The Silk Road is neither an actual road nor a single route. It instead refers to a trade network which     1     (date) from the Han dynasty of China. German geographer and traveler Ferdinand first used the term “silk road” in 1877 C.E.     2     (describe) the well-traveled pathway of goods between Europe and East Asia. Although the trade network is commonly referred to     3     the Silk Road, some historians favor the term Silk Routes because it better reflects the many paths     4     (take) by traders.

One of the most     5     (influence) travelers of the Silk Road was Marco Polo. He traveled with his father to China when he was just 17. Upon his return, he wrote about his adventures,     6     (make) him and the routes he traveled famous.

From China, merchants carried silk to Europe, where it was well received by the nobility and wealthy people.     7     traveled together with silk from Asia were jade, porcelain, tea and spices. In exchange, horses, glassware, textiles and manufactured goods traveled eastward.

The significance of the Silk Road to human history has received widespread     8     (recognize). Towns along     9     routes grew into multicultural cities. The exchange of information gave rise to new technologies and innovations     10     would change the world. Today, parts of the Silk Road are listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

A freight (货运) train loaded with grain from Kazakhstan arrived in Zhangjiakou on Dec 13. It came after a journey    1    passed through the Horgos railway port in Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

It was the first freight train from overseas    2    (arrive) in Zhangjiakou after the launch of the China-Europe (Central Asia) route at the end of August, and took 10 days to travel more than 4, 000 kilometers.

The government said the train’s arrival represented the    3    (office) opening of the Zhangjiakou section of the route in both directions, enabling two-way trade and establishing an important    4    (found) for the development of Zhangjiakou as a multimodal transportation. It also marked    5    significant step forward in constructing a comprehensive international trade corridor in Zhangjiakou, enhancing its level of openness     6    expanding the logistics network around Beijing.

The name of the trains, “Jingzhang”,    7    (combine) characters representing the cities of Beijing and Zhangjiakou. The train to depart from Zhangjiakou left the freight railway station in Xiahuayuan district on Aug 29, carrying 59 containers with 1, 322 tons of goods.

As the train network continues to expand, more cities in Hebei, Shijiazhuang, Handan, Langfang and Zhangjiakou    8    (include), are joining the cross-border railway transportation system. Zhangjiakou     9     (become) part of a comprehensive international trade corridor following the opening of the railway route     10    Europe and Central Asia.

Qinqiang Opera is a local Chinese opera that mainly thrives (繁荣) in north west China’s Shaanxi Province, as well as its neighboring regions, like Gansu and Qinghai Provinces. It has the most ancient and     1     (large) musical system of all Chinese operas.

    2     (arise) from local folk songs and dance forms in the Yellow River Valley,     3     is the birthplace of Chinese culture, the opera first appeared in the Qin Dynasty.     4     (it) time-honored history has offered Qinqiang Opera a reputation     5     the forefather of Chinese operas.

Its contents usually feature such themes as anti-aggression (反侵略) wars, as well as a number of other     6     (topic) of strong human interest that reflect the characteristics of local people.

Qinqiang Opera is also one of the earliest operatic musical systems to reflect the emotions of human beings.     7     (equip) with a set of performing skills created by the artists, Qinqiang Opera has influenced other operatic forms for long. During the Qing Dynasty, Qinqiang Opera entered Beijing and     8     (direct) affected the formation of Peking Opera. Qinqiang Opera thrived during     9     rule of Emperor Qianlong when Qinqiang troupes (剧团)     10     (distribute) throughout the country.

We’ve all heard the advice to “get out of your comfort zone” by taking on a new challenge. A recent study goes a step further: Make discomfort a direct goal. That’s more likely to motivate you     1     if you only focus on what you hope to learn.

In the first of five experiments, the researchers assigned several hundred students training at Second City Chicago     2    (participate) in a small-group improvisation(即兴) exercise, and then instructed half of the group that their goal during the session was “to feel awkward and uncomfortable.” The rest,     3    (that) in the control group,     4    (tell) to “feel yourself developing new skills.” Members of the first group kept at the exercise longer than the others did and took     5    (great) risks.

Experiments     6    (involve) other dimensions of personal growth—engaging in expressive writing, learning about gun violence, and hearing about opposing political     7    (belief)—produced similar results.

Reframing anxiety as excitement has been proven a way to improve singing in front of strangers, and thinking of stress as     8     means to boost achievement demonstrated a stress-management technique.

“When people reinterpret negative experiences as     9    (function), they are more willing to engage in tasks that call forth those experiences,” the researchers explain. “Instead of seeing discomfort as unrelated to the goal     10     a signal to stop, they will start perceiving it as a sign of progress toward their goal.”

Learning Chinese calligraphy     1     (list) as one of the must-do things when I came to China. Now, I’m in the course of learning this unique art,     2     value is considered very high in China, even across East Asia today. It is not only     3     ancient artistic form of human language, but it also reflects Chinese traditions.

As someone who paints, draws, and loves all     4     (create) things, at first, I assumed I would be rather good at Chinese calligraphy. I was     5     (total ) wrong. Using thick brush tips to produce awkward brush strokes (笔画)     6     (be) very difficult for a beginner. I have no idea about the different types of calligraphy and the meanings     7     ( hide) behind each one. Also, I have to hold the paintbrush     8     a very specific way; unlike a pen or pencil, the paintbrush is held upright in the hand. I need to be extra careful when changing the angle or     9     (direct) of the brush, especially if I press too hard on the paper.

After taking the lesson, I now understand the difficulty of calligraphy and that it will take efforts and commitment     10     (master) this art form. Yet, I am grateful to learn such a special Chinese tradition.

Located in Shiyan, central China’s Hubei Province, the Wudang Mountains are known for their breathtaking natural landscapes, large ancient temples and Wudang martial arts (武术).

The place     1     (frequent) appears in various martial arts novels and films. Some scenes in the popular movie The Karate Kid, starring Chinese action star Jackie Chan,     2     (shoot) at famous places among the mountains such as the Golden Hall and Nanyan Palace .

In December 1994, an ancient building complex (建筑群) at Wudang was listed as     3     UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the religious     4     (significant) and architectural achievements of the buildings within the complex.

In recent years, exchanges between Wudang and overseas countries have been     5     the rise, paving the way for Wudang martial arts     6     (go) abroad.

Ingo, 52, is one of the foreigners     7     are interested in tai chi. After joining a tai chi programme and     8     (get) some knowledge of tai chi in Germany, he came to Wudang into gain a     9     (deep) understanding of Chinese martial arts and traditional culture. Since then, Ingo     10     (fly) to Wudang to practise tai chi and other martial arts almost every year.