Three sites in China˗˗an ancient tea-producing area, a nomadic livestock-rearing region and a rain-fed stone terrace farming system˗˗were formally recognised as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), for their unique ways of using traditional practices and knowledge while maintaining unique biodiversity and ecosystems.

An ancient tea-producing area (中国福建安溪铁观音茶文化系统)

Tea production in Anxi, Fujian, is believed to date from the 10th century, with its most famous tea, Tieguanyin, coming into    1     (exist) in the 18th century. It belongs to the Oolong tea category between green tea and black tea. Local farmers’ unique technique includes wisely managing the natural environment to guarantee the production of     2     exceptional quality tea leaf.

A Grassland nomadic system (中国内蒙古阿鲁科尔沁草原游牧系统)

The Ar Horqin grassland nomadic system in northern China’s Inner Mongolia region has a variety of ecosystems, such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers with important ecological     3     (function). To adapt     4     the fragile grassland environment, the ancestors of today’s herders (牧民) adopted a typical nomadic lifestyle. By    5     (constant) moving grasslands, they ensured the protection of vegetation (植被) and full use of water resources,    6    (avoid) soil degradation (恶化) and overgrazing and bringing a steady supply of livestock products.

The Shexian Dryland Stone Terraced System (中国河北涉县旱作石堰梯田系统)

The Shexian Dryland Stone Terraced System in Hebei, is a rain-fed agricultural system dating back to the 13th century.     7     (surround) with mountains, the stone terraced fields still play an important role in making     8     possible to farm on the steep slopes. The county is well-known for corn, soybean and other agricultural and forestry products. With this variety of crops and farming techniques, local communities     9    (manage) to guarantee their food security and well-being over hundreds of years, while shaping a remarkable landscape     10     bears witness to their ability to live with their environment.

There is a well-known Chinese saying written on the Great Wall, “He     1     Has Not Climbed the Great Wall Is Not a Real Man”. It is a senic spot with a lot of tourists.

The great wall     2     (average) 7.8 meters in height. It is 6.5 meters wide at the base and 5.7 meters at the top. The     3     (wide) is enough for five horses to go side by side.

The Great Wall has     4     history of more than 2,000 years. As early as the Warring States Period, in order to self-protect, kingdoms built walls around     5     (they) territories (领地). This is the earliest Great Wall.

When Qin Shihuang, the first emperor in Chinese history, unified the whole country in 221 B.C., he ordered     6     (build) another new wall on the base of the original walls of the Countries Qin, Zhao, and Yan in effort to guard     7     the invasion (入侵) of the northern nomadic tribes.

Looking from the space, you will find a construction. This is the Great Wall in China.

The Great Wall of China is the     8     (long) defense wall in the world. From the     9     (aspect) of culture and history, the wall is an ancient masterpiece that you can     10     (full) enjoy.

When talking about the ancient     1    (architecture) wonders in Shanxi province, which is said to have the largest number of ancient buildings in China, Xuankong Temple in Hengshan Mountain, Hunyuan county is without doubt a classic case rip e for study.

In the minds of many Chinese people,     2    (temple) are mostly seen as structures built on the ground. But Xuankong Temple,     3     means “temple hanging in the sky”, or suspending temple, is a strong exception.

The temple was built on     4     surface of a cliff and is one of only seven ancient temples in China with such a status, according to researchers.

Constructed out of wood, tiles and stone during the Northern Wei Dynasty, the temple is made up of two three-story pavilions (亭子) and a yard     5    (join) by staircases and steps. The staircases and steps run along the surface of a steep cliff rising 90 meters above a stream     6     the foot of the mountain.

Seen from below, Xuankong Temple appears     7    (extreme) precarious (岌岌可危的). It is supported by only a few thin scaffolds (脚手架)     8    (rise) from projecting rocks. For that reason, it     9    (select) by Time magazine as one of the 10 most dangerous buildings in the world in 2010.

But “precarious” and “dangerous” are not the right adjectives for this structure preserved for one and a half millennia. Despite several restorations in various historical periods, the temple     10    (survive) the winds, rains and earthquakes in the past 1500 years.

The ancient city of Kashgar (喀什), which has a population of around 200,000,     1     (greet) over 7 million tourists so far this year. Since the Belt and Road Initiative (“一带一路”倡议)     2     (propose), the ancient city has once again drawn attention as a gateway to opening up to the outside world.

As the night closes in. street     3     (light) come on. Kashgar becomes even     4     (much)alive with tourists joyfully exploring a city with     5     history of more than 2,000 years. Already famous for many years because of its colourful culture and architecture,     6     (tour) has continued to grow rapidly in the ancient city of Kashgar in recent times, with travellers from all around the world going there.

Neil Munro, from Britain, walks into a restaurant with friends     7     (taste) the famous local barbecue and beer. After a two-day stay in Kashgar, the group will motorcycle through several other Chinese provinces including Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan, before finally     8     (arrive) in Laos. This is Munro’s third visit     9     Kashgar. When he first travelled there in 1999, he was shocked by the unique culture and he soon began learning Chinese.

“The people here are welcoming. Kashgar is full of energy,” said Sirpa Jarvenpa, from Finland,    10     took part in the long motorcycle ride along with her husband.

Shichahai is a famous scenic area in the northwest part of Beijing,     1     (surround) places of historic interest and scenic beauty, and remnants(残留) of old-style local residences hutong and courtyard.

Shichahai is always     2     good place for local residents’ recreational life, and in the past 200 years, many government officers and celebrities     3     (choose) to build mansions and temples in it. Thus, the     4     (attract) of Shichahai lies not only in its natural beauty, but also in the historical value of its architecture. The most famous ones among these historical buildings are Prince Gong’s Mansion (Gong Wang Fu), Price Chun’s Mansion (Chun WangFu),     5     the Former Residence of Mei Lanfang, a well known Beijing Opera master.

One of the     6     (great) point s of interest in Shichahai today is its residences hutong and courtyard. Visiting hutongs by pedicab(三轮车) has become a popular activity for     7     (visitor) from China and abroad. The most famous is Jin Si Tao, which     8     (actual) includes 18 hutongs and keeps the original layout.

Some snack streets also lie in Shichahai, and people can find two old brands here. One is Lao Rou Ji, a restaurant selling roast meat,     9     has a history of over 150 years. The other is Bao Du Zhang that has sold     10     (cook) tripe of sheep(羊肚) for four generations.

Fayuansi, or Fayuan Temple is     1     key Buddhist temple in the south of Beijing. It dates back more than a thousand years. Its     2     (surround) neighborhood is one of the few old hutong communities in the city,     3     has a rich historical and cultural value.

Many celebrities (名人) once lived or participated in events in this area, adding     4    its rich cultural     5    (significant). Chairman Mao Zedong once led an anti-warlord movement here in 1920 when he was young. The famous Indian poet Tagore and his Chinese friend Xu Zhimo     6    (visit) Fayuan Temple together in 1924.

However, the area’s out-of-date infrastructure (设施) has     7     (gradual) forced this community to make a change. So a new project aiming     8     (look) for solutions to renovating (修复) the Fayuansi area through sustainable development had been widely expected.

Fortunately, a well-rounded plan for the renovation of the Fayuansi area     9     (make) earlier this year. According to the plan, most of the historic architecture will be preserved, but the work will balance the local residents’ need for improved living standards, while attempting to maintain the     10    (origin) architecture.