     (form) by walls of siheyuan. They were built during     3     Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

When the People’s Republic of China     4     (found) in 1949, there were more than 3,000 hutong. Most of the city’s population lived in this traditional housing.

    5     with the modernization of the city in the 1980s and early 1990s, many hutong were pulled down to build     6     (road), skyscrapers and modern houses. The government has     7     (ultimate) recognized the importance of hutong as Chinese cultural heritage. In 2002, Beijing listed 40 protected historical zones and increased its efforts to restore some key relics and older streets in the city. Nearly 500 hutong     8     (survive) so far.

Hutong that still exist are like oases (绿洲) of calm surrounded by the     9     (noise) city. Walking through them, it is common     10     (see) groups of elderly citizens sitting together playing cards, mahjong or Chinese chess. In the early mornings and evenings, they gather to practice traditional forms of exercise such as taijiquan as well as dancing and singing folk songs or Peking Opera. Hutong have become a museum of Beijing’s folk customs and history.