Cholera used to be one of the most feared diseases in the world. In the early 19th century, when cholera     1     (break) out in Europe, John Snow became frustrated because no one knew how to prevent or treat cholera. However, he never lost his desire to destroy cholera once and for all. Snow subscribed     2     the theory that cholera was caused by an infection from germs in food or water. He suspected that the water pump was     3     (blame). Snow began by marking on a map the exact places     4     all those who died had lived. As     5     consequence, John Snow was able to announce that the pump water carried cholera germs.     6     (according), he had the handle of the pump     7     (remove) so that it could not be used. The truth was     8     there was a link between cases of cholera and the different water companies in London. The people who drank this water were much     9     (likely) to get cholera than those who drank pure or boiled water. Fortunately, we now know how to prevent cholera, thanks to the work of John Snow. Moreover, by     10    (use) maps and statistics, Snow transformed the way scientists study diseases. For this reason, Snow is considered the father of modern epidemiology.

The Silk Road is in fact a relatively recent term. These ancient roads had no particular name until in the mid-19th century, a European    1    (name) the trade and communication network the Silk Road. Since then the term    2    (accept) globally.

In the nineteenth century, a new type of travellers stepped onto the Silk Road, who were eager    3    (look) for adventure. Researchers who came from many countries travelled through the Taklamakan Desert,    4    is now in Xinjiang, to explore ancient sites along the Silk Road,    5    (lead) to many discoveries and studies, and most of all, a renewed interest    6    the history of these routes.

Today, many historic     7    (building) and monuments still stand, marking the passage of the Silk Road through hotels, ports and cities. What's more, the remarkable network is reflected in    8    large number of cultures, languages, customs and religions that have developed for many years along these routes. The passage of merchants and travellers of many    9     (difference) nationalities resulted not only in commercial exchange, but in a widespread and continual process of cultural interaction.    10    ( obvious) , it has become a driving force in the formation (形成) of diverse societies.

The United Kingdom has a long and     1    (interest) history to explore,     2     can help you understand much more about the country and its traditions. Almost everywhere you go in the UK, you     3         (surround) by evidence of four different groups of people who took     4     at different times throughout history. The first group, the Romans, came in the first century. Some of     5    (they) great achievements included building towns and roads. Next, the Anglo-Saxons arrived in the fifth century. They introduced the beginnings of the English language, and changed     6     way people built houses. The Vikings came in the eighth century and     7    (leave) behind lots of new vocabulary, and also the names of many     8    (locate) across the UK. The last group were the Normans. They conquered England after the well-known Battle of Hastings in the 11th century. They had castles     9    (build) all around England, and made changes to the legal system. The Normans were French, so many French words     10    (slow) entered into the English language.

A fan can drive summer heat away and help bring a cool breeze (微风).     1     ancient times, the Chinese fan has been carrying artistic and unique     2     (nation) style. China has always been regarded as “the kingdom of fans”.

The fan first appeared in China about 3,000 years ago, in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. In the early period, the fan was called “the fan of honor”,     3     (serve) as the symbol of etiquette (礼仪).

After the Qin and Han dynasties, the main     4     (shape) of fans were square, round and hexagon (六边形). The materials used to make fans     5     (be) mainly silk. People called the silk fans “court fans”    6     they were often used in royal court. The person     7     held the silk fan always looked gentle.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the common fans were round fans, feather fans, and some paper fans. The folding fan     8     (gradual) became popular after the Song dynasty. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the folding fan was popular in Zhejiang, Suzhou and Sichuan. Then the     9     (popular) of writing poems and drawing pictures on the cover of a fan was rising. Later, this skill     10     (introduce) to Europe and other parts of the world.