The Longji Rice terraces,     1     (build) by the local ethnic groups between Yuan Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty, have different colors in different seasons. Thousands of     2     (visit) are attracted to come here every year to admire this great wonder created by people and nature working together. The terraces could not only increase the areas where they could grow rice     3     catch the rainwater and prevent the soil from     4     (wash) away.

What is the most     5     (significance) is that people have worked in harmony with nature! The terraces are     6     (clever) designed. There are hundreds of waterways, along which rainwater     7     (move) down the mountains and into the terraces. The sun heats the water and turns it into gas,     8     forms clouds from which rain falls down onto the mountain terraces once again. These terraces also provide a perfect environment for birds and fish, some of which feed     9     insects that can harm the rice crops. Today, local people use modern methods     10     (maintain) the terraces, and they attract lots of visitors all over the country.

In the 12th century, the Southern Song Dynasty moved its capital to Lin an. Near Lin’an, on the banks of Lake Tai is the city of Suzhou. Given its location near the capital and its     1     (nature) beauty, Suzhou became a preferred place     2     (live) . Thus, there were over 300 gardens     3     (build) here, and more than 60 are still in     4     (exist).

Among these gardens, the Humble Administrator’s Garden (Zhuozheng Yuan) is the largest and the most famous, and water pools take up     5     third of its area.     6     (surround) the water pools is a luxuriant (繁茂的) group of flowers, plants, and trees, all     7     (careful) chosen according to the way their seasonal colors reflect off the sparkling water below. As is typical of Suzhou gardens, this garden     8     (separate) into different sections, offering various kinds of spaces     9     diverse shapes and sizes that represent different moods and feelings.

Since it is such a large garden, with caves, forests, islands, bridges, paths, and all sorts of pavilions and halls, no simple description of the garden will do.     10     you have to do is walk among the water and plants, enjoy every moment, and find your own treasures depending on your mood that day.

The word hutong was borrowed from the Mongolian word to mean, “water well”, about 700 years ago. Later it referred to a place     1     people live. Hutong we see today are made up of small lanes     2     (form) by walls of siheyuan. They were built during     3     Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

When the People’s Republic of China     4     (found) in 1949, there were more than 3,000 hutong. Most of the city’s population lived in this traditional housing.

    5     with the modernization of the city in the 1980s and early 1990s, many hutong were pulled down to build     6     (road), skyscrapers and modern houses. The government has     7     (ultimate) recognized the importance of hutong as Chinese cultural heritage. In 2002, Beijing listed 40 protected historical zones and increased its efforts to restore some key relics and older streets in the city. Nearly 500 hutong     8     (survive) so far.

Hutong that still exist are like oases (绿洲) of calm surrounded by the     9     (noise) city. Walking through them, it is common     10     (see) groups of elderly citizens sitting together playing cards, mahjong or Chinese chess. In the early mornings and evenings, they gather to practice traditional forms of exercise such as taijiquan as well as dancing and singing folk songs or Peking Opera. Hutong have become a museum of Beijing’s folk customs and history.

Built in the 3rd century B.C, Dujiangyan Irrigation System,    1    still controls the waters of the Minjiang River and distributes it to the fertile farmland of the Chengdu plains, is a living heritage of 2,000-year-old design and engineering ideas. It has been     2     (complete) preserved, with all necessary features     3     (demonstrate) the outstanding universal value. They express the importance of using natural features to their fullest in constructing an irrigation system. The Dujiangyan irrigation system, located in the western part of the Chengdu flatlands at the meeting place     4    the Sichuan basin and the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, is     5    ecological engineering achievement originally constructed around 256 BC. Enlarged during the Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming    6     (dynasty), it uses natural features to solve problems of making water change direction for irrigation, flood control, and flow control without the use of dams.

There are three major parts of this irrigation system. The first is a well-designed levee (堤坝)named Yuzui (Fish Mouth) in the middle of the river that was shaped     7     (control) the amount of water that enters the two channels. The second is a channel of the irrigation project called Baopingkou (Cherished Vase Mouth) whose narrow opening regulates the amount of water entering the system. The third is a spillway called Feishayan    8     (dig) to discharge water, sand and mud.

The system     9     (produce) comprehensive benefits in flood control, irrigation, water transport and general water    10     (consume) since it was begun over 2,250 years ago. It now irrigates 668,700 hectares of farmland.

Hangzhou, a paradise on earth

Hangzhou is now in the spotlight as the main host of the 19th Asian Games.

Hangzhou, the capital city of East China's Zhejiang province, is a city with a glorious history and culture,     1     (serve) as one of the seven ancient capitals of China. As a core city of the Yangtze River Delta, Hangzhou     2     (be) one of the most prosperous cities since ancient times     3     is home to a myriad of natural attractions and historical legacies.

Marco Polo, the famous 13th century Italian traveler and merchant, once visited Hangzhou,     4     he referred to as “beyond dispute, the finest and the noblest in the world”.

Now as Hangzhou has grabbed the world's attention, tourists from     5     (vary) places have gathered to this heavenly city to enjoy its slow life tempo and beautiful natural     6     (surround) .

The West Lake is     7     (definite) a place people can never miss when visiting Hangzhou. In 2011, the West Lake was added     8    the World Heritage Site List. The lake covers square 6 kilometers, and includes some of Hangzhou's most famous scenic places.     9     (situate) in the center of the city, it has convenient public transport access. The Hangzhou government also provides free public bikes for tourists     10     (travel) around the lake. The parks around the lake are all free to visit.