1 . For archaeologists (考古学家) in Israel, eight prehistoric ostrich (鸵鸟) eggs-thought to be between 4,000 and 7,500 years old-proved as valuable as treasure when they were dis-covered near an ancient fire pit in the Negev, a desert region in the south of the country.

They were discovered during an archaeological excavation (挖掘) in the agricultural fields of Be’er Milka, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Thursday. The eggs’ location suggests that they were collected by the prehistoric (史前的) desert nomads (游牧民) who used the campsite, according to a press release from IAA, and further lab analysis will provide more information about their uses and ages. Although the nomads did not build permanent structures at this site, the finding allows us to feel their presence in the desert. The campsites were covered by sand, keeping the eggs exceptionally well-preserved.

Ostriches were common in the region until they became extinct in the wild during the 19th century. Their eggs were beautifully decorated and were prized items during the Bronze and Iron Ages (青铜和铁器时代). As well as being used as decorative items, ostrich eggs were also used as a source of food. One ostrich egg has the nutritional value of about 25 normal chicken eggs.

While ostrich eggs are not uncommon in excavations, the bones of the large bird are not found. This may indicate that in the ancient world, people avoided dealing with the ostrich and were content with collecting their eggs.

Wang Anshi （1021 - 1086）, a poet and reformer of Song Dynasty, is still remembered after a long period of time. This year marked the 1, 000th anniversary of Wang’s birthday. To commemorate the occasion, China Post    1    （issue）a collection of stamps in December（2021）.

When he was young, Wang became familiar    2    the hardships of the peasants. After he passed the imperial civil service exams and became     3     official, Wang wanted to change their conditions and initiated a series of reforms.

He implemented new laws to ease farmers’ burdens, loaned grain to farmers and allowed them to repay their debts after the autumn harvest. He attached great importance to    4    （train）talents in different fields, for example, in laws.     5    （unlucky）, these policies harmed the interests of the upper classes and his reforms eventually failed.

Wang’s     6    （brave） to innovate has inspired many people. The former Chinese Premier Wen: Jiabao- quoted Wang in his speech: A true reformer should fear neither strange astronomical    7    （phenomenon）nor comments.

US politician Henry A. Wallace had a book    8    （record）Wang’s reform policies. When the Unitech States faced sudden economic depression during the Roosevelt administration of the 1930s, Wallace applied Wang’s economic principles and helped the country get through the crisis successfully.

During his lifetime, Wang    9    （pen）more than 1, 000 poems. Often short and plainspoken, these poems contain profound topics,     10    won him wide acclaim（称赞）both at home and abroad.

Dala Horse: The Symbol of Sweden

While    1    (wander) around a Swedish Christmas market, you’ll likely come across booths selling carved wooden horses, typically painted in bright colors and beautiful patterns. These traditional Swedish toys are more than a classic holiday gift    2    a travel souvenir: the Dala horse has become intertwined (交织) with    3    very image of Sweden itself.

The little wooden horses of Sweden were    4    (original) carved by men that worked in the forests during the winter. When they returned    5    their villages, they gave the horses to children as playthings. This was in the 17th century    6    the horses were also sold at market in small towns and villages. The horses were painted in bright colors that    7    (inspire) by the furniture in the region. Finally, even young children learned to carve wooden horses.

The    8    (globe) attention didn’t come until the 20th century in the 1939 New York World’s Fair. That was because an enormous Dala horse was placed outside the Swedish pavilion, which caused excitement throughout the    9    (crowd) of visitors. After this, the Dala horses were regarded as a symbol of Sweden and mass production of the horses    10    (start). Since then, Dala horses have been popular souvenirs.

7 . The pasty (馅饼) has been a recorded part of the British diet since the 13th century, at that time being enjoyed by the rich upper classes. The fillings were different and rich. It wasn’t until the 17th and 18th centuries that the pasty was popular among miners and farm workers in Cornwall as a means for providing themselves with easy and tasty meals while they worked. And so the Cornish pasty was born.

Traditionally, the pasty fillings are beef with potato, onion and swede! As meat was much more expensive in the 17th and 18th centuries, its presence was rare and so pasties traditionally included much more vegetables than today. The presence of carrot in a pasty, although common now, was the mark of a poor pasty at first.

Filling ideas are endless however, and can be as different as your taste will take you. There is much discussion as to whether the ingredients (原料) should be mixed together first or lined up on the pastry in a special order. However, there is agreement that the meat should be cut into pieces, the vegetables sliced and none should be cooked before they are sealed (密封) within the pastry. It is this that makes the Cornish pasty different from other similar foods.

It was such a commonly used method of eating amongst the miners that some mines had tools down the mineshafts (井筒) specifically to cook the pasties. If they were cooked in the mornings, the pastry could keep the fillings warm for 8-10 hours and, when held close to the body, keep the miners warm too. It was also common for the pasties to provide not only a main course lunch, but also a sweet or fruity dessert course. The salty filling would be cooked at one end of the pasty and the sweet course at the other end. Hopefully these ends would be marked on the outside too!

Confucius, China’s most famous teacher and philosopher, was born Kongqiu in 551 BCE near Qufu, in eastern China. Confucius showed a great interest     1     academics early on. “At 15, I set my heart on     2     (learn),” he later told his followers. He studied music, mathematics, the classics, history, and more.

Confucius believed that education and reflection led to virtue. He once worked for the government, but     3     (find) far greater success as a teacher instead. Confucius broke with tradition in the    4     (believe) that all human beings could benefit from education. He gave his support for lifelong learning and attracted     5     wide circle of followers, who knew his as Kongfuzi (Master Kong). Those pupils recorded his     6     (word) in The Analects, a collection of sayings and ideas.

As stated in The Analects, Confucius believed that social harmony would     7     (natural) follow from the proper ordering of individuals in relation to one another, with the family unit as the basic building block of society.

Confucius     8     (ignore) largely in his own day. When he died in 479 BCE, he left behind perhaps 3,000 students, who devoted themselves to preserving and spreading     9     (they) master’s ideas. The Analects has guided governments and individuals for thousands of years, influencing Chinese history     10     civilization in the process.