The Chinese writing system is one main reason     1     Chinese ancient civilisation has continued into modern times.

At the beginning, written Chinese was a picture-based language. It dates back several thousand years to the use of longgu — animal bones and shells on which symbols     2     (carve) by ancient Chinese people. By the Shang Dynasty, these symbols had become a     3     (complete) developed writing system. Over the years, the system developed into different forms,     4     (lead) to many varieties of dialects and characters. However, Emperor Qinshihuang united the seven major     5     (state) into one country where the Chinese writing system began to develop in one direction. That writing system was of great     6     (important) in uniting the Chinese people and culture. In modern times, written Chinese has become     7     important means by which China’s present is connected with     8     (it) past. People can read the classic works which were written by Chinese in ancient times.

Today,     9     China playing a greater role in global affairs, an increasing number of international students are beginning to appreciate China’s culture and history through this     10     (amaze) language.

Rugby looks like a     1     (mix) of soccer and American football. Legend says rugby was invented in 1823 at a school in the town of Rugby, England. A student was playing in a soccer match, but he got     2    (bore) with just kicking the ball, so he picked it up and ran with it. Before long, this new way of playing soccer became popular at the school. When the school’s students finished their studies, they moved to other parts of Britain,     3    (take) the new game,     4     they called rugby, with them. Before long, they established rugby     5    (club) throughout Britain and in British colonies around the world.

By the 1870s, there were many rugby clubs in Britain and elsewhere, but they weren’t all playing rugby the same way. To solve this problem, representatives from twenty-two teams met     6     agreed on official rugby regulations. They also founded     7     association (协会) of rugby teams, called the Rugby Football Union (RFU).

Today, Rugby Union World Cup tournaments     8    (hold) every four years. Thousands of fans travel     9    (attend) the matches and cheer on their favorite teams. Believe it or not, not one team who’s won the Rugby World Cup has     10    (success) won the next World Cup! But players and fans don’t mind. They just enjoy the game.

Most of us are familiar with the “Silk Road”, a network of land trading routes which connected northwestern China to Europe since the Han dynasty. With its recent     1     (popular), you may have heard of the “Ancient Tea Horse Road” as well, another network of land trading routes that connected China to various     2     (part) of Asia and Europe before sailing became common. Historically, the “Ancient Tea Horse Road” is no less     3     (value) than the “Silk Road”. And because of their respective locations, sometimes the “Ancient Tea Horse Road”    4    (refer) to as the “Southern Silk Road”.

The “Ancient Tea Horse Road” got its name as Chinese tea and horses were the main products     5     (buy) and sold along the route. Historians have traced the origins of the “Ancient Tea Horse Road” back to the Tang dynasty,     6     tea was being transported out of Yunnan to Beijing, Tibet, and other places. The “Ancient Tea Horse Road” was     7     (far) developed during the Song and Ming dynasties, and remained     8     busy trading route all year round until the Qing dynasty.

The “Ancient Tea Horse Road” serves     9     not only a trading route, but also a bridge connecting different races -- such as Han and the Tibetan people. It is located near the “Roof of the World”, and is where many minority groups are located,     10     (make) it a spot of many attractions.