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.

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.

Chinese civilization has been marked, in my humble opinion, by three distinct features: evolution with continuity, inclusiveness, and receiving and sharing the goods of civilization.

China’s modernization process over the past four decades    1    (create) a new context    2    there is a partnership between the ancient and modern, gnerating something new and genuine. China is not a stranger to this evolutionary process. It adapted “socialism” to the Chinese context, devising socialism with Chinese characteristics taking into     3    (consider) the changing Chinese and world reality.

With regard to inclusiveness, Chinese civilization has been open to positive outside inferences,     4     proved by the inclusion of Buddhism and Islam into Chinese society. China has always welcomed the positive aspects of other civilizations while contributing its civilization achievements    5    (enrich) other civilizations. Chinese music did not shy away from    6     (adopt) musical instruments from the Middle East, like the fantastic pipa, and making it    7    essential and beautiful part of Chinese musical culture.

When it comes to sharing, one of the    8    (great) gifts China gave to the world through the ancient Silk Road was the technology of making paper on an industrial scale, which revolutionized the spread of science and philosophy in the Arab and Islamic world all the way to Europe beginning in the 8th century.

This new technology    9    (be) as important then as the Internet is today for spreading of knowledge and communication. In Baghdad and other cultural centers during the Islamic renaissance (文艺复兴), there was a massive intellectual outpouring, which     10    the Chinese invention of paper, would have been limited in scope.

8 . A Look at Four of the World-famous Colleges

University College London, England, AUnited Kingdom

This university was founded with the intent of opening education equally and to all. In 1878, University College London began admitting women using the same admission standards men were held to. The college was the first in the United Kingdom to accept students from any class or religion.

Tuition (学费) for each student comes in at $31,000. This price does include fees for housing, food, travel expenses and insurance.

University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

It opened in 1853 and is known for its outstanding research and teaching programs. Research at the university in the 1970s led to a cochlear implant (人工耳蜗), giving more than 200,000 patients worldwide hearing.

Parents of native students expect to pay $24,500 for the first term’s tuition and another $19,500 for room and board in residential housing.

University of Cambridge, England, United Kingdom

Records of the university reach back to 1209 when the area was an ancient Roman trading post, making it the second oldest university in the UK. Cambridge currently has 21,000 students with around 1,300 of those coming from 65 different countries.

Tuition for the bachelor programs like engineering reaches $31,000.

Sarah Lawrence College, New York, United States

It is known for a diverse student body coming from 53 different countries. The teacher/student ratio (比例) and personalized courses of study attract students from the United States and abroad.

Undergraduates carrying 30 credits will pay $51,196 for tuition. The cost to attend Sarah Lawrence may seem prohibitive to many, but a degree from this honoured college can open many doors for graduates.

The Grand Canal of China was first dug in 486 BC, and well developed through the late 6th to early 10th century. From the late 13th until 19th century, with the highest section built and the overall length     1    (shorten), the Canal was turned into a main passage between northern     2     southern China as well as the economic lifeline of the country. Consisting of the Sui and Tang Grand Canal, the Jing-Hang Grand Canal and the Zhedong Canal, the Canal     3    (stretch) over 2, 700 kilometers, crossing eight provincial-level administrative regions and     4    (link) five major water systems. The Grand Canal also connects with the Eurasian Silk Road to the west and extends the water trade route to the east.

The Grand Canal was     5     notable achievement of the ancient Chinese people. Its connection of the political and economic centers played a     6    (centre) role in the political unity, economic     7    (grow) and cultural prosperity of China, and contributed to the livelihood, exchanges and integration of the population along its route.

The Grand Canal     8    (announce) by the State Council as one of the seventh batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level in March, 2013 and registered     9     the UNSECO World Heritage List in June, 2014. This large-scale, living cultural heritage spreads like a huge dragon across the vast territory of China,     10    (it) ripples shining golden scales (鳞片) in the new age.

The early 1400s     1    (be) a glorious era in Chinese history. During this time, the Yongle Emperor wanted to develop harmonious relations with the overseas neighbors. Zheng He, one of the most     2     (influence) explorers, took charge of the task. One of the states     3    (mention) in the historical records was Boni (present-day Brunei), a small kingdom in South-East Asia. There is     4    (prove) that China established very good relations with this state a long time ago:one of its kings was buried in Nanjing during the early Ming Dynasty, and there is a     5    (fascinate) legend about the king.

In 1405, on behalf of the emperor, Zheng He sailed the oceans     6     his first voyage. His fleet     7    (load) with gifts to the neighboring countries and regions. In 1407, he travelled to Boni,     8     strengthened the friendly relationship between     9     two countries. In the subsequent year, the King of Boni paid a friendly visit to China. He was accompanied by more than 150 people. The records show that the visitors were astonished by     10    rich and technologically advanced the Ming Dynasty was.