Zhang Zeduan’s timeless scroll is a masterwork of Chinese art. The Qingming Scroll, which offers     1     important insight into life in China in the 12th century, measures 10.03 inches in height and 17.22 feet in     2     (wide). Although the scroll is over eight hundred years old, it is in     3     (surprise) good condition.     4     (house) in the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Qingming Scroll is usually displayed flat in a glass case.

The scroll consists of three main sections, the first of which     5     (feature) crop fields, a river     6     (wind) through the landscape and farmers hard at work, presenting a peaceful scene of rural life near Bianjing. Boats sailing     7     and out of Bianjing can he seen in the second section. The final section pictures hundreds of people from all     8     (walk) of life, including butchers, hairdressers and government officials. The combination of these three sections gives the viewer an idea of     9     life was like for the people of Bianjing.

At first sight, the overall scene of life in the capital city appears peaceful and cheerful. However, if you inspect the painting carefully, some serious political and social problems     10     (expose).

More than 500 pieces of relics     1     (discover) at the Sanxingdui Ruins site last year. The relics include golden masks, jade and ivory artifacts and bronze wares     2     were exquisitely (精美地) built and     3     (unique) shaped, said the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration on Sept. 9, 2021. The new discoveries bring the total number of items unearthed at Sanxingdui     4     nearly 2,000 after the excavation of No. 3 to No. 8 sacrificial pits began in October of 2020.

Tang Fei, chief of the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, said, “The new discoveries demonstrate once again that the     5     (imagine) and creation of the ancient Chinese far surpassed what people today had expected”. Tang added that the excavation of the new pits has entered a critical stage, with more     6     (item) yet to be unearthed. He also anticipated that the items found will challenge the     7     (convention) wisdom of archaeologists.

Originally discovered in     8     late 1920s, the Sanxingdui Ruins have been considered as one of the world’s greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century.     9     (locate) in the city of Guanghan, around 60 km from Chengdu, the ruins covering an area of 12 square km are believed     10     (be) the remnants (遗迹) of the Shu Kingdom, dating back some 4,500 to 3,000 years.

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.