On 28 July, 1976, one million people ignored the strange things that had been happening in Tangshan and went to bed     1     usual. At 3:42 am, a strong earthquake     2     could be felt in Beijing shook Tangshan,     3     (cause) great damage to the city. The whole city lay in ruins. Two thirds of the people who lived there were injured, and the number of people who were killed or     4     (bad) injured     5     (be) more than 400,000. Not only factories and homes were destroyed, but also almost all hospitals where they could be treated     6     (go).People were shocked.     7     (make) matters worse, another earthquake which was as     8     (strength) as the first one struck Tangshan again later that afternoon. It seemed as if the world were at     9     end. 150,000 soldiers came to Tangshan to dig out those who were trapped and to bury the dead. Workers built shelters for survivors whose homes     10     (destroy).With joint efforts, the city began to breathe again.

6 . It took brave European explorers less than 300 years, between 1420 and 1713, to establish that all the seas of the world formed an enormous and continuous ocean. This discovery encouraged them to _____ into areas which hadn’t been charted until then. With the discovery of new lands, new trade routes were _____. In many parts of the world, colonies and settlements were established and many odd-looking products were brought back to _____, arousing great interest and _____ wealth.

It was probably the irresistible desire for wealth that _____ persuaded Europeans of the fifteenth century to _____ their legendary dangers and explore further out into the open seas. They were also _____ by the love for their countries. Many explorers wanted to serve their kings and countries as well as gain personal _____ from their exploring.

The most effective way of gaining wealth was through _____. Silk, gold, silver and ______ stones, and more importantly spices, such as gingers and peppers, were the most profitable trade goods in Europe. Spices were of the greatest ______ because they enabled the Europeans to make their winter diet of salted meat more delicious. These items were ______ mostly from the East by a difficult overland route. The Italian ______, who bought goods from the Arabs of Alexandria, controlled the trade along this route. Other countries of the Mediterranean ______ the wealth which this trade generated and they were ______ to discover new routes which would allow them to share in it.

On the north bank of Fuxian Lake in Chengjiang County, Yunnan Province sits a straw-hat-shaped mountain     1     (call) Maotian Mountain,     2     a 512-hectare site is praised as a “world-class treasure trove of fossils” by the international scientific community. On July 1,1984, young paleontologists in China discovered a fossil of the arthropod (节肢动物化石) with a long tail in Maotian Mountain. “    3     we had studied in China were just shell of fossils. The arthropods, lifelike fossils with legs, which belonged to fossils of soft-bodied animals, are     4     game changer in the research of China’s paleontology (古生物学)”, Hou Xianguang, a paleontologist said.

Scientists have obtained a large number of research results on Chengjiang Fossil Site. The reason why Chengjiang fauna (动物群) is     5     great significance is that it is closely related to the emergence of the animal tree of life.

Up to now, more than 20 phyla and more than 280 species     6     (record)in the Chengjiang Fossil Site, of which, 80% are new species. On July 1, 2012, the Chengjiang Fossil Site     7     (be) inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO,     8     (become) China’ s first World Heritage Site for paleontological fossils.

The UNESCO evaluation says the Chengjiang Fossil Site is one of the     9     (early) records of a complex marine ecosystem of the early Cambrian communities. The property displays excellent quality of fossil     10     (preserve). It presents an exceptional record of the rapid diversification of life on Earth during the early Cambrian period.

The knot button (盘扣), in Chinese, is a distinctive feature of traditional Chinese clothing Eyen today, it is still     1     (high) visible on garments like qi pao—cheongsam. Though normally     2     (associate) with tradition, the knot buttons are currently enjoying renewed popularity.

The history of knot buttons dates back to the prehistoric era, in     3     ropes were firs used as a primitive form of belts. In the 4th century BC, the knot button took     4     (it) present form and remained largely unchanged until the Qing Dynasty. In the second half of the 17th century, jackets and cheongsam of the Manchurian ruling class had     5     wider use of knot buttons.

Knot buttons come in wide     6    (variety) of forms, ranging from plain and simple straight knots to graceful flowery knots. However, generally speaking, the two major groups are distinguished     7     the basis of functions and decorations.

Recent years     8     (see) a comeback of knot buttons in contemporary clothing. Knot buttons of various shapes and sizes,     9     (represent) the creativity of their makers, are being used on different types of garments. The use of Chinese aesthetics(美学)and cultural heritage can attract both Chinese and foreigners who admire the beauty and     10     (unique).

American Decoration in the Middle of the 20th Century

Home decorating has come a long way over the decades. Certain elements that began as     1    for survival—like fireplaces—have transformed into decorative elements in the modern age. Some styles are still massively popular, inspiring copycat furniture that sells for thousands. Other     2    are ignored or even ridiculed.

No one knows what home decoration of the future will look like. But if we look back through history, we can guess which design elements will come back—and which will disappear forever.

The Great Depression affected every aspect of American life—including decoration.   People were just trying to     3    during the 1930s, which didn’t leave a lot of room for non-essentials. But that doesn’t mean everyone gave up on making their homes look beautiful. A     4    living room would have a few throw rugs in interesting patterns, too. There was no one type of furniture that     5    the 1930s—curved and straight line furniture still     6    as the Art Deco style from the previous era was still popular. Plastic chairs and wingback chairs all had a place in the 1930s home. People were also likely to use what they had and not care so much about matching a certain taste.

It’s impossible to describe the 1940s without mentioning World War II. During the first half of the decade, home design took a backseat to     7    the war effort. The second half was much different. Returning soldiers had something new to look forward to: new kitchens with     8    such as refrigerators, freezers, and dishwashers. Traditional wood furniture in dark or blonde tones graced every room of the home.

Post-war America was a lot happier and shinier than recent decades. With a prospering middle class and a healthy economy, people had more time and money to devote to new pursuits—like decorating their houses.

The unfussy furniture made popular by Charles Eames started to     9    the American household. Everything was simple and uncomplicated. Wall to wall carpeting became the most desirable type of flooring, especially in unique colours.

The 60s brought about many changes to American culture and home design was no exception. People wanted to show off their unique sense of style more than ever before. Homes weren’t just seen as a     10    of how successful you were—they were also a chance to let your personality shine through home decoration.