The Chinatown in San Francisco is the biggest in America, and also    1    (old). The climate is mild all year round,     2    (mean) it is always a good time to visit. Now, the    3    (major) of residents in Chinatown are still ethnic Chinese, many of whom do not speak English     4    (fluent). This allows visitors to experience a real taste of China. Most of Chinatown     5    (destroy) in the 1906 earthquake, but the city and residents rebuilt it. Visitors can spend hours just    6    (explore) the interesting sights smells, and sounds of China. The stores in the Chinatown offer    7    unique range of souvenirs, goods, and clothing. All kinds of traditional Chinese herbal medicine can be found, too, and there are Chinese tea stores,    8    visitors can taste and buy varieties of Chinese tea. But perhaps     9    many tourists and San Franciscans treasure most about Chinatown is its food. There is Chinese food to suit everyone’s taste,    10    traditional dishes from all over China.

After camping in the Redwood Forest and visiting the wine country of Napa Valley, I have to admit that it     1     (definite) feels good to be back in the San Francisco again. And what a city-a city that was able to rebuild itself after the earthquake that     2     (occur) in 1906.There are so many beautiful old buildings — many     3     (sit) on top of big hills, offering great views of the city, the ocean, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Mission District, one of the     4     (old) parts of the city, used to be a poor area of town,     5     it is now a centre for art, music, and food. An art movement     6     (call) the “Mission School” started here. It’s influenced by graffiti art and comic art. I walked around looking at the street art for a few hours and ate some delicious Mexican-Chinese noodles from a food truck. Many of the people living here are from Mexico or Central America. A real mix of     7     (culture)here!

In the afternoon, I headed to a local museum. There I learnt that America got California from Mexico     8     1848. In the same year, gold was discovered near San Francisco,     9     started a gold rush. Over 300,000 people came from all over the world     10     (seek) their fortune, and San Francisco quickly became a big city.

The Grand Canal (大运河), the bloodline that flows through the hearts of Chinese people, has     1       history of more than 2, 500 years,     2     (consist) of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the Sui and Tang Grand Canal and the Zhedong Canal. The Grand Canal, the world’s longest man-made waterway, whose construction has shaped the culture and commerce of the country,     3       (stretch) nearly 3, 200 kilometers along the east of China.

Before it was built, people in ancient China relied heavily on horses and oxen, or     4     (simple) traveled by foot to trade goods, which limited the extent     5     which goods could be traded. But the Grand Canal connected the north and the south, allowing for the     6     (expand)of trade.

In fact, the Grand Canal facilitated the transport of materials for the construction of the Forbidden City. The palace complex     7     (build) using materials from different parts of the country. Resources like the bricks     8     (fire) in Shandong and Jiangsu, and gigantic wood cut in Hunan were transported to the imperial city along the canal’s various     9     (section).

The Grand Canal not only brought prosperity to cities along the route, but also nourished the evolution of Chinese culture. It was an environment     10     people could share their experiences, traditions and culture with others. Today, the boom of the area is a scene of the past, but the spirit of openness has become part of the local culture.

The Amber Room was considered one of the wonders of the world. It     1     (design) for the palace of Frederick I and thought highly of     2     (it) fancy style and design. The whole    3     (decorate) of the Amber Room was very splendid (富丽堂皇). Tons of amber as well as gold and jewels were used to make it, which makes it an     4     (amaze) treasure.

However, the next king of Prussia, Frederick William Ⅰ, decided to give it as     5     gift to the Russian Emperor, Peter the Great,     6     gave Prussia a troop of their best soldiers in return.

Unfortunately, during the Second World War, the Nazi Germany was     7     war with Russia. Nazis invaded Russia and some of Nazis     8     (secret) removed many objects from the Amber Room. After that, what happened to it     9    (remain) a mystery.

Recently, the Russians and Germans     10     (build) a new Amber Room at the summer palace so that they can appreciate it and remember the history.

Some people thought in 1941 the Nazi army stole the Amber room,       1     was once called the eighth wonder of the world. Others believed that it     2    (destroy)by the Nazi army in the World War Ⅱ. In fact, nobody knows     3     exactly happened to it.

It is certain that the Amber room was     4    (high)thought of. It was a great treasure decorated with gold and jewels. Afterwards, Catherine II had more details     5    (add)to it Just imagine how     6    (amaze)it was! So       7     is no wonder that man people have been looking for it since it got missing. The searches came to no end.

In order to celebrate the 300^th   birthday of St. Petersburg, the Russians and Germans decided to rebuild it by       8    (study)old photos of the former Amber room. The rebuilding lasted 24 years and shows the world       9     new Amber Room, attracting millions of     10    (visitor)around the world.

Why Does Rain Smell So Good?

Do you love the smell of rain? If so, you’re not alone.

    1    (actual), some scientists believe that people got their love for the smell of rain from     2    (ancestor), who relied on wet weather for their survival.

But what makes rain smell so nice? There are several smells associated with rainfall that people find pleasing.

One of these smells     3    (call) “petrichor（尘土的味道）.” Petrichor, a term created in 1964 by two Australian scientists studying the smells of     4    (rain) weather, comes from some chemical reactions.

During dry periods some plants produce oils, and when it rains, these oils go into the air. Another reaction occurs when chemicals     5    (produce) by some bacteria are sent out. All of these chemicals combine to create the pleasant pertichor smell when rain hits     6     ground.

Another smell associated with rain is ozone（臭氧）. During a thunderstorm, lightning can split oxygen and another gad and     7    (it) in turn can combine into a new substance. This substance reacts with other chemicals to form ozone,     8     has a sharp smell.

When someone says he can smell rain coming, it may be that wind from an     9    (approach) storm has carried ozone down from the clouds and     10     the man’s nose.