The Huang He Valley, also     1     (refer) to as the Yellow River Valley, was the birthplace of ancient Chinese civilization, because of     2     it is often called “Mother River”. The valley is at the center of thousands of years of Chinese history.     3     China’s second-longest river, the Huang He is over 5, 400 kilometers long. It is called the Yellow River because its waters carry sand and mud,     4     (give) the river its yellow-brown color.

While the river helps create fertile land that is suited for farming, during certain times of the year the Huang He     5     (frequent) overflows, which damages housing and crops across the North China Plain,     6     important agricultural region. For thousands of years, the Chinese     7     (conduct) major public projects to keep control of the water from the Huang He, including hydroelectric dams in modern times. Despite the possibility of flooding, the Huang He Valley basin is home to a huge population, and many of the country’s oldest cities     8     (locate) along the river.

Tribes and villages appeared from around 2100 BC to 1600 BC in the Huang He Valley. During that time, tribal leaders came together to solve the problem of the Huang He overflowing and wiping out their villages and crops. With the ability     9     (control) the Huang He better and save their crops from flooding, a number of     10     (dynasty) were then headquartered in the region. The valley became the center of Chinese culture, society and learning.

The Grand Canal is the longest and     1     (old) canal in the world. It forms     2     huge inland waterway system in China, running from the capital Beijing in the north     3     Zhejiang Province in the south

    4     (build) in sections from the 5th century BC and completed and maintained (维持) by several    5    (dynasty), it formed the backbone of China’s inland communications system, which enabled the supply of rice     6     (feed) the population. The Grand Canal reached a new peak in the 13th century, providing an inland shipping network consisting of more than 2, 000 km of artificial waterways,     7     linked five of the most important river basins in China, including the Huanghe River and the Changjiang River. Still as major means of internal communication today, it     8     (play) an important role in ensuring the prosperity (繁荣) and stability of China over the ages.

The Grand Canal bears witness to a remarkable and early development of hydraulic engineering (水利工程). It is an important technological achievement     9     (date) from before the Industrial Revolution (工业革命). It is a perfect example of dealing with difficult natural conditions, as is reflected in the many constructions that are     10     (full) adapted to the diversity and complexity of circumstances. It best demonstrates the technical capabilities of Eastern civilizations.

Mount Everest, which is part of China,     1     (lie) between Nepal and Tibet. On Tuesday, Nepal and China made a surprising     2     (announce) on the height of the world’s highest mountain. After years of not reaching an agreement on the mountain’s height, both sides have measured again and discovered it’s higher    3    anyone thought.

Sir George Everest, after     4     the mountain is named, was the main surveyor (测量员) of India in the mid-1800s. Radhanath Sikdar, an Indian man who worked for Mr. Everest, was the first     5     (realize) it was the highest mountain in the world. He     6     (exact) calculated the height as being 29,000 feet. But Mr. Sikdar’s boss added two feet to the height because he was afraid people wouldn’t trust     7     round number like 29,000.

But the height most people have been using for Mount Everest came from a 1955 survey     8     (conduct) by India, which put the mountain’s height at 29,029 feet   (8,848 meters) . Since that time, other attempts     9     (make) to measure the mountain, each coming up with a different result.

Last year, four surveyors from Nepal climbed Mount Everest and made new measurements, using GPS and satellite information. And in May, China sent up     10     (it) own team of surveyors, who were the only ones to climb Mount Everest this year. Working together to determine the mountain’s exact height, the two countries announced the new height: 29,031.7 feet (8,848. 86 meters).

Hiking the Longji Rice Terraces (梯田) in southern China is something I would recommend for everyone to add to their bucket list. The name     1     (literal) means “Dragon’s Backbone” due to the fact that the rice terraces look just like a dragon’s scales, while the mountain’s summit     2     (bear) a likeness to the backbone.

During my visit to Guilin, I decided to set out on a three-day hike through the famous Longji Rice Terraces. Known as the “Dragon’s Backbone”, the terraces were     3     incredible sight as they stretched across the green hills in complicated patterns looking like ripples of water.

The hike     4     (take) me through small villages set against the beautiful landscape. Local farmers were busy tending to the terraced rice fields that had been farmed for over 1,000 years. Along the paths, I passed orange groves and met friendly locals     5     offered me fresh lychee.

At night, I stayed in simple home stays run by farming families. Over multi-course meals

Reaching the hike’s end after three full days, I felt a profound    8     (appreciate) for these ancient agricultural wonders carefully built into the landscape    9     generations of families. The Dragon’s Backbone terraces provided me with unforgettable mountain views    10     cultural insights into rural China.

If you don’t come to Xinjing, you won’t know how big China is. And if you don’t come to Xinjiang, you won’t know how    1    (beauty) Nalati is. According to the local people, Nalati means the     2    (one) place to see the sun. Nalati is known as the “Entrance to Heaven on Earth”.

The wide grasslands, blue lakes and wonderful flower fields attract millions of     3    (visit) from home and abroad every year. You can see groups of cows and sheep everywhere. You can also see horses with people on    4    (they) backs running across the field. People on the horseback can enjoy the amazing view of the grassland at the same time. The postcard like scenery will be remembered by everyone    5    sees it. There are 27 main tourist attractions in total in this area. It’s reported that tourist industry plays    6    important role in its development. Nowadays, it not only offers jobs for the local people, but encourages young people     7    (realize) their dreams.

One of the visitors said in an interview, “Visiting Nalati has left a deep impression on me, and look forward to     8    (return) sometime in the future.”

Voyo, a l9-year-old American girl, loves Chinese culture and is studying in Xinjiang University. She told the reporter “During my stay, I was shocked by the    9    (develop) of Xinjiang. The Chinese government     10    (make) great effort in supporting the local industries these years.”