In ancient China the kite was known as “Zhiyuan“. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (original) regarded as a technology, it also featured in many art collections, and was considered to have unique artistic value. It first {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (appear) in the ware of the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC—476BC). According to historical records. Mo Zi spent three years {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(construct) a wooden kite which failed after one day's flight. One book noted that the master carpenter Lu Ban also made some which {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(use) to spy on the situation of the enemy.

    Now the basic procedure of making kites remains the same, but {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(style) of kite-making vary in different regions. These in the “World Kite Capital” of Weifang in Shandong Province are well known for{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(they) craftsmanship, materials, painting, sculpture and flexible flying movement. One of these kites, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}was over 300 meters long, won first place in the International Kite Festival {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(hold) in Italy. It is now housed in the Weifang Kite Museum. Even year, the festival is held there and is expected to draw many fans with a passion for flying kites.

    {#blank#}9{#/blank#}you are interested in flying a kite, you should choose a sunny and windy day so you can enjoy the open air, and take care to avoid electric wires and cars. You could lake more than one with you and fly them according to the change of wind. And of course, a pair of sunglasses may prove useful in protecting your eyes {#blank#}10{#/blank#} bright sunshine.

    Wang Kun and his sister, Wang Wei, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(dream) about taking a great bike trip ever since middle school. Each of them bought a mountain bike. Wang Wei even got their cousins, Dai Wei and Yu Hang, interested in {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (cycle) when she visited them at their college in Kunming. After graduating {#blank#}3{#/blank#}college, Wang Kun and Wang Wei {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(final) got the chance to take a bike trip. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}was Wang Wei {#blank#}6{#/blank#}first got the idea to cycle along the Mekong River from where it begins to where it ends. Then Wang Wei planned the schedule for the trip. {#blank#}7{#/blank#}Wang Kun had some doubts, Wang Wei was determined and insisted that she organize the trip properly. Knowing that she was a stubborn girl, {#blank#}8{#/blank#}decision could not be changed once she had made {#blank#}9{#/blank#}her mind, Wang Kun had to give in. Before the trip they went to the library and found a large atlas with good maps {#blank#}10{#/blank#}helped them know more about the Mekong River.

Rise After Falling

    A father was worried about his son, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}was sixteen years old but had no courage at all. So the father decided to call on a Buddhist monk(僧侣) to train his boy.

The Buddhist monk said to the boy's father, “I insist that your son should {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(leave) alone here. I'll make him into a real man within three months. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}, you can't come to see him during this period.”

    Three months later, the boy's father {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(return). The Buddhist monk arranged a boxing match between the boy and an {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(experience) boxer. Each time the fighter struck the boy, he fell down, {#blank#}6{#/blank#}at once the boy stood up; and each time a heavy blow knocked him down, the boy stood up again. Several times later, the Buddhist monk asked, “ {#blank#}7{#/blank#}do you think of your child?”

    “What a shame!” the boy's father said, “I never thought he would be so {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(easy) knocked down. I needn't have him stay here any longer!”

    “I'm sorry that that's all you see. Don't you see that each time he {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(fall) down, he stands up again instead of {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(cry)? That's the kind of courage you wanted him to have.

    There were many great philosophers in ancient China. Confucius stressed the significance of {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (kind), duty and order in society, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} ideas influenced Chinese society for over 2, 000 years.

    Mencius was a student of Confucius's ideas. His teachings were similar to {#blank#}3{#/blank#} of Confucius. He {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (bring) up by his mother and had an important position in the government of {#blank#}5{#/blank#} state. He believed man is good, that people would be good if government was kind, and {#blank#}6{#/blank#} people were more important than rulers. Mencius wrote a book {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (call) The Book of Mencius in his last years.

    Mozi was also an {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (influence) thinker, whose beliefs were similar to Confucius's {#blank#}9{#/blank#} some ways. Born into a poor family, he became famous for his unusual clothes and behaviour. Because he considered that government was most important, he spent many years {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (try) to find a state where people would follow his teaching. He believed all men were equal.