March 14 is right around the comer, and math learners know 【小题1】 that means. It’s Pi Day, a holiday honoring one of math’s most famous constants (常量): pi.

The number pi, or π, is equal to the circumference (圆周长) of a circle 【小题2】 (divide) by the circle’s diameter (直径). That comes out to about 3.14159. This is true for circles of all sizes, from 【小题3】 (penny) to pizzas to planets. Pi’s value is often rounded to 3.14. That’s why Pi Day 【小题4】 (celebrate) on March 14. It’s also why one Earth-sized planet orbiting another star every 3.14 days is nicknamed “Pi Earth.”

But the exact value of pi is 【小题5】 (actual) impossible to write out. Last year, a 【小题6】 (power) computer calculated pi to record-breaking 62.8 trillion (万亿) figures. And in 2005, one 23-year-old used clever mental tricks to recite nearly 68,000 of those figures from memory. No one, though, will ever get to 【小题7】 end of pi.

Historians aren’t sure when people first 【小题8】 (discover) the concept of pi. But it’s been known in some form 【小题9】 almost 4,000 years. Ancient Greeks and Babylonians knew estimates of it. The Egyptians may have used pi 【小题10】 (build) the pyramids. And still today, pi is used in just about all math involving circles.

In recent months, the China Grand Canal Museum in Yangzhou, set 【小题1】(present) the history and culture of the Grand Canal, has attracted a great number of visitors.【小题2】the museum providing 15, 000 tickets each day, visitors can book in advance. They usually sell out on weekends, making the museum 【小题3】 popular landmark in East China. It takes only 20 minutes to get to the museum by taxi from the Yangzhoudong Railway Station. “My passion【小题4】 (arouse) by those passengers, so I took my children to the museum too. I never knew why it had such great charm 【小题5】 I got there.” said one passager.

The museum, 【小题6】 appearance resembles a giant ship, covers 80,000 square meters and houses 14 exhibition halls. While telling its story, the museum puts an 【小题7】 (emphasize) on improving visitors’ experience. Young people can take part in a live-action role-play game designed by the museum, transporting them back to the Ming Dynasty, and【小题8】 (immerse) them in an amazing world. “It is 【小题9】 (true) a very meaningful experience,” said a visitor surnamed Chen, “This is not the first time that I 【小题10】(attract).”

Shiwan, known for its lifelike ceramic (陶瓷的) sculptures, has won the high reputation of the “Ceramic Capital of Southern China”. Shiwan is a town located in the southwest of the city of Foshan with a 5 ,000-year-long and rich history of ceramic sculptures. Shiwan ceramics were mainly produced 【小题1】response to economic and social needs and were made for both daily use and for art.

Shiwan ceramic sculptures first were uncovered in the cultural relics unearthed in the East Han Tombs of Shiwan, 【小题2】 were continuously developed before the Ming dynasty, 【小题3】(reach) a peak during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Shiwan ceramic sculptures later【小题4】(suffer) a setback during the Republican Period of China. However, after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, it continued to develop through innovation. Traditional【小题5】(work) of Shiwan pottery featured everyday motifs while those with strong personal styles 【小题6】(consider) unusual.

Made with a unique artistic style, Shiwan pottery tends to be humanistic, regional and national. One of the most remarkable achievements of Shiwan potters is their sculptures. 【小题7】 (produce) of sculptures changed from only religious sculptures to a 【小题8】(wide) variety —   including history, folklore and other popular literary works.

They are popular due to the slightly exaggerated (夸张的) expressions of the sculptures as potters aim 【小题9】 (capture) the unique character of the subject. Nowadays, they are also 【小题10】 popular idea for special gifts and home decorations.