A visit to Sydney had long been my dream. So I was {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (excite) when offered the opportunity to go. I arrived {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Sydney around 9:00 a.m. After {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(check) in a lovely apartment, I headed to the seaside and couldn't resist {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (enjoy) the beauty of Sydney. Sydney is famous for its many beautiful {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (beach). Among them, Manly, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} is located on the north part of Sydney, is {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (probable) the biggest one. If you go there, you can not only see the Manly Ferry from the Circular Quay {#blank#}8{#/blank#} also enjoy very beautiful scenery of the Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge along the way. If you like surfing, Bondi Beach is a perfect place to go, although it is actually{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(small) than Manly. Apart from the beaches, you can take a visit to the Royal Botanic Garden to admire the view of the harbor or visit the Art Galley to appreciate the works. You will find your interesting tourist attractions here. Definitely, Sydney is so {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (fascinate) that it is worth going.

    In much of Asia, especially the so-called “rice bowl” cultures of China, Japan, Korea, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}Vietnam, food is usually eaten with chopsticks.

    Chopsticks are usually two long, thin pieces of wood or bamboo. They can also be made of plastic, animal bone or metal. Sometimes chopsticks are quite artistic. Truly elegant chopsticks might {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(make) of gold and silver with Chinese characters. Skilled workers also combine (组合) various hardwoods and metal {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(create) special designs.

    The Chinese have used chopsticks for 5000 years. People probably cooked {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(they) food in large pots, using twigs (树枝) to remove it. Over time, as {#blank#}5{#/blank#}population grew, people began cutting food into small pieces so it would cook more quickly. Food in small pieces could be eaten easily with twigs which {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(gradual) turned into chopsticks.

    Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius, {#blank#}7{#/blank#}lived from roughly 551-479 B.C., influenced the {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(develop) of chopsticks. Confucius believed knives would remind people of killings and {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(be) too violent for use at the table.

    Chopsticks are not used everywhere in Asia. In India, for example, most people traditionally eat {#blank#}10{#/blank#}their hands.

    The Han people have its own spoken and written language-Chinese. Chinese belongs to the Han-Tibetan language family. It is the {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (common) used language in China and among the largest languages in the world.

    Written Chinese came out in {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (it) earliest form approximately 6,000 years ago. The Chinese characters {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (use) today, also called “Hanzi”, developed from those used in bones and tortoise shells more than 3,000 years ago. There are about 56,000 characters, of which only about 3,000 are in common use.

    Mandarin is a category (种类) of Chinese {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (dialect) spoken across most of northern and {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (southwest) China. The term “Mandarin” can also refer to Standard Mandarin, which {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (base) on the Mandarin dialect spoken in Beijing. It is officially considered to be the standard for the People's Republic of China.

    Why do most non-Chinese speakers choose to learn standard Mandarin Chinese? Mandarin is understood by most Chinese people. As mentioned above, it is China's national language. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} you are interested in basic communication, scholarly research, or {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (pursue) a career in China, standard Mandarin is {#blank#}9{#/blank#} necessary tool for communication. And it often serves {#blank#}10{#/blank#} a bridge for communication.

    At the beginning, written Chinese was a picture-based language. It dates back several thousand years to the use of animal bones and shells on which symbols {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (carve) by ancient Chinese people. Some of the ancient symbols can still be seen in today's hanzi.

    By the Shang Dynasty, these symbols {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (become) a well-developed writing system. Over the years, the system developed into different forms, as it was a time when people were divided geographically, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (lead) to many varieties of dialects characters. This, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, changed under the rule of Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty.

    Emperor Qinshihuang made the seven major states into one {#blank#}5{#/blank#}( unite) country where the Chinese writing system began to develop in one direction. That writing system was {#blank#}6{#/blank#} great importance in uniting the Chinese people and culture. Even today, no matter where Chinese people live or {#blank#}7{#/blank#} dialect they speak, they can all still communicate {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (easy) in writing.

    Written Chinese has also become an important means by {#blank#}9{#/blank#} China's present is connected with its past. People in modem times can read the classic {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (work) which were written by Chinese in ancient times. The high regard for the Chinese writing system can be seen in the development of Chinese characters as an art form, known as Chinese calligraphy, which has become an important part of Chinese culture.