Vasco da Gama, born around 1469 in Sines, Portugal, is best remembered as the first European to sail from Europe to India. The sea ________ he found helped Portugal build a rich empire overseas.

As a young man, studying navigation, he served as an officer in the Portuguese ________. In 1497, he ________ the king of Portugal he could find a sea route to India by sailing around Africa, which would allow Portugal to ________ the rich Indian spice (香料) trade.

Earlier Portuguese expeditions had ________ the southern tip of Africa. But these trips were long, difficult, and ________. Was it possible to travel from Europe to India in a single ________?

In July, Gama ________ from Lisbon with four ships. By January 1498, the expedition ________ Mozambique on Africa’s southeaster coast. But Arab traders in Mozambique ________ disliked Portuguese. They ________ Gama away.

Farther north, on the coast of Kenya, Gama hired an Arab to ________ his ships across the Indian Ocean. In May 1498, for the first time, they arrived at Calicut in India, where pearls, jewels and wonderful spices were ________ for sale. But the king and local merchants refused to ________ with Portuguese.

Then in 1502, Gama made a ________ voyage to Calicut with warships and soldiers. After many ________ battles, Gama ________ the enemy’s warships and killed many locals ________ the king of Calicut surrendered (投降). Gama sailed home ________ with lots of spices. In 1524, Portugal built a valuable trading empire in India. ________. the Portuguese king named Gama the governor of Portugal’s possessions there.

Thatbyinnyu (达宾纽佛塔) is the tallest pagoda in Bagan, with seven storeys and a history of over 800 years. Over the course of hundreds of years, it has been _________ by time. Despite the constant prayers, the pagoda must still face the _________ of time. In 2016, a(n) _________ occurred in central Myanmar (缅甸) and hundreds of pagodas and Buddha statues were damaged. Thatbyinnyu was among the most seriously affected.

A team of _________ professionals from China are busily working with their Myanmar counterparts shortly after the earthquake. They must complete the reinforcement of the pagodas before the _________ season arrives. In Bagan, craftsmen hold on to the techniques passed down from generation to generation when _________ pagodas. Original local materials are used and all work is done by _________. All materials must be transported manually to the third storey of the pagoda. In order to avoid friction (摩擦) of the supporting steel pipes against the ground or the walls of the pagoda, the construction team must lay wooden boards on the third and fourth storeys. Moving a piece of board is a test of _________ and care.

The rainy season is approaching. Two days ago, the roof of the pagoda began to _________ after heavy rain. The construction team must identify the most suitable material quickly to __________ the external cracks on the roof of the pagoda to prevent new leakage. The restoration team carried out experiments using lime, sand, and Bagan’s __________ red brick powder in different proportions. In the end, they found the combination with the best overall __________ in terms of water absorption and strength. After more than a month of non-stop work, the team of Chinese and Myanmar professionals finally completes the emergency reinforcement of the Thatbyinnyu __________ the arrival of the rainy season.

Once the rainy season is over, China’s __________ to Myanmar to fully repair the Thatbyinnyu Pagoda will __________ start. This project may last for nine years.

Remains of ancient civilization are places which were designed and built as a lasting tribute (致敬) to some individuals or events. By visiting these _______ monuments, you are sure to be amazed by how _______the ancient civilization that existed centuries before you was. Some of the facilities which could be dated back hundreds of years ago are still in use today. Besides, you will also _______ at the mysterious stories behind it. The Great Wall, _______, is probably the best-known monument of China, which consists of a network of walls and towers through which the attack warnings could be received within minutes._______ then had enough time to prepare. Estimates (估算) of the total length of the monument _______, depending on which sections are included and how they are measured. One of the _______ mysteries is that, although some of the wall is _______ in special radar images taken by satellites, astronauts have confirmed that the existing wall is not several thousand years old, nor is it, as many people had _______ visible to the human eye form outer space.

Even older than the Great Wall of China is the Great Pyramid (金字塔) of Giza. Over a 20-year period, thousands of workers made the vision become ________ with numerous blocks, each weighing more than two tons. It’s still a(n) ________ to modern people how ancient men handled________ of these giant stones in a time when cars or boats never existed some 4500 years ago. The pyramid served not only as a tomb for King Khufu, but also a place of ________ activity. The number of the God’s servants at that time showed the importance of such activities. After Khufu died, his body was carefully treated with various medicines and materials and was wrapped in order to be ________ for long. According to ancient Egyptian belief, the pyramid, where the mummy was placed, provided a place for the king to pass into the afterlife. Then his servants performed rituals (仪式) to bring ________ to the dead king’s soul, removing all the unrest and pain from his next life.