The formation and development of China’s Maritime Silk Road, with a history of several thousand years, wove a tapestry (织锦，挂毯) of maritime     1     (effort) — from modest beginnings in the Pre-Qin era to the vibrant large- scale maritime trade that flourished post-Qin and Han dynasties, from maritime migration for     2     (survive) to economic trade, China’s maritime Silk Road has experienced     3     unusual course.

During the Qin and Han Dynasties, social stability and development became the     4     (important) issues for the state which had just been unified into a     5     (centralize) state. During this period, social productive forces made great progress,     6     which shipbuilding technology and navigation technology were developed by leaps and bounds compared with before. It was during this period     7     all the navigation routes along the Chinese coast were unimpeded (畅通的). Upon this solid foundation, the name of China     8     (carve) in history through establishing the world’s first oceanic route — the Maritime Silk Road, sailing from the calm waters of the South China Sea to the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean.

    9     (apparent), this route not only facilitated the exchange of goods but also fostered cultural and intellectual dialogue between civilizations,     10     (leave) an everlasting mark on human history.

Xinjiang, located in the northwest frontier of China, is a land of enchanting beauty and unique    1     (region) features. Known     2     its vast deserts, fertile oases, majestic mountain ranges and emerging (新兴的) ski resorts, Xinjiang attracts visitors throughout the country.

During the New Year’s holiday in 2024, Xinjiang’s ski resorts received over 100,000 visitors, with the Koktokay International Ski Resort alone     3     (welcome) more than 7,600 visitors, an increase of over 300 percent,     4     (compare) to the previous year.

Holiday data released by cultural and tourism departments in China’s provincial- level regions show that Xinjiang’s tourism industry is recovering     5     (fast) than any other in the nation. During the holiday, it received more than 1.66 million tourists,     6     (achieve) tourism revenue of 1.76 billion yuan. At the moment, there are 101 ski resorts in the region, and so far, six of them    7     (rate) as five- star accommodations such as the Koktokay International Ski Resort.

“ Koktokay is the ceiling of domestic ski resorts and the dream of every skier,” said Sun Muyao, who is a skier from Jilin province.“ There are many ski slopes here, some of     8     are challenging, and beautiful scenery. Most importantly, the condition of the snow is excellent.”

“ When tourists come here to ski, it     9     (direct) promotes the employment of local farmers and herdsmen     10     has helped over 7,000 people get jobs in places such as home stays and restaurants,” said Li Xiangbao, a staff member at the ski resort.

The village homes sit quietly in the mist, their white walls and black roofs standing out amid different oranges and     1     (red) of the autumn trees. The reflection of the sunlight reminds viewers of the Impressionists’ approach     2     light and shadow, yet the     3     (still) of the colors and the lines is altogether Eastern in its charm. Titled “Autumn Haze” and dated 1950, the painting is the work of Lin Fengmian, one of the masters of 20th century art.

Lin’s artistic career began in the southern city of Meizhou,     4     he learned to paint by copying works from the “Manual of the Mustard Seed Garden,” which for three centuries     5     (be) a required text for Chinese children studying art. In 1919, Lin got a work-study opportunity in France. Upon reaching the art academies and studios of Europe, Lin devoted himself to practising     6     he was interested in.

Contemporary Western artists had been incorporating elements of Eastern art from the very beginning. Impressionist master Claude Monet and Cubist master Pablo Picasso both painted Eastern-styled ladies in “La Japonaise” and “Women of Algiers”     7     (respective), while Vincent van Gogh copied paintings of plum blossoms. Unlike earlier Europeans who collected ancient Chinese art out of     8     (curious), the references to Eastern art found in contemporary styles like Impressionism, Post-Impressionism etc.     9     (arise) from a genuine mix of modernist aesthetics (美学) and Eastern philosophical thinking. Inspired by this discovery, Lin combined Chinese painting traditions with new styles of Western art, thus     10     (create) his own artistic philosophy.

An exhibition titled “Learn from the Past and Know the Future: China’s Archaeological (考古学的) Achievements in the New Era” is taking place at the National Museum of China. Nearly 400 of the most recently     1     (unearth) cultural relics from the collections of 43 museums and archaeological institutions are     2     (current) on display.

The exhibits cover a wide range of periods     3     include a variety of fields. The exhibition vividly describes the history of human origins, the     4     (form) of Chinese civilization and its development within the boundaries of China. One striking part of the exhibition is the hand axes (斧),     5     are fundamental tools that were created and used by early humans. They are characterized by both their aesthetic (美学的) and practical     6     (function). Bronzeware is another eye-catching part of the exhibition. A bronze box     7     Yuncheng, Shanxi Province that     8     (date) back to the Spring and Autumn period is famous for its elegant design. And a string-patterned stove vividly reflects the significant role that the Silk Road played in     9     (connect) China with the world.

It is also worth noting that the design of the exhibition hall was inspired by the unique spatial (空间的) structures of the archaeological sites, offering audiences the chance     10     (understand) the relationship between archaeological work and its outcomes better.

In the primitive old forest area of Hanzhong, Shaanxi, there is a great amount of tough and long rattan (藤), whose outer skin is smooth in the hand and excellent in its     1     (flexible) . It is a good natural weaving material used by the local people, through their hardworking hands and wisdom,     2     (make) a wide range of beautiful rattan products.

Rattan weaving has the characteristics of natural materials, various techniques and visual comfort,     3     greatly meets the needs of modern people for     4     new lifestyle.

In recent years, more and more rattan furniture and rattan crafts     5     (enter) people’s daily life,     6     (add) a lively touch to life and bringing people a relaxed visual experience.

The formation of the regional characteristics of traditional Shaanxi rattan weaving is not an     7     (accident) artistic phenomenon,     8     an artistic expression after thousands of years of continuity, development and change, with deep-rooted national customs, culture, economy and even aesthetics (美学) . It is an important cultural heritage of China.

    9     a traditional craft rich in culture and art, Hanzhong rattan weaving represents the collective wisdom of the working people,     10     (mirror) the essence (本质) of simple northwest customs and folk traditions and holds high value for folk custom research.

On the playground of a town school in Tanghe county in Central China’s Henan province, a bus full of science kits stops by. It quickly draws a crowd of pupils eager to explore     1     is inside.

Soon, several robots are carefully unloaded     2     the bus and begin dancing with consistent human-like moves. The children watch cheerfully, bursting into laughter as the robots     3     (gentle) extend their hands to invite them to join the dance.

The bus was not a performance group of any kind     4     a mobile science class jointly organized by the Ministry of Education, the China Science and Technology Museum and a social media platform,     5     (aim) to sow seeds of passion for science among children in the     6     (country) vast rural areas.

Lyu Guofan, chairman of the Henan Association for Science and Technology, says that rural areas are mostly faced with a     7     (short) of teachers and equipment     8     (qualify) for scientific education.

Since February, scientists, science educators and science museum staff     9     (walk) into 18 town schools in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Henan and Gansu provinces. In May last year, the education ministry and other departments released a document     10     (strengthen) scientific education in primary and secondary schools, promising to ensure that a more sound system will be in place in three to five years.

Fireworks began in ancient China before spreading West. The thinking goes     1     someone living in China around the first century B. C.     2     (throw) a piece of bamboo on a fire and it exploded with a bang. Bamboo stalks (节) contain air pockets that can expand and blow up in extreme heat. Chinese travelers would carry bamboo on journeys in case they needed to create     3     loud noise to scare away wild animals.

The next major development came around the ninth century, when gunpowder was invented. Chinese producers loaded up bamboo stalks with gunpowder     4     (create) perhaps the world’s first manufactured fireworks, and later began using paper tubes as well. These were employed to ward off evil spirits and celebrate births and weddings. By the 12th century, fireworks were being lit     5     entertainment purposes in China’s imperial court. Around the 14th century, primitive fireworks then made their way to Europe,     6     Italian artists constructed displays like theatrical sets called “machines” and set off fireworks inside them.

Fireworks became far     7     (complex) thanks to advances in chemistry. The 19th century saw potassium chlorate (a chemical)     8     (use) to bring out brilliant colors in fireworks, such as red and green, and enhance their       9     (bright).

Over the years, innovations in technology led to some curious suggestions for     10     fireworks could help solve modern problems. Whalers experimented with rocket- powered harpoons (鱼叉) in the late 1800s, and inventor Gerhard Zucker attempted to use pyrotechnic rockets to deliver mail in the 1930s.

Now pyrotechnic amusements have become a global phenomenon and almost the accepted way big events are celebrated.

There are many stories on the Internet of new homeowners finding bundles of cash in the walls and furniture of the house they bought. However, this one ends quite    1    (different).

A grandmother, Vicky Omodu, had just moved into her new house    2    any furniture. So she placed an ad on Craigslist    3    (get) several pieces of furniture. Then Vicky    4    (contact) by a family who wanted to give away a bedroom set and sofa. The joy of getting her home and furniture made Vicky extremely happy     5    delighted. But it was during that time    6    she realized there was something strange about the couch cushions.

Vicky found $36, 000    7    (hide) in the cushion of the couch, but she decided not to keep it for herself. She called up the family who had given her the furniture,     8    (inform) them what she had found inside the couch. They were shocked because    9    belonged to a relative who had passed away, and they had found cash earlier too but not as much as Vicky found.

Vicky wasn’t expecting anything in return, but to show     10    (appreciate) for Vicky, the family bought her a new refrigerator.

Bianzhong is an ancient Chinese musical instrument     1    (consist) of a set of bronze (青铜) bells. The most impressive one at present     2     (be) a set of 65 bells unearthed in 1978 from the tomb (墓) of Zenghouyi in Hubei Province, of which the     3     (large) weighs 203.6 kilograms.

Bianzhong first appeared in the Shang Dynasty when 3 to 5 bells     4     (put) together to make music. At that time, bianzhong was unique     5     shape and the surface was decorated with various patterns. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, 8 bells together made music and bianzhong was     6     (wide) used in performances for royals. In the late Spring and Autumn Period, more bells were added to make     7     complete set. After the Qin and Han Dynasties, with the shape of bianzhong     8    (transform), most of the bells were round and each bell made only one sound.

After 500 years, bianzhong began to decline in     9     (popular). Few people knew about the techniques of making bianzhong and its sound quality decreased.     10     is inspiring is that some people are working on changing this situation now with the help of technology and introducing this instrument to more people.