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In ancient times, silk from China found its way overland to India, the Middle East and Rome, along what became known as the Silk Road. A trading route across the sea was also     1     along the coasts of the Indian Ocean centred around Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Here, merchants from China and many other places met to     2     trade deals, which also led to more     3     of each other’s cultures. Over the centuries, further trading allowed more exploration of the regions to the west of China, as     4     in Du Huan’s Record of My Travels in the eighth century.

Later, the Ming Dynasty further     5     relations with these regions. Between 1405 and1433, seven large fleets sailed west on voyages of trade and exploration. These fleets were a sight to behold and were in a league of their own at that time. Under the     6     of Zheng He, they set sail from the South China Sea across the Indian Ocean to the mouth of the Red Sea, and then to the east coast of Africa. African     7     families sent gifts such as giraffes as gestures of friendship in     8     for gold, silk, and spices. Although China     9     from further expeditions after 1433, these land and sea routes remained     10     channels between other cultures for centuries.

At a     1     the kinds of food-local people     2     tell us     3     they like and do not like. Could we also say, for example, that those who like spicy food tend to have a hot     4    ? Maybe. Maybe not. What we can say, however, is that culture and cuisine go hand in hand, and if you do not     5     one, you can never really know the other.

The skin is an     1     part of your body and is its largest     2    . Your skin acts as a barrier against disease, toxins, and the sun’s     3    . It also helps control your body     4    , prevents your body from losing too much water, warns you when things are too hot or cold, and gives you your     5     of touch.

The next morning, the two girls     1     early to take the train to Lake Louise, passing through the Canadian Rockies. Seen from the train window, the mountains and forests of Canada looked     2    . When the train arrived at the station, they took a taxi to Lake Louise,     3     the blue water literally took their     4     away with its     5     beauty. They spent the night, and then took a coach bound north through the Canadian Rockies to Jasper. Looking at the beautiful     6    , they both agreed that it was the most     7     journey they had ever taken. In addition to seeing spectacular mountain     8     and forests, one     9     of their trip was being able to see many different     10    , including deer, mountain goats and even a grizzly bear and an eagle.

Six months ago, 19-year-old Xie Lei said     1     to her family and friends and boarded a     2     for London. It was the first time     3     she had left China. “I was very excited but also quite     4    . I didn’t know what to expect,” Xie Lei     5    .

Just like spoken language, body language     1     from culture to culture. The crucial thing is using body language in a way that is     2     to the culture you are in. For example, making eye contact—looking into someone’s eyes—in some countries is a way to display     3    . In other countries,     4     contrast, eye contact is not always approved     5    .

During the Middle Ages, the     1     of Western art was to teach people about Christianity. Thus, artists were not interested in painting     2     scenes. Their works were often     3     and two-dimensional, and the main characters were often made much     4     than everyone else to show their     5    .

One characteristic of hybrids is that they usually a    1     a higher yield than c    2     crops. However, whether it was possible to develop a hybrid of self-pollinating plants such as rice was a matter of great d    3    . The common a    4     then was that it could not be done. Through i    5     effort, Yuan o    6     enormous technical d    7     to develop the first hybrid rice that could be used for f    8     in 1974. This hybrid e    9     farmers to e    10     their output greatly.