1 . As archaeologists (考古学家) examined ancient tombs in Turfan in western China, they discovered some surprisingly well-preserved and familiar relics. Though hardened from over 1,000 years, there sat little dumplings.

Exactly who invented dumplings remains a mystery. But some scholars suspect they were first spread by nomadic (游牧的) Turkic peoples living in western China and Central Asia. This is thought to be the case because “manti,” meaning “dumpling” or “steamed bun” in many Turkic languages, appears to be the root word for dumpling in several other languages. Ancient Turkic people probably filled their dumplings with meat. But it’s unclear when this practice began, or whether they learned the art of dumpling-making from others. However this happened, dumplings certainly gathered steam in ancient China.

Dumplings continued to take off and diversify in China over the next thousand years. Instead of the traditional meat filling, some communities chose vegetarian (素食) dumplings. People developed new cooking methods. The relationship between Chinese dumplings and those in other areas is tricky to trace, but food historians have made their best guesses based on available clues.

Besides Turkic tribes, some scholars believe that the Mongol Empire also contributed to the spread of dumplings, perhaps introducing them to parts of Eastern Europe. These dumplings could have come by way of China or directly from some of the Turkic peoples the Mongols hired to run their empire. One theory is that this gave rise to dumplings like pelmeni in Russia, pierogi in Poland and vareniki in Ukraine. The Mongol Empire also controlled Korea and might have likewise introduced dumplings there. Later, after Chinese dumpling varieties were introduced to more countries, English speakers began calling them dumplings, which means “little lumps”. During the Second World War, Chinese “jiaozi” were brought to Japan. So what about the Italian dumpling-like pasta? Some historians think it might be brought by Arab conquerors.

It’s unlikely that all dumpling dishes came from the same root tradition. However, we can appreciate the mysterious historical web that made dumplings so various.

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.

The International Day of Human Space Flight celebrates the start of the space time for humankind, stressing the     1     （important）of space science and technology in today's world. The day also aims to encourage exploration and keep outer space for     2     （peace）purposes.

Activities to honor the day have included meetings, photo exhibitions     3     （show）the technology used for outer space, and the release of memorable stamps. The day is not     4     public holiday but a UN practice. April 12,1961 was the date of the first human space flight,     5     was carried out by Yuri Gagarin. This historic event     6     （open）the way for space exploration. In 2011, the UN announced April 12     7     the "International Day of Human Space Flight"     8     （remember） the first human space flight and the use of outer space to the benefit of humankind.

Memorable stamps showing human space flight     9     （produce）on or around the International Day of Human Space Flight in the past years. The statue of Yuri Gagarin was     10     （complete） built in 1981 and is located about 40 km from Saratov, Russia.