The Great Wall

As a symbol of ancient Chinese civilization, the Great Wall is one of the world’s oldest and most magnificent (壮丽的) man-made scenes, 【小题1】 has a long history. Given its out-standing architectural achievement and remarkable historical influence, the Great Wall 【小题2】 (list) as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1987, the first of 【小题3】 (it) kind in China.

The Great Wall was 【小题4】 (original) built over 2,000 years ago during the West Zhou Dynasty, and served 【小题5】 a functional military defence. It had been playing a crucial role in wars in ancient Chinese history. Therefore, it was continually to be extended in the next 2,000 years, till the end of Ming Dynasty. As a result, the Great Wall was expanded to many places in China and formed a beautiful shape.

Because its 【小题6】 (long) is 21,196. 18 km, it is widely named “Wanli Changcheng”. There are Northern Great Wall and Southern Great Wall, according to the locations.

The Great Wall is a place steeped in history and has much 【小题7】 (offer) you. For those who are fascinated (入迷的) by it and 【小题8】 (greed) for the knowledge of it, you will find massive information about it, the historical development, the background stories and its facts and figures. Whether you are a history-loving traveler 【小题9】 a lover of natural landscape, you will never get tired of the Great Wall, one of the seven 【小题10】 (wonder) in the world.

A comforting cup of tea is an essential part of the day for hundreds of millions of people around the globe. Worldwide, three cups of tea 【小题1】 (consume) for every cup of coffee. To 【小题2】 (full) appreciate the ancient roots of the herbal drink, people can pay a visit to the China National Tea Museum, which has a long history.

【小题3】 (locate) in Hangzhou, the museum occupies a park-like setting. Inside, various halls demonstrate the story of tea, its ceremonies and its tools Records of tea drinking date as far back as to the 【小题4】 (ten) century B.C. in China. Originally the leaves were baked into a brick, a part of 【小题5】 could be broken off and made into a powder. Tea spread into northern China during the Tang Dynasty; by the Song Dynasty it had acquired a lose-leaf production as well as the ceremonies that made its consumption【小题6】 art form.

The art of tea extended to its fancy containers, which are【小题7】 display at the museum. You can see a gracefully rounded kettle that 【小题8】 (date) back 5,000 years and a bowl from the Tang Dynasty with a beautiful simplicity. Today 【小题9】 (visit) can observe a tea ceremony that might be enough 【小题10】 (change) even the most passionate coffee drinker.

Construction of the Tower of Pisa began in 1173 【小题1】 Pisa was a center of power and wealth. But work was stopped several times because of wars. The eight-story tower was not completed until the late 1200s. The tower itself is made of marble (大理石) and 【小题2】 (weigh) 16,000 tons. However, the leaning of the tower was not for its weights 【小题3】 for the soil underneath. The ground is 【小题4】 (soft) on one side than on the other. The south side has sunk 6.1 feet below ground level in the past centuries. The north side has sunk 12.3 feet!