The early 1400s was a glorious era in Chinese history. During this time, the Yongle Emperor wanted to develop 【小题1】 (harmony) relations with the overseas neighbors. So Zheng He, one of the most influential explorers, 【小题2】 (take) charge of the task. One of the states 【小题3】 (mention) in the historical records was Boni (present-day Brunei), a small kingdom in South-East Asia. There is 【小题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 【小题5】 (fascinate) legend about the king.

In 1405, on behalf of the emperor, Zheng He sailed the oceans 【小题6】 his first voyage. His fleet 【小题7】 (load) with gifts to the neighboring countries and regions. In 1407, he travelled to Boni, 【小题8】 strengthened the friendly relationship between 【小题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 【小题10】 rich and technologically advanced the Ming Dynasty was.

Ancient alchemists(炼金师) in China spent centuries trying 【小题1】 (discover)an elixir (灵丹妙药)of life. During the Tang Dynasty, around 850 A.D., an enterprising alchemist created a mixture, 【小题2】 had no obvious effects on lengthening life, but did explode with a flash and a bang when 【小题3】 (expose)to an open flame.

Many western history books over the years have stated that the Chinese used his discovery only【小题4】 fireworks, 【小题5】 that is not true. Song Dynasty military forces as early as 904 A.D. used gunpowder devices against 【小题6】 (they) primary enemy, the Mongols.

By the mid-to-late-eleventh century, the Song government 【小题7】 (become) concerned about gunpowder technology spreading to other countries. The sale of saltpeter(硝酸盐)to foreigners was banned in 1076. Nonetheless, knowledge of the miraculous substance was carried along the Silk Road to India, the Middle East, and Europe. In 1267, 【小题8】 European writer made reference to gunpowder, and in 1280 the first recipes for the explosive mixture【小题9】 (be) published in the west. China's secret was out.

Down through the centuries, Chinese 【小题10】 (invent) have had a profound effect on human culture.Items like paper, the magnetic compass, and silk have spread around the world. None of them, however, have had quite the impact that gunpowder has, for good and for bad.

A fan can drive summer heat away and help bring a cool breeze (微风). 【小题1】 ancient times, the Chinese fan has been carrying artistic and unique 【小题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”, 【小题3】 (serve) as the symbol of etiquette (礼仪).

After the Qin and Han dynasties, the main 【小题4】 (shape) of fans were square, round and hexagon (六边形). The materials used to make fans 【小题5】 (be) mainly silk. People called the silk fans “court fans”【小题6】 they were often used in royal court. The person 【小题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 【小题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 【小题9】 (popular) of writing poems and drawing pictures on the cover of a fan was rising. Later, this skill 【小题10】 (introduce) to Europe and other parts of the world.