Columbus was born in a port city of Italy in 1451. As a teenager, he loved sailing and showed great interest in geography,     1     encouraged him to begin his career as a seaman.

Columbus insisted on searching for a direct sea route to the East Indies     2     sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. After continuous efforts, he received support from the King and Queen of Spain. On 3 August 1492, he set off from Spain with three ships     3     (carry) about 90 sailors. Regardless of many challenges he met with on the voyage, Columbus managed     4     (keep) everyone out of danger with his knowledge and bravery across the ocean and     5     (final), on 12 October, people on the ships     6     (spot) land in the distance. Columbus called the natives living on the islands Indians because he believed that he was in the East Indies,     7     actually the place they had reached was America.

Between 1493 and 1504, Columbus found more land later. His major     8     (contribute) is that he “discovered” the New World and     9     (he) discovery encouraged explorers such as Captain James Cook to explore and discover more vast areas of the world. His voyages opened     10     new chapter of the Age of Exploration, a period which saw many important geographical findings. This period also allowed for an international exchange of ideas and cultures.

World Philosophy Day is every year on the third Thursday of November. The day is     1     (celebrate) the importance and role of philosophy in our lives. This year, it fell on Nov 18.

The word “philosophy” comes from Greek,     2    (mean)“love of wisdom". Through philosophy, we try to find answers to basic questions about the world and     3     (we).

It may sound broad and profound, but in fact it arises out of our     4     (curious) and is shown     5    all aspects of our daily lives. Take the turtle in Kung Fu Panda as an example. He once said that: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is     6     it's called the present." He provides us with a new perspective of time. Can we say he is not a philosopher?

Philosophy     7     (bring) great social development so far. For thousands of years, people were doing what they     8     (tell) to. No one questioned if it was right or wrong.     9    2,500 years ago, Greek philosopher Socrates started to ask “Why?" and “Is this the best way?"     10     (gradual), humans entered a time of active and rational (理性的) thinking.

The discovery of the Yangshao village site in Sanmenxia, Henan province, in 1921, marked     1     birth of modern Chinese archaeology(考古学). In the past century, many generations of Chinese archaeologists     2     (make) fruitful findings across the country.

On October 18, the National Cultural Heritage Administration announced the top 100 archacological discoveries in China in the past 100 years     3     the opening ceremony of the third Chinese Archacology Congress in Sanmenxia.

In addition to the Yangshao site, many names familiar to the general public     4     (include) on the list. Among them are the Sanxingdui bronze civilization site in Sichuan, the mausoleum(陵墓)of Qinshihuang in Shaanxi,    5     the Zhoukoudian site in Beijing     6     the famous Peking Man skull(头骨)fossil was discovered.

“It provides great     7     (inspire) for Chinese scholars,    8     (build) their confidence. It also fills them with     9     (nation) pride.” Chen Xingcan, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Archacology, told China Daily.

“The last 100 years’ archacological research in China has     10     (true) changed our understanding of a global and human story,” said British archacolopy professor Ian Hodder.

The history of Chinese garden architecture dates     1     the Shang and Zhou dynasties. During that period, Chinese kings and the nobility began developing forests and woods for hunting, which could    2    (see) as early gardens. The Han Dynasty advanced the concept of these "natural gardens" by adding living quarters and animals.

Traditional Chinese garden architecture was well developed in the Tang Dynasty. During this era, the    3    (construct) of beautiful gardens developed into what would include man-made hills, pools, and fountains.    4    time went on, this man-made beauty was able to successfully mix well with the beauty of the natural environment.

The Ming Dynasty    5     (follow) by the Qing Dynasty saw the heyday (最兴盛的时期) of Chinese garden architecture. Especially in the Qing Dynasty, emperors gathered skillful craftsmen (工匠) from all over the country    6     (create) even more complicated gardens. Gardens in this period were no longer    7     (mere) places for fun, but also served as areas     8    more formal ceremonies could take place.

Also, gardens in different regions of China have different styles. In northern China, they're large and often designed in scenic mountain areas. The Summer Palace is a typical example. The gardens in the south are    9    (small) than those in the north but no less delicate. Famous gardens    10     (belong) to this type are popular in Jiangsu Province, such as Li Garden and the Lion Forest Garden.

The Great Wall is the longest building in the world. It begins from Shanhaiguan and ends at Jiayuguan,     1     (cover) more than 6,000 km. It was built to prevent the enemy from getting into the Central Plains. The completion of the Wall     2     (take) a long time. Its first section was built in     3     7th century BC. After over 2,000 years rebuilding and connecting different sections thus came the present Great Wall.

The best     4     (preserve) section is at Badaling, which is also the best place to appreciate the greatness of the Great Wall.    5     (it) three parts, namely the pass, the wall and the watchtower, were once greatly significant. The Chinese saying: “If one man guards the pass, 10,000 are     6     (able) to get through.” shows the importance of the pass. The wall is the main part. During the ancient war time, those soldiers    7     (brave) defended the border on the wall. There is a watchtower every several kilometers used to pass military information.

    8     a historic site, the Great Wall symbolizes for Chinese people courage, strength and strong will. So, there’s a Chinese saying: “He    9    has never been to the Great Wall isn’t a true man.”

In 1987, the Great Wall    10     (list) on the World Heritage List.

Originally constructed around 256 BCE by the State of Qin     1     an irrigation and flood control system, Dujiangyan is a remarkable example of ancient engineering skill and is still     2     use today.

During the Warring States period, people who lived along the banks of the Min River     3     (trouble) by annual flooding. Qin governor and irrigation engineer Li Bing investigated the problem thoroughly. He led a team     4     (construct) a levee(堤坝) to redirect a part of the river’s flow. Then they cut     5     channel through Mount Yulei to let the water flow through it. After the system was finished , no more floods     6     (occur). What’s more, it made Sichuan one of the most productive agricultural     7     (region) in China because the redirected water from the Min River could be used for irrigation. If you visit Dujiangyan, you will see an     8    (usual) construction that looks like a fish’s mouth. This famous attraction, Yuzui, together with two other important parts, namely, Feishayan and Baopingkou, was     9     (scientific) designed to control the water flow throughout the year.

    10     (recognize) as a UNESCO heritage site, Dujiangyan has irrigated farms while preventing floods for over 2,000 years.

On 30th September, the war epic The Battle at Lake Chang jin came to     1    (screen). As one of     2    (expensive) films ever made in China, it quickly shot to the top of the week-long National Day holiday box office,     3    (motivate) the domestic market to recover from the poor state for more than two months.

With well-known directors and all-star cast, the 176-minute-long film follows Chinese People's Volunteers who joined the battle, which turned     4     tide of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953). The movie recreates the violent     5     cruel conflict on the Korean Peninsula during the extremely cold winter of 1950, when temperatures dropped     6     (sharp) to the lowest level in 50 years.

In 1950, Chinese People’s Volunteers (CPV) Army     7    (enter) the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to help to resist U.S. aggression. The heroic CPV soldiers and officers, together with the Korean people and     8    (arm)forces, risked their lives and fought hard to achieve     9    (they) ultimate victory in the war.

The Battle at Lake Chang jin has generated strong scores with Chinese film goers——9.5 on Maoyan and 7.6 on Dou ban,     10     should assure that it keeps its front runner position throughout the long holiday.

When the Amber Room was first built, his owner could have never imagined it would have such an     1     (amaze) history. The valuable Amber Room,     2     took the country’s best artists many years to make, was really a treasure     3     (decorate) with gold and jewels. After being finished, the Amber Room belonging to the King of Prussia, was given to Peter the Great as a gift. It     4     (think) highly of by its new owner. As a matter of fact, Catherine II liked the Amber Room so much that she had it moved to a palace     5     she spent her summers. However, when the country was at war with Germany, the situation was out of control. Some of the Nazis stole the room secretly. Many people have been in search     6     it, but in vain. Nobody knows     7     happened to the Amber Room. Where it is now still     8     (remain) a mystery.     9     (luck), the Russians and Germans have built a new Amber Room by studying the photos of the former Amber Room. Nowadays, the new Amber Room is open to public and really worth     10     (see).

People have been exploring the secrets of ancient Maya civilisation for     1     (age). It is the lack of modern technology in Maya society     2     makes its achievements mysterious. The Maya built     3     (impress) palaces and temples without the use of wheels and metal tools. They knew a lot about mathematics and astronomy. What’s     4     (much), they invented a writing system, which was so complex that no one has been able to interpret it completely. Its civilisation was     5     its peak by 700 AD. But it began to mysteriously decline within just a couple of generations.

People are searching for the reason why Maya civilisation     6     (collapse). Researchers have different opinions about it. Maybe it is due to a natural disaster or a deadly disease. Some research seems to show that the Maya people themselves may have played     7     role in their downfall. Turning wetlands into fields for agriculture, they reduced     8     (they) ability to cope with natural disasters. Therefore, a series of droughts occurred around 900 AD,     9     (lead) to food shortages, conflicts and     10     ( eventual) the downfall of the cities.

The rise and fall of this civilisation not only give us the mysteries of the Maya but also leave us thinking about our own past, present and future.