As the morning sun went above the hills, Liu Dachun’s wife was guiding her cow through the wetland, while Lu’s daughter, a college art student, spotted the pair and     1    (pencil) a quick drawing.

Shiyanping, a traditional Tujia village, has 182 well-preserved buildings    2    (construct) in the typical wooden building style,     3     (most)built in the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 2013, the ancient architecture complex    4    (recognize) as one of the nation’s major historical and cultural sites.

In recent years, the village’s unique building complex, as well as other Tujia cultural activities, have attracted a stream of tourists. The village received more than 100,000 visits and achieved     5    income of about 5 million yuan from tourism in 2022.

Liu Dachun, a skilled farmer, is hard at work preparing for spring plowing (犁地). He has tried out the rice-fish farming system,     6     not only benefits the environment but also local residents. According to Wu, fish raised in rice fields are more popular among consumers as they are environmentally-friendly — the fish waste can add natural fertility (肥料)to the soil    7    hence promote rice output. Quan Xiping,another 59-year-old villager, was among the first in the village    8     (establish) a family-run hotel. Meanwhile, his son started an online specialty store, capitalizing on the rapid     9     (grow) of rural tourism in the area. His e-commerce business is working more efficiently due to the village’s    10     (rise) appeal.

Since ancient times, people have enjoyed themselves at the theatre. Here are two historical theatres, one in the East and one in the West.

The Deheyuan Grand Theatre, located in the Summer Palace in Beiing, was built in the Qing Dynasty. It is regarded as the place     1     Peking Opera developed into its current form. The theatre has three floors — the Fu stage, the Lu stage and the Shou stage, symbolizing     2     (happy), prosperity and longevity. The stages have special doors for actors     3     (jump) out of the floor, and equipment to help them fly through the air. A well and five ponds under the Shou stage     4     (use) in water scenes and also to increase sound effects. Today, visitors     5     the Deheyuan theatre are still amazed by its structure     6     beautiful paintings.

The first Globe Theatre was created by a group of actors, one of whom was William Shakespeare. It opened in London in 1599 and became     7     huge success until it burnt down in a fire in 1613.     8     (stand) by the River Thames, the Globe Theatre we see today has three main elements: a blue roof painted with stars, the stage itself and a     9     (hide) door in the floor.

If you are a fan of William Shakespeare, you must come to the Globe to see a play. As Shakespeare     10     (he) said, “All the world’s a stage.”

The Ancient City of Pingyao, originally named “Gu Tao”,     1    (construct) during the Western Zhou Dynasty. In order to defend from invaders (入侵者), a wall was built     2     the city in 1370. More than 300 years later, gate towers were built     3    (celebrate) a visit by Kangxi Emperor.

The three most historic sites in Pingyao, often referred to as the city’s Three Historic Treasures,     4    (be) the ancient brick-made city wall and the Zhenguo and Shuanglin temples.

The first of these historic treasures, the ancient city wall is 6,163 meters long and separates the city into two parts — an old city enclosed within the walls     5     the newer modern section of the city. The old town still looks as it     6    (do) during the Qing Dynasty, with antique streets and buildings along     7    (age) roads. Walking along the alleyways, one can appreciate the symmetrical (对称的) design of the city and     8    (it) stylish man-made cave houses. In the northeast corner of the city is the second treasure: Zhenguo Temple. Its Wan Fo Hall is the third oldest wooden building in China and houses numerous     9    (value) painted sculptures. The third treasure is Shuanglin Temple. Built during the Qi Dynasty, the temple boasts more than 2,000 painted clay statues     10     were created during the Yuan and Ming dynasties.

Few countries have as rich of a history and civilization as Egypt, so it’s no surprise that the Grand Egyptian Museum(GEM), which     1     (expect) to open later this year, will be the largest archaeological museum in the world. It cost more than a billion dollars     2     (build) it. When finished, it will hold     3     large number of Egypt’s ancient objects, including the treasures of a king’s tomb.

The GEM, also     4     (know) as the Giza Museum, is about 2 km from the Giza Pyramids. It isn’t the only attraction drawing tourists     5     Egypt. Other new attractions include the Mummies Hall in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo     6     two tombs in nearby Saqqara. One of them is Tomb of Djoser,     7     the paths are so puzzling that once you get in, it is difficult to find your way.

“Now many sites are getting improved,” says Egyptologist Nora Shawki. “Even     8     (go) to the pyramids is more convenient, with electric     9     (bus) getting you there and more dining places and better services.”

Though it suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, Egypt has a strong tourism infrastructure (基础设施), making trips here     10     (easy) than you might expect.

During China’s dynastic period, emperors planned the city of Beijing     1     arranged the residential areas according to social classes. The term “hutong”,     2     (original)meaning “water well” in Mongolian, appeared first during the Yuan Dynasty.

In the Ming Dynasty, the center was the Forbidden City,     3     (surround)in concentric(同心的)circles by the Inner City and Outer City. Citizens of higher social classes     4     (permit)to live closer to the center of the circles. The large siheyuan of these high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen often     5     (feature)beautifully carved and painted roof beams and pillars(柱子). The hutongs they formed were orderly, lined by     6     (space)homes and walled gardens. Farther from the center lived the commoners and laborers. Their siheyuan were far smaller in scale and     7     (simple)in design and decoration, and the hutongs were narrower.

Hutongs represent an important cultural element of the city of Beijing. Thanks to Beijing’s long history     8     capital of China, almost every hutong has its stories, and some are even associated with historic     9     (event). In contrast to the court life and upper-class culture represented by the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs reflect     10     culture of grassroots Beijingers.