Nowadays, the word “hutong ” has come to mean more 【小题1】 just the alleys that connect the courtyards. It also refers to the courtyards 【小题2】 (they) and even to the communities that live there.

To help them keep control over the city, the Emperors during these Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasty【小题3】(arrange) different areas of Beijing in neat blocks of houses established around courtyards. They were then able to place guards at the 【小题4】(enter) of the various hutongs, which made it easier 【小题5】(keep) an eye on people’s movements.   

By connecting people’s homes, the hutongs in fact connected people’s lives, 【小题6】 the lives of the rich or the lives of the ordinary citizens.

Towards the end of the Qing Dynasty, the conditions in Beijing’s hutongs went down as the political situation cast a dark cloud on China’s economy. Many new hutongs were quickly built to house the 【小题7】(increase) population but these new hutongs【小题8】(make) poorly.     

Hutongs are still 【小题9】 important part of Beijing’s life and it is not surprising that tourists love the hutongs. They can walk up Sanmiao Street, 【小题10】(date) back 900 years.

The history of classical gardens of Suzhou can date back to the 6th century BC when the city【小题1】(found) as the capital of the Wu Kingdom. Inspired by the royal hunting gardens【小题2】(build) by the King of the State of Wu, private【小题3】(garden) began emerging around the 4th century and finally reached the top in the 18th century. Today, more than 50 of these gardens are still 【小题4】existence, nine of which are regarded as the 【小题5】(fine) symbols of Chinese “Mountain and Water” gardens. Influenced by the poetic freehand style【小题6】(original) seen in traditional Chinese landscape paintings, they are noted for their connection of excellent craftsmanship(工艺), artistic elegance and rich 【小题7】(culture) meanings. Limited to the space within a single place, classical Suzhou gardens are intended 【小题8】(be) a reflection of the natural world. The unique designs 【小题9】 have been inspired but are not limited by concepts of nature have had a great influence on【小题10】development of both Eastern and Western gardens.

The Great Wall of China is a series of walls made of stone, brick, and other materials, built along the historical northern borders of China to protect the Chinese states and empires. Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century BC; these, later joined together and【小题1】(make) bigger and stronger, are collectively referred to as the Great Wall. Especially famous is the wall built in 220-206 BC. Little of that wall【小题2】(remain). The Great Wall has been rebuilt over various dynasties, the majority of【小题3】is from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Apart from defense, other purposes of the Great Wall have included border controls, the【小题4】(encourage) of trade and【小题5】control of immigration. The Great Wall stretches【小题6】Dandong in the east to Lop Lake in the west, along the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. An archaeological (考古) survey,【小题7】(use) advanced technologies, has concluded that the Ming walls measure 8,850 km. Another survey has found that the entire wall with all of its【小题8】(branch) measures 21,196 km. Today, the Great Wall is【小题9】(general) recognized as one of the most【小题10】(impress) architectural wonders in history.