The distance between ancient Rome and ancient China was about 4,000 miles by land. It was a very     1    (danger) trip with deserts and mountains. The Silk Road was a nickname for any route     2    any trader took from China to Rome.

For a very long time, the ancient Romans did not know who was making the wonderful cloth     3    (call) silk. They tried to find the traders as they came into villages to trade other goods for silk, but the traders     4    (hide) from the Romans. Therefore, they had to trade for     5    themselves. The trading along the Silk Road was a relay system. One trader would travel     6    a while, stop and trade, and return home. The next trader would continue.        And so it went. But     7    (actual) no trader made the whole trip. It was too risky.

As the years went by, a civilization of sorts grew up along the Silk Road. Temples appeared. There were even     8    (city) built on the rare oasis (绿洲). It was never easy    9    (travel) by land from China to Rome, but it was worth it. Romans traded gold for China’s silk and spices. But     10    (many) things traveled the Silk Road than traders and goods. Ideas that changed the world traveled along the Silk Road as well.