My friend and I have arrived in Katherine,     1    is a town in Australia’s Northern Territory. We’re here to learn about the life and     2    (custom) of the Aborigines, who are native     3     Australia. The Aboriginal population might be small, but     4    (it) influence is still visible. For example, “Bondi” in “Bondi Beach” is an Aboriginal word which     5    (mean) “water breaking over rocks”.

    6    (survive) in the vast land on the ocean, the Aborigines had to be in close contact with nature, which shows in their music, too, like     7    (celebrate) the natural world and the     8    (spirit) world around them. Most of their musical instruments are really just sticks     9     (find) on the ground, among which there is     10     amazing instrument called the didgeridoo.

In ancient times, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, in Eastern China was called Jing kou.    1     (locate) at the golden cross of the Yangtze River and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, it is a place of     2     (strategy) importance.

The upper reaches of the Yangtze River deposit a lot of silt (淤泥) here,     3    has gradually built up into a small island in the river.

There are three beautiful mountains here—Jinshan Mountain, Beigu Mountain and Jiaoshan Mountain, which are     4     (close) connected with the Yangtze River and are called the Three Mountains of Jingkou.

Jinshan mountain is only 42 meters above sealevel.    5    Jinshan mountain is said to be on the Yangtze River, because the rivers course has moved to the north, JinShan is now some distance away from the Yangtze.

Beigu Mountain, 10 meters     6     (high) than Jinshan Mountain, is just beside the Yangtze River. From here, Jinshan Mountain can     7     (see) in the west and Jiaoshan Mountain in the east. Around the foot of the mountain     8     (flow) the mighty river.

Jiaoshan, the highest of the three,     9    an altitude of 70.7 meters and an area of 38 hectares, is located in the Yangtze River, surrounded by water. Encircled by the green waves, the green mountain looks like a piece of jade     10     (float) on the river.

In Chinese history, the Yellow River is not just a river; it stands for the origins of culture and civilization. It played     1     important role in the early development of Chinese civilization.

The Chinese refer to the Yellow River as “the Mother River”. That is     2     the Yellow River was the birthplace of ancient Chinese civilizations in the Xia and Shang eras — the richest region in early Chinese history.

Two million years ago, Peking man used     3     (live) in the Yellow River Basin. Moreover, the Chinese regard yellow     4     a color of ancient origins: a symbol of the loess (黄土) land the Yellow River flows through, the emperor, the yellow skin of the Chinese, and the legendary Chinese dragon, from which the Chinese assume     5     (them) to develop.

Confucianism and Taoism were not established until the Zhou Dynasty. Centuries     6     (late),Buddhism (佛教) was successively established there. These three religions spread through the Yellow River area,     7     (keep) a balance between each other. The religious culture in the Yellow River Basin has a much     8     (long) history, however. Actually, a long time ago, the Yellow River valley     9     (give) birth to the most basic form of Chinese religion: worship (崇拜) of ancestors to pray for blessings. Ancestor worship strengthened blood     10     (tie), maintained family identity, and promoted the power struggle in the Yellow River civilization.

The Yellow River and the Yangtze River are the two most important rivers. Both of     1     run through central China. Not only were these major rivers a great source of fresh water and food in ancient China, they also were the     2     (subject) of Chinese art and literature (文学).

Often, the Yellow River     3     (call) the “cradle of Chinese civilization (中华文明的摇篮)”. It is 3,395 miles long, making it the sixth     4     (long) river in the world. Early Chinese farmers built small villages along the Yellow River. The rich yellow colored earth was good for growing millet (小米). Farmers of this area also raised sheep and other animals.

The Yangtze River is south of the Yellow River and flows (流动) in the same     5     (direct) (west to east). Just     6     the Yellow River, the Yangtze played     7     important role in the development of ancient China.

Ancient Chinese farmers that lived along the Yangtze River     8     (make) full use of the warm and rainy weather to grow rice.     9     (final) the land along the Yangtze became some of the most important and     10     (product) places in all of ancient China. The Yangtze also served as a boundary between northern and southern China. It is very wide and difficult to cross. The famous Battle of Red Cliffs took place along the river.

Jiuzhai Valley. or Jiuzhaigou, is a picturesque fairyland, featuring fascinating scenery of colorful lakes, breathtaking waterfalls and mountains. People say that if there should be a wonderland on earth, Jiuzhaigou National Park must be one.

    1    (situate) in Jiuzhaigou County, Jiuzhaigou National Park is about 450 kilometres to the north of Chengdu. Roads     2    (wander) along through the valley make     3    hard for tourists to drive there. The first thing you see there is forest. Full of a sense of a primitive forest, Jiuzhai Valley is isolated from the hustle and bustle and bustle of cities. With the seasons changing, the forest presents a     4    (various) of fantastic looks. It is also    5    kingdom of water. The lakes there,     6    are surrounded by ancient trees and flowers, are crystal clear and green all year round. As the light changes and the seasons go by, the lakes take    7    different colors.

Jiuzhai Valley is    8    (particular) picturesque in autumnal colors. Warm days, cool nights, and great     9    (view) of saturated yellows, reds and greens reflecting off the blue lakes are characteristic of autumn there. Nearly half of the 720-square-kilometre Jiuzhai Valley    10    (cover) by autumn colors.