2 . One of the world’s oldest preserved human settlements has been significantly damaged by pouring rain in Pakistan as the country battles the worst floods in its history.

Moenjodaro, a World Heritage site in the Indus River valley 508 kilometers (316 miles) from Karachi, was built in the Bronze Age, some 5,000 years ago. “Unfortunately we witnessed the mass destruction at the site,” reads a letter from the Cultural, Tourism & Antiquities Department of Singh state sent to UNESCO and signed by director Ihsan Ali Abbasi and architect Naveed Ahmed Sangah. The letter adds the site was being used as temporary accommodation for surrounding residents whose own homes had flooded.

Moenjodaro’s significance can’t be underestimated when it was added to UNESCO’s register in 1980, the organization wrote that Moenjodaro “bears exceptional proof to the Indus civilization,” comprising “the most ancient planned city on the Indian subcontinent”.

The letter explains some of the immediate actions the site team has taken to mitigate the flood damage, like bringing in water pumps and repairing brickwork. But it’s clear that these measures will not be enough.

Abbasi and Sangah ended their letter by asking for 100 million Pakistani rupees ($45 million) to cover the costs of full repairs. UNESCO has responded to the request for help, allocating $350,000 from its emergency fund for damaged historic sites in Pakistan during UN Secretary General António Guterres’s visit to the flood-stricken country this week.

The funds will go to Moenjodaro and other sites including the Amri Museum. While the sum is far less than needed to fully repair the sites, it will pay for urgent work while UNESCO and local organization consider the best way forward. Sadly, the conservators of Moenjodaro have known for some time that flooding could bring a serious risk to the site.

In their letter, Abbasi and Sangah express concern that Moenjodaro could be added to the list of UNESCO sites in danger, which the preservation body updates periodically to highlight historic places that are at severe risk of ruin.

We seem to be very familiar with teahouses. The function of a teahouse varies widely     1     (depend) on the culture. In China, a teahouse is a place     2     people gather to enjoy tea, chat and socialize. It     3     (regard) as a symbol of Chinese tea culture.

Chinese teahouses enjoy a long history. They developed from tea stands in the Western Jin Dynasty, took shape in the Tang Dynasty, developed     4    (gradual) in the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties and became booming in modern times.

In the Song Dynasty, teahouses existed all over cities and villages,     5    a speed similar to that of restaurants. The owners     6     (prefer) to decorate their teahouses with paintings of the famous and rare and precious plants to attract customers. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the number of teahouses went beyond     7     of restaurants, gaining more popularity and becoming     8     (well-known). Later, the acculturation (文化移入) of Western culture forced traditional Chinese teahouses to take on     9     new look. After reform and opening-up, teahouses flowered in China with economic development and obvious     10    (advance) in people’s living standards.

Singapore’s tradition of eating out in places called hawker (小商贩) centers has been recognized by the United Nations for its     1     (culture) importance so far.

A hawker is a person     2     sells food or goods by shouting at passers-by on the street. Hawkers are     3     special part of Singaporean culture. Open-air eating areas where hawkers sell     4    (they) goods are very popular in Singapore.     5     Wednesday, the United Nations’ cultural agency, UNESCO, added the city’s “hawker culture” to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Singapore     6     (apply) to have hawker culture added to the list about two years ago.

Because it has been recognized, Singapore must provide a report every six years to UNESCO. The report must specifically show measures that the city-state has taken     7     (save) and support its hawker culture. “These centers serve as ‘community dining rooms’ where people from diverse backgrounds gather and share the experience of     8    (chat) over breakfast, lunch and dinner,” UNESCO said.

However, Singapore’s hawker culture does face difficulties. The average age of hawkers     9    (be) 60 years old. Younger Singaporeans now want to work in offices. They are     10    (little) interested in working in small restaurants.

Letters as a way of communication have long given way to phone calls and WeChat messages.     1    , a TV show, Letters Alive, is helping bring this old way to keep in touch back     2    the present.

Letters Alive took    3     (it) idea from a UK program, Letters Live, released in 2013. Both     4     (show) feature famous actors and actresses, but there are no eye-catching visual effects or any regular showbiz(娱乐圈) activities. Instead, it’s just a live event     5     remarkable letters selected from a wide time span and a diverse range of subjects are read. There is, for example, a passionate letter from Huang Yongyu to playwright Cao Yu 30 years ago to criticize his lack of     6    (create).

Every letter is like a small piece of history. By hearing them     7     (read), it’s as if we are being sent back in time to experience a moment that we would otherwise never have had the chance to.

    8     (compare) to published texts, letters also     9    (natural) come with a personal touch. As well as celebrating the pain, joy, wisdom and humor, Letters Alive     10     (commit) to promoting Chinese literature since first run.

10 . Food festivals are a common occurrence in the UK and take place in all sorts of places and at all sorts of times. Whatever your taste, there’s a food festival to match — no matter how specialized.

1. Meatopia

This three-day, London-based festival takes place at the end of August and is a meat lover’s paradise. In addition to a range of legally sourced meat products, from juicy burgers to tender steaks, attendees can listen to live music, watch butchery demonstrations, and attend informal meat-based workshops.

2. The National Honey Show

If you have a sweet tooth, then it could be that the National Honey Show, which started in 1921 and is the largest event of its kind, is the place for you to be. This three-day event attracts many local entries who showcase their sweet golden honey, some of which is sold globally.

3. The Orange Sauce Festival

Have you heard about a festival that is devoted only to orange sauce? Held in Cumbria, this sweet, fragrant festival has been running for 3 years. What attracts people most is a competition to find the best homemade orange sauce. There are thousands of participants from over 30 different countries across the globe, bringing their local snacks to share here.

4. The Ginger and Spice Festival

If you’d prefer something with a little more kick to it, then you could attend The Ginger (姜) and Spice Festival held in Market Drayton. Unlike other food festivals, it celebrates its town’s historic connection to Robert Clive, who returned from India with ginger. Because of this, they specialize in baking gingerbread, but also sell a range of traditional spices from mild to hot.