Xiamen, lying in Fujian Province, is a famous coastal city. As far as I’m concerned, Xiamen is very clean and pretty. In that city, we can enjoy the clear sky, the beautiful sea,     1     green tropical plants. As Xiamen is in the southeast of China and close to the sea, it’s neither too cold in winter     2     too hot in summer. The best seasons to go to Xiamen     3    (be) both spring and summer. Besides, there are some famous tourist    4    (site) in Xiamen. And the most beautiful scenic spot is Gulangyu Island. We can visit foreign architectures, nice gardens, beautiful parks, and     5    (tradition) museums there. Once we are in Xiamen, we can’t miss going to Gulangyu Island, or we won’t have     6     good time.

However, in recent years, Xiamen has become a lot     7    (much) modern than it used to be. Nowadays, more and more skyscrapers and shopping malls     8    (build), which make Xiamen a wonderful city for sightseeing and shopping. So I     9    (eager) wish to spend my summer holiday there next time.

Next year if I have enough time and money, I plan     10    (have) a nice sightseeing tour in Xiamen with my close friends. I hope we can spend the happiest time together there.

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.

Many of us thought the world had four oceans— the Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Arctic Oceans. That’s what we     1     (teach) in school. However, a search on the Internet will show that there is also     2     “Southern Ocean“ around the South Pole and Antarctica (南极洲) . The National Geographic Society has now     3     (official) accepted that this body of water around Antarctica is a real ocean. Alex Tait, a geographer, said, “We think it’s really important     4     an educational viewpoint, as well as from a map-labelling standpoint,       5     (bring) attention to the Southern Ocean as a fifth ocean.” Geography teachers will now have to teach their students that the world has five oceans.

National Geogra phic said its recognition of the world having a fifth ocean would have an impact on     6     children see the world. Mr Tait said, “Students learn information about the world through what     7     (ocean) they’re studying. If you don’t include the Southern Ocean, then they don’t learn how important it is.” He said that     8     (recognize) the Southern Ocean would help students understand more about climate change. He wrote, “Antarctica forms a distinct ecological region     9     (define) by ocean currents and temperatures.” National Geographic said, “The Southern Ocean has unique and fragile marine (海洋的) ecosystems that are home to     10     (wonder) marine life such as whales, penguins and seals. ”

Ancient Forest Found Inside A Giant Sinkhole In China

The residents of Leye County in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region are familiar     1     sinkholes. The area’s 29 sinkholes and underground caves have earned it a UNESCO World Heritage Site name. But the one     2     (explore) by scientists in early May 2022 had an extraordinary secret—a well-preserved ancient forest.

Lixin Chen,     3     (found) of the Guangxi 702 Cave Expedition Club, and his team first went inside the massive sinkhole on May 6, 2022. It did not take     4     (they) long to reach firm ground to walk on. But the group soon realized they were nowhere close to the bottom of the 630-foot-deep sinkhole. They had to walk through trees as high as 130 feet for a few hours     5     (get) there.

Since then, the scientists     6     (return) to the sinkhole which they named “The Eagle” several times. They have found three collapsed caves, evidence of     7     ancient underground river, and a small underground lake. Chen says, “I wouldn’t be     8     (amaze) to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now.”

The sinkholes,     9     are left undisturbed by human activity, can be an oasis (绿洲)for life, especially for     10     (previous) unknown species.

Shanghai’s past and present meet in Xintiandi. Just twenty years ago, Xintiandi was a     1     (crowd) old community of houses known as shikumen, which means “stone gate.” Shanghai’s first shikumen     2     (build) in the mid-nineteenth century to accommodate thousands of refugees.

Construction of shikumen continued during the 1900s. Some were smaller than the     3     (origin) shikumen, while others were larger. At one point, there were almost 9,000 shikumen in Shanghai, and they filled more than half of the city’s housing area. During the 1990s, developers began to pull down aging shikumen and replace them     4     modern skyscrapers. Before long, however, Shanghai’s residents began to realize that the     5     (remain) shikumen were an important part of the city’s heritage and needed     6     (preserve) and restored.

Today, restored shikumen are among the special features of Xintiandi. Their exteriors (外部) open into restaurants, art     7     (gallery), boutiques, bars and cafes, many of     8     are open until late at night. As a result, Xintiandi is one of Shanghai’s     9     (hot) nightlife destinations and a magnet for tourists. As photographer Guo Changyao comments, “In the 21^st century,     10     you don’t go to Xintiandi, then you haven’t seen Shanghai.”