In 2016, Shennongjia made it onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was awarded this status because it meets two criteria     1    (require) by the list. It contains a naturally-balanced environment that allows the many and various species     2    (live)and prosper. It is also one of the rare locations in the world where scientists can observe the ecological and biological processes     3     occur as the plants and animals develop and evolve.

For the first criterion, Shennongjia is     4    (apparent) one of the most “complete” natural areas in the world. The region rises from about 400 metres to over 3,000metres above sea level,     5    (result)in a great variation in climatic conditions and a wide variety of species. Some of the plants and animals     6    (regard)as living fossils.

What’s more, according to official statistics, over 3,000 plant species have been recorded, which represents more than ten percent of China’s total floral     7    (rich). Shennongjia also supports more than 600 vertebrate species and around 4,300 insect species.

Therefore, it is     8     challenge to look after so many species. Thanks to people’s efforts, the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey’s population     9    (double)since the 1980s. The most-impressive aspect is the local people, who take things from nature     10     causing damage. All of this highlights how understanding, awareness and hard work have contributed towards protecting the unique natural world.

Seagrass meadows (海草床) are wonder plants growing beneath the sea. Thanks to the assistance of tiger sharks,     1     huge seagrass meadow in the Bahamas Banks was recently discovered, offering the world a tool     2     (fight) climate change.

In this study, tiger sharks were selected as research tools due to their     3     (high) consistent associations with seagrass ecosystems. They spend 70% of their time in seagrass meadows. The team equipped eight tiger sharks     4     satellite tags, and used a 360-degree camera on a shark for the first time ever.

So far, the world’s largest seagrass ecosystem, measuring at least 66,900 square kilometers,     5     (discover). This reflects a 41% increase from previous estimates of global seagrass. In terms of climate change, seagrass is 35 times     6     (fast) at removing carbon than tropical rainforests. Yet seagrass meadows are rapidly disappearing, with over 92% of meadows in the UK     7     (go). Scientists are collecting seeds and trying to grow new seagrass meadows through restoration     8     (project). This new discovery offers optimism and proves the importance of the ocean for healing.

The sharks led us to the seagrass ecosystem in the Bahamas,     9     is likely to be the most significant blue carbon sink on the planet. The discovery shows us that ocean exploration and research play an important role in solving     10     (globe) issues like climate change.

Mount Wutai, located in the northeastern part of Shanxi province, is 230 kilometers away from the provincial capital city Taiyuan. It was named after five peaks that look like five giant columns (柱子)     1     (rise) straight from the ground. With its high peaks, snow covers for much of the year. Even in midsummer days it remains cool and pleasant,     2     has given rise to another name: Qingliang Mountain as     3     ideal place for escaping summer heat.

Mount Wutai is quiet a beautiful mountain landscape with a cultural heritage that is at least as     4     (value) as the mountain’s natural beauty.     5     (know) as one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China, it is home     6     forty-one temples. Within their walls     7     (be) a rich collection of over 100, 000 superb sculptures and paintings, along with a great quantity of Buddhist cultural relics. For example, the east main hall of the Foguang Temple is the     8     (high) wooden building in China that     9     (survive) since the Tang Dynasty.

Wutai Mountain displays its outstanding     10     (combine) of the natural landscape and Buddhist culture, religious belief in the natural landscape and Chinese philosophical thinking on the harmony between man and nature.

Foshan, a city rich in cultural heritage, celebrates the arrival of autumn with a grand event known as the Foshan Autumn Parade (佛山秋色巡游). This traditional cultural festival holds a special place in the hearts of the     1     (local). The Parade,     2     (feature) various performances, including lion and dragon dances, martial arts, and traditional costumes, takes place     3     (annual) during the autumn season, usually in October or, November.

    4     makes the parade most exciting is the lion and dragon dance, representing the spirit of strength. The colorful lion and dragon figures controlled by skilled performers catch the attention and     5     (admire) of the viewers. Traditional Wushu shows are another crowd favorite. With the Wushu artists moving gracefully, the audiences     6     (remind) of the importance of traditional Chinese culture. Traditional costumes can also be seen     7     (wear) by those artists. The designs and colors of these costumes serve     8     a symbol of Foshan’s rich history and cultural diversity.

The Foshan Autumn Parade is more than just a cultural festival. It is a remarkable event     9     the community celebrate the beauty of autumn. By experiencing these ancient traditions, young people can gain     10     deeper understanding of their culture.

The ancient Chinese built two great engineering wonders: the Great Wall and the Grand Canal (运河). The Great Wall’s function in military defense    1    (fade) over time, but the Grand Canal remains an important means of cultural communication.

The Grand Canal,     2    (consist) of three sections, runs more than 2,000 kilometers from north to south across China. It is about 16 times     3     size of the Suez Canal in Egypt and 33 times longer than the Panama Canal. In ancient times, the Grand Canal served     4     the main route for grain transport and every kind of economic and cultural exchange. It also     5    (significant) shortened the time consuming journeys of laborers and materials for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Now, it has inspired the name of Chenchen, one of the three mascots of the Hangzhou Asian Games. Chenchen,     6    (name) after the Gongchen Bridge,    7     crosses the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal, is colored blue to represent science and technology.

The Hangzhou section stretches a total     8    (long) of 39 kilometers and is home to 11 of the canal’s total 58 historic sites. Visitors can take a boat trip on the ancient waterway to enjoy the     9    (drama) landscape of Jiangnan water town. Besides, three neighboring places along the Canal — Dadou Road Historic District, Xiaohezhi Street, and Qiaoxi Historic Street     10    (recommend) for a free walk.

Camellias (山茶花) are available in a great range of colors — red, pink, white and mixed colors. For the longest time, the golden camellias lived in a valley     1     was unknown to the outside world.

In the 1960s, Chinese scientists     2     (announce) their discovery of the golden camellias. It was an     3     (amaze) announcement for the international gardening community. Also, the discovery made     4     achievable to create yellow camellias, though creating a new kind of golden camellia was not very easy.

Unfortunately, in the past, golden camellias     5     (cut) down in large numbers because locals needed the limited land space for farming. In 1986, a nature reserve was built in a mountain valley from 200 to 500     6     (meter) above sea level, so the camellias could be well protected. Years ago, Huang Zainian     7     his brothers took up the work. In the past 10 years, the Huang brothers have made a great contribution in     8     (protect) the camellias. Even in hard times they didn’t cut down any golden camellias.

Year after year, the Huang brothers spent much time working and eventually made their hard work pay     9    . Now the golden camellia is     10     city flower of the city, Fangchenggang. And life for the Huang brothers is greatly improved by planting golden camellias.