4 . In traditional Chinese culture, the dragon has long been regarded as a symbol of good luck, power and mystery. Among the rich relics of Chinese history, the dragon totems (图腾) in the Forbidden City are     1    （undoubted） a charming presence.

The Forbidden City, a splendid architectural complex     2    （know） as the “treasure of China”, was once the royal palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it stands as the world’s     3    （large） and most complete. existing ancient wooden structure architectural complex.     4     one of the most important cultural totems in China, the dragon has always been a symbol of good fortune. In the Forbidden City, the dragons, whether     5    （fly） in the sky, leaping between beams (房梁), or hidden     6     the details, all tell ancient stories.

In each corner of the Forbidden City, lifelike dragons in various shapes can     7    （see）, both showcasing delicate craftsmanship     8     carrying deep historical and cultural significance.

Aceording to photographer Gu Caihua, those dragons on the     9    （roof） seem to be guarding the ancient palaces, while those dragons on beams appear to be telling the change of history. Not only     10    （be） these dragons decorations, but they also carry the essence of Chinese.

Dragons, a famous     1     (imagine) beast born from fantasy, are often present in stories in the west and east. In both cultures, dragons are     2     (general) recognized as massive creatures capable of flying. They have great power with magical abilities. However, due     3     their different cultural roots and images, there exist significant differences in the way dragons     4     (regard) in the west and east, particularly in China.

In traditional Chinese culture, a dragon is a symbol of luck, power and high ‘status. They can cause weather changes and bring rainfall to the fields     5     (ensure) rich harvests. They are considered divine (神圣的) creatures,     6     hold an important position as the head of the four spirits. Therefore, to symbolize their power, ancient Chinese     7     (emperor) decorated their clothes with dragon patterns. These clothes are known as dragon robes. Many Chinese view the dragon as a national symbol, proudly     8     (refer) to themselves as “descendants of the dragon”. In the west, however, a dragon symbolizes     9     evil creature that spreads violence and terror throughout the land. They are believed to be transformed by the devil, with the ability to breathe fire or spit poison.

Today, dragons continue to evolve, exceeding traditional boundaries and finding new significance in global culture. No longer     10     (associate) with evil or good, they are more as complex characters with their own unique personalities and motivations.

Today, much of the world’s ocean is still a mystery. Only 5 percent of it     1     (explore) so far. In fact, we know more about some areas of Mars     2     some parts of the world’s ocean.

New technology, however, is helping scientists explore these     3     (hide) worlds. For example, scientists are using     4     underwater vehicle called DeepSea to explore seamounts-underwater mountains.

Scientists have used DeepSea to study Las Gemelas, an area of seamounts near Costa Rica. A huge     5     (vary) of species live around Las Gemelas. Some of these species may have chemicals     6     can help people fight illnesses.

The     7     (deep) location of the earth is the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. The ocean floor there is     8     (approximate) 11,000 meters deep. In 2012, filmmaker and explorer James Cameron reached the Mariana Trench in a vehicle called DeepSea Challenger. He was the first     9     (complete) the journey alone. Cameron took photos and made videos on the ocean floor. Deep sea exploration also helps us     10     other ways. For example, we are learning how underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis. As Cameron says, “This is the beginning of opening up a new frontier.”

The Temple of Heaven Park, Tiantan in Chinese, is located in the Dongcheng District, Beijing. It is the     1     (large) and most representative existing masterpiece among China’s ancient sacrificial buildings.     2     (original), the Temple of Heaven was the place where emperors of the Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty held the Heaven Worship Ceremony. First     3     (build) in 1420, the 18th year of the reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, the Temple of Heaven was enlarged and rebuilt during the reigns of the Ming emperor Jiajing and the Qing emperor Qianlong. In 1988, it     4     (show) to the public as a park, displaying ancient philosophy, history and religion. Its grand architectural style and profound cultural implication give an insight into the practices of the ancient Eastern civilization.

Covering     5     area of 2,700,000 square meters, it is larger than the Forbidden City,     6     is enclosed by a long wall.     7     (it) northern part within the wall is semicircular symbolizing the heavens and the southern part is square symbolizing the earth,     8     (reflect) an ancient Chinese thought of “the heaven is round and the earth is square”. The main buildings lie     9     the south and north ends of the middle axis of the inner part. The most significant is the Circular Mound Altar (Huanqiutan) to hold many     10     (ceremony).

The Internet has made our lives more convenient. We no longer have to wait in line or carry cash around when we go shopping. We can get the most     1     (update) information from large databases. But the Internet has done much more for people than simply make life more     2     (convenience).

At age 50, Jan Tchamani suddenly developed     3     serious illness and had to quit her job,     4     (leave) her stuck at home with only her computer to keep her company. After a while, she discovered that surfing the Internet could help her feel less lonely and bored. She joined an online group     5     she could talk about her problems and get support and advice from others. She     6     (inspire) by the people she met online and she decided to start an IT club to teach older people how to use computers and the Internet. Many people     7     (help) since the club was set up. Jan has started taking online     8     (class) to learn more about how to use the Internet to make society better. She believes that it is     9     (high) important to bridge the digital divide and make sure that everyone has access     10     the Internet and knows how to use new technology.   Jan's life has been greatly improved by the Internet.

Shackleton was one of the most famous     1     (explorer) of its day and it was a great honor to be part of his expeditions.

After     2    (see) the advertisement in the newspaper, Perce Blackborow resolved to join the Antarctic expedition     3    (lead) by Sir Ernest Shackleton no matter what kinds of challenges lie ahead. Unfortunately, his     4    (apply) was turned down because he was too young and not qualified enough. However, he managed to get aboard the Endurance with his friend’s help. He hid in a cupboard, but soon he     5    (discover). Although the captain Shackleton was angry, he didn’t want to turn back and assigned the boy the job of cooking for the crew. The voyage did not go     6    (smooth), and the Endurance became stuck in the ice. Before the Endurance was crushed and sank into the sea, Shackleton gave the order     7    (abandon) the ship, and the crew had to camp on ice. They then sailed to Elephant Island. Soon after that, Shackleton selected     8     boat party and set off for South Georgia Island to get help. Perce Blackborow stayed on the island with other 21 men. After living on the island for four months, they were finally rescued. They were at last free to go home to warm beds, good food     9     the care of their family. Shackleton saved all his loyal crew     10     a low but painful death.

The virtual choir was the idea of award-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre. Born in the USA on 2 January 1970, Whitacre began     1     (study) music at the University of Nevada in 1988. He fell in love with Mozart’s classical music when he sang for the university choir.     2     (move) by this music, he said, “It was like seeing color for the first time.” He graduated     3     university in 1995 and then received a master’s degree in musical composition from the Juilliard School in New York in 1997. Over the next 10 years, Whitacre’s     4     (origin) compositions began to become quite popular among choirs and singers. This led to the creation of the virtual choir.

In 2009, Whitacre received a video of a girl who was singing one of his works.     5     (inspire), he asked his fans to make videos, which he then joined together into one     6     (perform). His first virtual choir, “Lux Aurumque”, had 185     7     (singer) from 12 different countries. It has received millions of views on     8     Internet. Since then, the virtual choir     9     (become) a worldwide phenomenon. Whitacre’s next effort was the Virtual Youth Choir for UNICEF,     10     was first seen onstage on 23 July 2014 in the UK. Altogether, 2,292 young people from 80 countries joined in to sing Whitacre’s song “What If.”