The Dujiangyan Irrigation System is located on the Minjiang River, in the western part of the Chengdu Plain. Constructed around 256 BCE, it remains the world’s     1     (old) irrigation system still in use today.

When the annual floods of the Minjiang River caused enormous suffering, the governor Li Bing was so concerned that he made a     2     (decide) to solve the problem. Li Bing and his son carefully studied the flow of the river and the terrain (地形,地势) of the plain.     3     (Draw) on the water management experience of previous generations, they led the local people to construct an irrigation system. Instead of building a dam,     4     would have blocked boat traffic, they decided to make full use of the terrain and split the river     5     (spread)out the flow of water. Since there was no     6     (advance) machinery, tens of thousands of workers used rocks to alter the course of the river. When the water needed to be diverted (使绕道) through a mountain, they employed a creative technique: exploding the rocks     7     heating them with fire and cooling them down quickly.

The Dujiangyan Irrigation System took almost a generation to complete. Since then, it     8     (manage) the waters of the Minjiang River and allowed local agriculture to develop, ensuring     9     plentiful supply of food. This milestone in the history of water management is the living proof     10     with innovation and determination ancient Chinese people made nature work to their advantage.

The time for the palace examination came. Ouyang Xiu was appointed by the emperor as the chief examiner. The approach to this most critical moment of a scholar’s life     1     (fill) with keen excitement, tense hope, and a nervous fear of failure. It was the moment to     2     all his years of hard work and hours of burning the midnight oil were supposed to lead.

The candidates had to get up in the middle of the night and come to the palace at dawn,     3       (bring) their cold meals with them. During the examinations, they were shut up in small rooms     4     the watch of palace guards. There was a strict system to prevent cheating. The candidates’ papers were recopied by official clerks     5     they were submitted to the judge, to avoid     6     (recognize) of their identity by their handwriting.

After the examinations, the judges were shut up within the palace until the papers were properly graded and submitted to the emperor. The candidates were examined first on questions of history or     7     (principle) of government. There was     8     second examination on the classics, and finally, there was one under the direct supervision of the emperor.

Emperor Jentsung (宋仁宗) was     9     (especial)anxious to hire good talent and took a personal interest in these tests. He sent out the subjects for the papers by his own personal servants, and sometimes, to prevent leak, changed     10     (they) at the last moment.

As Shaoxing is a water town, the unique transport named Wupeng boat     1    (emerge) in this particular location in the Tang Dynasty. Wupeng boat, a Chinese gondola, also     2     (know) as black awning (雨篷) boat, got its name from    3    dark colour of its awning. There are straw mats for people to sit and lie on board. As the space is rather small, the boat may lose balance or even turn over if passengers stand on it. Each boat can hold about four persons. It is run by human power,     4     is another typical fact about this boat.

Wupeng boat has now become the symbol of Shaoxing. The famous Chinese writer Lu Xun mentioned this boat in many of his    5     (publication) because floating in a Wupeng boat is not only part of his childhood but also people’s life in Shaoxing. The breeze and     6     (cool) of water in summer would bring you a pleasant outdoor experience. Thus, the best time to ride Wupeng boats in Shaoxing is from March to September. But other months would be a good option for experiencing it     7     fewer travelers around.

Wupeng boats in different spots around the city have various routes.You can     8    (careful) choose and appreciate the historical     9    cultural old town on the small boat. Once you get to Shaoxing, find one of the few Wupeng boat ports, and ask what route they follow     10     (make) sure you see the attractions from your wish list.

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.

A stone tablet(牌匾)    1    (date) back to the year 1693, which falls within the Qing Dynasty(1644—1911), was discovered in Daming County, north China’s Hebei Province, said local authorities.

The tablet,    2     (find) in Jindong Village, measures 1.4 meters high, 0.61 meters wide, and 0.14 meters thick. Made of bluestone, it has     3     total of 307 characters on it.

The inscription(碑文)recorded the process of building the King of Medicine Temple in the county during the reign of Emperor Kangxi and     4     (describe) the grand occasions of temple fairs and humanistic stories at that time.

According to the inscription, after the     5     (complete) of the temple, the local medicine expert meeting     6    (organize) here on April 28 in most years of the Qing Dynasty, during     7     all kinds of talented people performed, and the vocal music lasted for more than ten days, said Wang Jianping, an expert in literature and history of the county.

This stone tablet is     8     (relative) well preserved with clear characters, which is significant for studying cultural and economic     9    (activity) in the southern part of Hebei during the Qing Dynasty. It also provides evidence     10     the researchers about the development of local pharmacies(制药), Wang said.