Shiping County is located in the south of Yunnan Province, northwest of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, with     1     area of 3,037 square kilometers. According to the     2     (statistic) in 2016, the total population of Shiping was more than 316,000, of which Yi, Dai and Hani     3     (minor) groups accounted for more than 50%.

Since ancient times, great importance     4     (attach) to education and culture in Shiping, which gives birth to     5     (talent) people from generation to generation.     6     (know) for its cultural heritage, Shiping holds a special reputation     7     “the land of literature in the south of Yunnan” and “the hometown of Number One Scholars”. Haicai Songs, Dance with Cigarette cases, and Black Copper Silver process are included in the national intangible cultural heritage list. Moreover,     8     attract foodies most are the famous Tofu and barbecue. It is also worth mentioning that Yilong Lake, surrounded by a     9     (careful) designed bike lane, has gained popularity among cyclists at home and abroad. In a word, if you are looking for a low-cost, peaceful and relaxing spot     10     (enjoy) a few leisurely days, Shiping won’t let you down!

A collection of tombs dating from the Han Dynasty to the Six Dynasties period were discovered in Wulong District of Southwest China’s Chongqing. The tomb dating back     1     the Western Han Dynasty was the most important among them, and more than 600 precious     2     (culture) relics such as lacquerware (漆器), wood ware, bamboo ware, pottery and bronze ware were unearthed from it. Due to     3     (fill) with water, the tomb remained undisturbed and unharmed, and the funerary objects were well-preserved.

What is exciting about this     4     (discover) is not just the large number of unearthed artifacts but also the list of burial items that indicate a precise record of burial,     5     has been verified as 193 BC,     6     (provide) clarity on the tomb’s date. A piece of unearthed jade ware shows the important position of the tomb owner. The list of burial items found in the tomb is complete and     7     (clear) records the name, quantity and size of the funerary objects.

The tomb     8     (contain) the largest quantity of lacquered wood and bamboo ware ever found at one time in the upper     9     (reach) of the Yangtze River. Based on publicly available information, it is also the earliest tomb of the Western Han Dynasty found in China with     10     clear recorded year.

A new record-high number of black-necked cranes, a species under first-class state     1     (protect) in Southwest China’s Yunnan province     2    (monitor) during the wintering period, since the Yunnan Dashanbao National Nature Reserve was established in 1990. The     3     (high) number of 2, 260 migratory black-necked cranes has been spotted. The rare cranes begin their wintering at the reserve around Oct. 31 every year.     4     total number of overwintering black-necked cranes in the reserve reached 1, 926 in 2021.

The reserve,     5     (locate) in the Zhaoyang district of Zhaotong city, is the most significant wintering habitat     6     transfer station for migratory black-necked cranes on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. It also boasts China’s largest quantity distribution per unit area of the species.

Over recent years, the reserve has made a determined effort     7     (implement) conservation measures, such     8     wetland protection and restoration, and the construction of food source bases,     9     will steadily improve its ecological environment for migratory birds.

During the past three years, an average of over 1, 500 black-necked cranes were spotted arriving at the reserve for wintering, while the numbers of     10     migratory birds were also on the rise thanks to these local conservation efforts.

Xi’an is the most beautiful and historical city in west China,     1    (locate) in the Central Shaanxi province, with an area of 10108 ㎡ and a population of 6.8 million. In history it was the traditional capital city of 13     2    (dynasty). Xi’an was well known       3    Chang’an before the Ming Dynasty. Now Xi’an is       4    center of politics, economy and culture of Shaanxi province. It is a city famous for its     5       (amaze) natural scene and traditional history, and if you pay a visit here, you       6    (find) that it is not only a historical     7     also a modern fashion city. Also, Xi’an now is a hot travel city,     8     has millions of historical places, like the City Wall, the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, etc. As for food, you’ll be crazy to taste all delicious local food just here, such as Chinese Hamburger, Cool Noodles, Hot Pot and other snacks. There are many big shopping centers, department stores and supermarkets in and around Xi’an city, the    9     (big) and most comprehensive being Kai Yuan Shopping Mall and Century Ginwa Shopping Mall. If you come here, you will    10       (certain) fall in love with this charming Xi’an City, for it is always so charming.

The Yellow Crane Tower is one of the Four Great Towers of China.     1     (sit) at the top of Snake Hill, on the banks of the Yangtze River, this iconic building is one of the     2     (great) landmarks in Wuhan. There are a number of legends     3     tell how the Yellow Crane Tower came into being. One of them is the story of a wine merchant named Xin. It is believed that one day,     4     immortal being (神仙) pretended he was a poor man and got into Xin’s wine store. Xin, showing no judgement,     5     (offer) the man some free wine. The poor man came back day after day for several years and Xin always welcomed him with the same     6     (warm). One day, as the poor man left the store, he took some orange peel and drew a picture of a crane upon the wall. He said if he clapped his hands, the crane would come down from the wall and dance for him.     7     (surprise), what the poor man said was true. The dancing crane brought     8     much business to Xin that he soon became a very wealthy man. About ten years     9     (late), the immortal being came back to Xin’s store, called out the crane and left with it.     10     (honour) him and the crane, Xin built the Yellow Crane Tower.

The Lion Rock mountain stands not only as one of the most famous scenic spots in Hong Kong,     1     has become a spiritual symbol representing the persistent efforts of ordinary Hong Kong people     2     (live) a better life.

The Lion Rock spirit has also     3     (deep) touched those outside Hong Kong, such as Cui Xiaodong,     4     ink artist and director of the Yan Huang Art Museum in Bejing. “The mountain stands like a giant, symbolizing the industrious and persistent spirit which, over the past decades,     5     (pull) people in Hong Kong together through hard times. It is a recollection of the youth and vigor (活力) of a generation of people in Hong Kong     6     struggled to make the city what it is today.” he says.

Cui created Lion Rock in Hong Kong, a colored ink painting. In his painting, Cui depicts (描绘) the cliffs of the Lion Rock, surrounded by blooming trees and     7     (overlook) the city’s skyscrapers. Made earlier this year, the painting is now     8     show at Greater Bay Area in the Eyes of Artists, a display marking the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The     9     (exhibit) displayed there hail (向……致敬) the ecological diversity of the area and also presents to the audience     10     (success) reformative accomplishments since 1997.