1 . Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is America’s fifth largest city. Once a major American colonial city, it is the home of America’s first library, its first hospital, and its first zoo. Now it is also the first US city to be named a World Heritage City. On November 6, 2015, Philadelphia joined more than 260 other cities that have been recognized for their influence on the world. These cities include Paris, France, Florence, Italy, and Cairo, Egypt.

The exciting news was announced by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger, responsible for economic development and business guidance, and the Global Philadelphia Association. “Today marks the start of a new and exciting chapter in the history of Philadelphia,” remarked Nutter when the announcement was made. “As a World Heritage City, Philadelphia is being officially recognized on the global stage for its wealth of contributions to the world.”

To be named a World Heritage City, a city must be home to a UNESCO World Heritage site. UNESCO World Heritage sites are selected for their universal value and significance. For Philadelphia, the site is Independence Hall.

Independence Hall is where two of the most important documents in US history — the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution — were adopted. The Declaration of Independence, approved on July 4, 1776, united the 13 former British colonies and declared them independent from British rule. From then on, a democratic and free country was born, which changed the course of world history. The US Constitution, signed in 1787, established the American democratic system of government. A democracy is a system of government in which the people elect their leaders. The Constitution later spelled out the basic freedoms American citizens have.

Greenberger says the city’s selection as a World Heritage City also reflects its educational, cultural, and economic achievements. The city is home to dozens of colleges and universities, and many museums, such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “Philadelphia has rightfully earned its place as one of the greatest cities in the world. As we celebrate this milestone, we will focus even more on improving Philadelphia’s status as a World Heritage City to attract more guests to visit, invest, work, study and live here.” Greenberger says.

More than 2,000 years ago, the brave and hardworking people of Eurasia explored and opened up several routes of trade and     1     (culture) exchanges that linked the major civilizations of Asia, Europe and Africa,     2     (general) called the Silk Road by later generations. For thousands of years, the Silk Road spirit—“peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness(包容性), mutual learning and mutual benefit” —    3     (pass) from generation to generation. In the 21^st century, a new period is marked by     4     theme of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit. It is more important     5     us to carry on the Silk Road spirit in face of the weak     6     (recover) of the global economy, and complex international situations.

When Chinese President Xi Jinping     7     (visit) Central Asia in September 2013, he raised the idea of     8       (build) the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 218-Century Maritime Silk Road,     9     have attracted close attention from all over the world. The Belt and Road Initiative is a systematic project, whose goal is     10     (meet) the interests of all, and efforts should be made to combine the development strategies of the countries along the Belt and Road.

Code­named “Operation Overlord”， it was the     1     (large) combined sea, air and land operation in history, the aim being     2     (free) north­west Europe from German occupation. After waiting for the perfect     3     (combine) of weather, moon and tides, the date for the start of Operation Overlord     4     (set) for 6 June. With the commander’s order     5     (ring) in their ears, Allied soldiers prepared for what would become known as D­Day.     6     dawn on 6 June, thousands landed by parachute behind enemy lines in northern France. Meanwhile, thousands more were journeying across the English Channel to Normandy,     7     (protect) by fighter planes in the skies above them. The fiercest fighting was at Omaha Beach. Boats were hit and men drowned,     8     those who did make it to the beach faced heavy machine gunfire. But, despite the high cost in human life, the D­Day landings were     9     success and were seen     10     (wide) as the beginning of the end of the Second World War.

Those who make great discoveries must often overcome many challenges along the way — as was the case with the explorer Christopher Columbus.

Columbus insisted     1    searching for a direct sea route to the East Indies by sailing across the Atlantic ocean. After continuous attempts, he received    2    (finance) support from the King and Queen of Spain. On 3 August 1492, he departed from Spain with three ships    3    (carry) about 90 crewmen. The journey was full of challenges: it took longer than expected, they faced a    4    (short) of food, and one of the ships was leaking badly,     5     put everyone on this ship in grave danger. The men on board were in panic. Regardless of all the challenges, Columbus managed    6    (keep) everyone out of danger with his knowledge and bravery across the ocean.     7    (Final), on 12 October, the crew spotted land in    8    distance. Columbus called the natives living on the islands Indians because he    9     (convince) that he was in the East Indies. However, the shores they     10    (reach) were of the Caribbean, not the East Indies.

It was Sunday, December 7, 1941.     1     usual, the wake-up call came at 5:45 a.m. It looked like it was going to be a normal day on board the ship. Just then there was a huge crashing sound from above. The ship shook       2     (violent) and the men looked at each other in horror. Above their heads, hundreds of Japanese planes circled like eagles. They were diving down to drop bombs on Pearl Harbor. Moments later, a bomb hit the USS Arizona.

The surprise attack came as a great shock to     3     whole nation. The next day, President Roosevelt made his famous Pearl Harbor Speech,     4     (ask) the US Congress to declare war on Japan. In     5     (respond) to the attack and the president’s address, the US     6     (join) World War Ⅱ. Today, the USS Arizona lies     7     it sank: in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Its location     8     (mark) with a memorial shaped like a bridge, which crosses the ship’s sunken     9     (remain). Although about eight decades years has passed, the attack on Pearl Harbor, one of the     10     (dark) episodes in American history, will never be forgotten.