The Xi’an City Wall is the most complete city wall that has survived China’s long history. It     1     (build) originally to protect the city     2     the Tang dynasty and has now been completely restored (修复). It is possible       3     (walk) or bike the entire 14 kilometers.

We accessed the wall through the South Gate. The wall is 12 meters high and from here you can see streams of people moving inside and outside the City Wall.

After     4     (spend) some time looking at all the defensive equipment at the wall, we decided it was time for some action and what     5     (good) than to ride on a piece of history!

We     6     (hire) our bikes from the rental place at the South Gate. My bike was old and shaky     7     did the job. It took us about 3 hours to go all     8     way around the Xi’an City Wall. Supposedly you can do it in two hours, but we stopped at the different gates and     9     (watchtower) to take pictures or just to watch the local people going about their     10     (day) routines.

The iceberg that was for a time the biggest in the world is no more. A68, as it was known, covered an area of nearly 6,000 km²    1    it broke away from Antarctica in 2017. That's like a small country. But satellites show the mega-berg has now virtually gone, broken into countless small fragments    2    the US National Ice Center says are no longer worth tracking. Most glaciologists regard A68 as the product of a very    3    （nature）process, and it has nothing to do with human-induced climate change.

Originally constructed around 256 BCE by the State of Qin     1     an irrigation and flood control system, Dujiangyan is a remarkable example of ancient engineering skill and is still     2     use today.

During the Warring States period, people who lived along the banks of the Min River     3     (trouble) by annual flooding. Qin governor and irrigation engineer Li Bing investigated the problem thoroughly. He led a team     4     (construct) a levee(堤坝) to redirect a part of the river’s flow. Then they cut     5     channel through Mount Yulei to let the water flow through it. After the system was finished , no more floods     6     (occur). What’s more, it made Sichuan one of the most productive agricultural     7     (region) in China because the redirected water from the Min River could be used for irrigation. If you visit Dujiangyan, you will see an     8    (usual) construction that looks like a fish’s mouth. This famous attraction, Yuzui, together with two other important parts, namely, Feishayan and Baopingkou, was     9     (scientific) designed to control the water flow throughout the year.

    10     (recognize) as a UNESCO heritage site, Dujiangyan has irrigated farms while preventing floods for over 2,000 years.

Many buildings along the Yangtze River have been destroyed during the flood season,     1     the Guanyin Pavilion (亭子) in the middle of the river has continued to stand tall even after more than 700 years. How does this ancient pavilion make     2    ? Described as “the first pavilion on the Yangtze River”, the Guanyin Pavilion     3     (build) in the Song Dynasty and then rebuilt in the Yuan Dynasty. Today, the pavilion     4     (sit) on a piece of dragon-shaped rock in the middle of the Yangtze River. Located outside the city of Ezhou, Hubei Province, the pavilion was constructed on a huge rock about 30 meters from the bank of the river.     5     (face) west, the pavilion is 24 meters long, 10 meters wide and 14 meters in     6     (high) . The base is made with a one-meter- high stone pile. The entire base is     7     (beautiful) combined with the rock, and the whole building is shaped     8     a boat in the direction of the flowing water. More importantly, a very strong stone wall was set up     9     (protect) the main body from the floods. The ancient pavilion is still standing more than 700 years later,     10     shows the wisdom of ancient Chinese people.

The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces(梯田), in southern Yunnan, China, cover a huge 16, 603-hectare area. The terraces,     1    (know)to all of the world now, were made out of a thick forest by the Hani people. The terraces rise at different angles from a shallow 15°    2     a steep 75°, forming a wonderful landscape(景观)that     3    (be)rare in the world.

In 2003, the terraced fields were     4    (official)recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site. About 1,300 years ago, the Hani people first     5    (come)to the steep mountains. They struggled against the difficult terrain(地形), successfully creating the terraces, where they grew rice in order to make     6    (they) living. Over the past 1,300 years, the Hani people have developed a complex system of channels     7    (bring)water from the forested mountaintops. They show great appreciation for natural phenomena such as rivers, mountains, the sun, fire     8     the moon. They have also created a complete farming system     9     involves cattle, ducks, and fish and supports the     10    (produce)of red rice, the area's main crop.

The landscape changes through the year. In April the terraces are all green as rice starts to grow; in later parts of the year it is yellowish brown as the rice ripens. In February, the terraces become bare earth, with the water reflecting(反射)the sky.

The Great Wall is the longest building in the world. It begins from Shanhaiguan and ends at Jiayuguan,     1     (cover) more than 6,000 km. It was built to prevent the enemy from getting into the Central Plains. The completion of the Wall     2     (take) a long time. Its first section was built in     3     7th century BC. After over 2,000 years rebuilding and connecting different sections thus came the present Great Wall.

The best     4     (preserve) section is at Badaling, which is also the best place to appreciate the greatness of the Great Wall.    5     (it) three parts, namely the pass, the wall and the watchtower, were once greatly significant. The Chinese saying: “If one man guards the pass, 10,000 are     6     (able) to get through.” shows the importance of the pass. The wall is the main part. During the ancient war time, those soldiers    7     (brave) defended the border on the wall. There is a watchtower every several kilometers used to pass military information.

    8     a historic site, the Great Wall symbolizes for Chinese people courage, strength and strong will. So, there’s a Chinese saying: “He    9    has never been to the Great Wall isn’t a true man.”

In 1987, the Great Wall    10     (list) on the World Heritage List.