Jia Sixie, author of China’s first agricultural encyclopedia (百科全书), was one of the leading agronomists (农学家) in Chinese history. In the late years of the Northern Wei Dynasty, he wrote Qimin Yaoshu, the     1     (early) and most complete agricultural encyclopedia still in existence in China. 

Jia Sixie was born in Yidu County in Shandong Province. During his childhood, Jia’s family wasn’t wealthy, but had     2     rich collection of books. This provided the young Jia with an opportunity to read ancient Chinese literature     3     (wide) on agriculture. He completed Qimin Yaoshu during the wars, when he saw amounts of     4     (suffer) the poor farmers underwent.     5     he believed deep down was that the development of agriculture could relieve the shortage of food and thus help those farmers out. 

The book, which is comprised of 92 chapters in 10 volumes and nearly 120,000 characters,     6     (cover) a wide range of topics and records on production experience and methods. It includes advice on farming, fishery and sideline occupations. In the book, he emphasized the importance of seed breeding     7     (generate) better varieties. 

Qimin Yaoshu was first distributed mainly among common people. In the late Tang Dynasty, the book was introduced to Japan. So far, the book     8     (translate) into several languages. Qimin Yaoshu is considered     9     an important summary of farming knowledge. At present, it is still studied by Chinese farmers and students     10     (major) in agriculture.

The Olympics,     1     extraordinary sporting event, was first celebrated about 3 ,000 years ago , bringing joy and     2     (excite)to people across the world. The Olympic Games began in the year 776 BCE when only Greek men were allowed     3     (participate), competing in a few events, such as boxing, running and the long jump. The modern Olympics were first held in 1896, in Athens. The Olympics     4     (bring) back to life by a Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin, whose dream was that the Olympics would help people of different     5     (race) origins and from different cultures live side by side     6     peace.     7     (motivate )by the Olympic motto " Faster, Higher, Stronger", many well-known athletes have devoted themselves to     8     (achieve) sporting excellence and pushing the boundaries of human achievement. Two such Olympians were Cassius Clay and Jessica Ennis-Hill, both of     9     gained remarkable achievements.

China has a very short history of competing in the Olympics but in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in addition to hosting the Olympics for the first time , China also     10     (rank ) first in the medal table. In 2022, Beijing host the Winter Olympics, which was thought to be another historic moment for China.

REACHING OUT ACROSS THE SEA

Trade and curiosity have often formed the foundation of mankind’s greatest achievements. To complete the great map of the world was a strong passion for the people of early civilisations. Marco Polo’s tales inspired European explorers to search for sea routes from west to east. However, merchants and explorers from the East set sail from east to west many years before Columbus first did.

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 extended along the coasts of the Indian Ocean, centred around Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Here, merchants from China and many other places met to negotiate trade deals, which also led to more awareness of each other’s cultures. Over the centuries, further trading allowed more exploration of the regions to the west of China, as recorded in Du Huan’s Record of My Travels in the eighth century.

Later, the Ming Dynasty further developed relations with these regions. Between 1405 and 1433, 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 command 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 royal families sent gifts such as giraffes as gestures of friendship in return for gold, silk, and spices. Although China withdrew from further expeditions after 1433, these land and sea routes remained active channels between other cultures for centuries.

To reach out across the sea remains a strong desire today. The ancient sea routes travelled by Zheng He are being revisited with the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which is part of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The aim of this initiative is to encourage cooperation and trade across the historic Silk Road areas, and strengthen the bonds between China and the rest of the world. Trading has grown greatly in recent years, and will continue to do so in years to come. China has invested billions in systems and services along these routes, which will help to greatly develop the whole area for the benefit of future trade and cultural exchange.

China has also joined its friends across the sea on other important projects. Although the ancient sea routes of Zheng He have been travelled many times, there are still many other places left to explore. In recent years, China has joined other nations on several expeditions to explore the Arctic. From a scientific point of view, there is an urgent need to study the Arctic in order to understand climate change and its effects.

Hundreds of years on, and with the latest technology in hand, the need to trade and the desire to enhance relationships will drive China to reach out across the sea far into the future.

________are the basis of mankind’s greatest achievements.

In ancient times, silk from China formed the Silk Road ________.

In the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He started his journey ________.

Now China revisited with the 21^st Century ________ Silk Road

The ________ of this initiative is to encourage cooperation and trade and strengthen the bonds between China and the rest of the world.

China has also joined its friends across ________on other important projects.

TERRACOTTA ARMY

Come and see the Terracotta Army: more than 8,000 statues were made in the third century BCE to guard the tomb of the Chinese Emperor Qinshihuang! Each statue has a different face, leading researchers to believe that each one is a copy of a real soldier. The statues fill only one part of the emperor’s huge tomb, which still has not been completely unearthed. More than 700,000 people worked for nearly 40 years to build this tomb. However, no one in modern times knew about the tomb or the terracotta statues until 1974, when some farmers discovered the tomb while they were digging a well!

5 . More than 2,000 years ago, when the last shovelful (一铲) of dirt fell on the Terracotta Army, it was thought that they would never see the sunlight again and would spend the rest of their lives guarding and protecting the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shihuang, who died in 210 BC.

But things got better off for these clay (陶土的) soldiers. Ever since they were discovered in Xi’an in 1974, by a group of farmers, they’ve been able to see the bigger world — travelling from one museum to the next.

They are now on display in New York at Discovery Times Square, reported The New York Times.

However, the story doesn’t end here. The roughly 2,000 soldiers found so far are estimated (估计) to be only one quarter of the total number. Moreover, scientists haven’t yet dared to touch the central tomb, which is believed to contain the body of the emperor himself.

“Partly it’s out of respect for the elders,” explained Kristin Romey, consultant (顾问) for the exhibition. “But they also realise that nobody in the world right now has the technology to properly go in and excavate (挖掘) it.”

This is true. According to ancient writings, the emperor’s tomb is circled by rivers of liquid mercury (水银) which is highly poisonous but can keep the body in good condition. Studies of the soil around the tomb also found a large amount of mercury. This makes exploring the tomb very dangerous.

The other reason why scientists have been hesitating is that they are afraid of the damage they might cause by opening the tomb.

“When we began excavating ‘the soldiers’ in the 70s, the minute they were exposed to air and sunlight, the pigment (颜 料) just flaked off (剥落),” Romey told the Fox News.

But he believes that the solution will come when science advances. Perhaps a visual robot can be sent into the tomb first to investigate and help figure out the best way to protect it.

In the end, scientists and historians must weigh their desire to know against the damage their digging might cause. Archaeology, ultimately(归根结底), is a destructive science,“ Romey said. ”You have to destroy stuff in order to learn about it.”

A group of archaeologists (考古学家) has found the largest ancient city ever discovered in Egypt,     1     (date) back 3, 000 years. The city, named “The Rise of Aten,”     2     (discover) under the sand on the western bank of Luxor, lead archaeologist Zahi Hawass said in a statement. It dates back to the reign (统治) of King Amenhotep Ⅲ, who ruled Egypt     3     1391 and 1353 BCE, according to the statement. “It was the largest administrative (行政的) and industrial settlement in the era of the     4     (Egypt) empire,” Hawass said. Archaeologists found houses on both sides of the city’s streets,     5     walls up to 10 feet high and rooms     6     (fill) with tools of daily life. The team also found a large bakery (面包房), complete with ovens and storage pottery,     7     size suggests it was used     8     (provide) food for a “very large number of workers and employees.” Other     9     (discover) include the skeleton (人体骨骼) of a person     10     (bury) with arms stretched out to the side and rope wrapped around the knees.

7 . Under Emperor Wu(156－87 BCE), the Western Han reached the peak of its power. The Western Regions were opened.     1    . China’s silk was the main commodity transported along this road, so it was called the Silk Road. It played an important part in promoting trade and cultural exchanges between the East and the West.

    2    , which is present-day Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi Province, passing through Gansu and Xinjiang to Central Asia, West Asia, and to lands by the Mediterranean.There were no signs of communication between ancient Chinese civilization and Mediterranean civilization in earlier history. In about the seventh century BCE, the ancient Greeks began to learn about an ancient civilization to the East, yet knew little about it.     3    . Yet real communication between China, Central and West Asian countries, Africa and the European continent did not develop until the opening of the Silk Road.

The Silk Road functioned not only as a trade route, but also as a bridge that linked the ancient civilizations of China, India, the Mesopotamian plains, Egypt, and Greece.     4    . The Silk Road served as the main channel for ancient China to open up to the outside world, as well as for fresh impulses from other cultures to enter the country, which contributed a significant share to the shaping of Chinese culture.

    5    . While Chinese culture and technology, such as paper-making and printing, were introduced to countries to the West, China also absorbed many elements from the arts, philosophy and religions of many other countries. This helped to promote an open policy towards other cultures from the Han to Tang dynasties.

In the 16th century, the nearby country of Wales was joined to the Kingdom of England. Later, in     1     18th century, the country Scotland was     2     (join) to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. In the 19th century, the Kingdom of Ireland     3     (add) to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Finally, in the     4     (twenty) century, the southern part Ireland broke away     5     the UK, which resulted     6     the full name we have today: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Most people just use the     7     (shorten) name: “the United Kingdom” or “the UK”. People from the UK     8    (call) “British”,     9     means the UK is also often referred to     10     Britain or Great Britain.

DUJIANGYAN

Originally constructed around 256 BCE by the State of Qin as an irrigation and flood control system, Dujiangyan is a    1     (remark) example of ancient engineering skill and is still     2     use today. During the Warring States period, people who lived along the     3     (bank) of the Min River were troubled by annual flooding.

Qin governor and irrigation engineer Li Bing investigated the problem     4     (thorough). He led a team to construct a levee     5     (redirect) a portion of the river’s flow. Then they cut a channel through Mount Yulei to discharge the excess water. After the system was finished, no more floods occurred. What’s more, the redirected water from the Min River could be used for irrigation，    6     made Sichuan one of the most productive agricultural regions in China .

If you visit Dujiangyan, you will see     7     unusual construction that resembles a fish’s mouth. This famous attraction, Yuzui, together with two other important parts, namely, Feishayan and Baopingkou,     8     (design) scientifically to control the water flow throughout the year.     9    (recognize) as a UNESCO heritage site, Dujiangyan     10     (irrigate) farms while preventing floods for over 2,000 years.