The “One Belt One Road” strategy proposed by President XiJinping has drawn public attention to Silk Road. Silk Road refers to the old overland trade route, 【小题1】was formed in the Western Han Dynasty. This route stretched 4, 350 miles from Chang’an to western China, central Asia, and even to Europe, 【小题2】（make）these have better communications in diplomacy, business and culture.

China was the first country   【小题3】（produce）silk fabric. This skill reached a 【小题4】（fair）advanced level in the Zhou Dynasty. As a major export to Europe, “silk” 【小题5】 (use) to name this great route by a German geographer, Ferdinand von Richthofen. China’s silk was introduced into western   【小题6】（country）through this old trade route. People were not familiar with this product at the beginning, and made many guesses at how 【小题7】was produced. According to the record, the idea that silk was picked from trees was widely accepted by folks in Europe.

Clothes made of this fabric were always best sellers, and were considered   【小题8】 social status symbol. Even the gorgeous Egyptian queen, Cleopatra, was also a big fan of the silk. This fascination led to an 【小题9】increase）demand for this product, and promoted the   【小题10】 (develop) of this trading route.

Niangao, a sweet rice cake, is a popular dessert eaten during the Spring Festival. It was originally used as an offering before it gradually became a Spring Festival food. The 【小题1】 (pronounce) of niangao sounds like “year high” in Chinese, symbolizing a much higher income, a much higher position, the growth of children, and the promise of a much 【小题2】 (good) year. It is considered good luck to eat it during the Spring Festival period. Niangao has a legend about its origin. In the Spring and Autumn Period of ancient China, the whole country 【小题3】 (divide) into different small kingdoms and people suffered a lot in wars. At that time, strong walls were built 【小题4】 (protect) the Wu Kingdom from repeated 【小题5】 (attack). Many people stopped worrying about wars, except for Wu Zixu. 【小题6】was Wu Zixu who told his entourages (随从) that wars should not be viewed 【小题7】 (light). “In case things go badly, remember to dig a hole under the wall. ” After Wu Zixu passed away, a war broke out and many people died from lack 【小题8】 food. Some people did what Wu Zixu had told them before and found that the wall under the earth was built with special bricks 【小题9】 (make) from glutinous (黏的) rice flour. As a result, the bricks saved many people from hunger. After that, people made niangao every year in memory of Wu Zixu. As time passed, niangao became 【小题10】 we eat today.

England became England, the land of English-speaking people, at the beginning of the Middle Ages. 【小题1】 that it had been the home of Iron Age Tribes known as Celts, and for a time, part of the Roman Empire. Then beginning in the 400s AD, tribes from the north, known as the angles, the Saxons, and the Jutes, 【小题2】 (move) in.

The most famous leader of this time period in England was Alfred the Great. Alfred lived in Wessex, the kingdom of the West Saxons, which 【小题3】 (locate) in the southern part of England. He was a good leader 【小题4】 made his kingdom stronger. He created a system of defenses (防御), 【小题5】 (call) burhs, across the country. He reorganized the army so that his men 【小题6】 have time to fight and time to farm. Alfred’s efforts protected his people from the Vikings and allowed Wessex to grow. Eventually the rulers of Wessex would rule all of England.

Alfred also made other improvements. He made laws for his people. He encouraged learning and translated several important books 【小题7】 his Saxon language. This was 【小题8】 modern people think of as the start of the language we call English today.

Two important pieces of literature from that time period are the anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Beowulf, both 【小题9】 (write) in old English. Old English lasted through most of the Middle Ages. Middle English came in during the late Middle ages and modern English began about the time of the renaissance.

England and English got their names, not from the Saxons, but from one of the other tribes, and Angles. The original name of England must have been 【小题10】 like Angle-land (only in old English of course).