People eat rice all over the world

    Rice {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (believe) to have been first grown in China or possibly somewhere else in eastern Asia around 10,000 years ago. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} earliest evidence of rice farming comes from a 7,000-year-old site near the lower Yangtze River village of Hemudu in Zhejiang province in China.

    Rice is a kind of food which requires much labor. In developed countries, the planting and harvesting is done {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(most) with machines. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}, in much of the world, these things are still largely done by hand. It takes one farmer 1,000 to 2,000 working hours {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(raise)a rice crop on 2.5 acres of land. The fact that rice needs so much labor means{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(keep)a lot of the population on the land.

    Rice is also a crop {#blank#}7{#/blank#} need of lots of water. The wet rice grown in most of Asia needs hot weather after a period of rain and conditions provided by the rainy seasons affect many of the places {#blank#}8{#/blank#} rice is grown.

    Rice straws(稻杆）{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(leave)in the fields add nutrients(营养物)to the soil after rice is harvested(收割). For the next crop, rice farmers can often enjoy a good harvest by adding little {#blank#}10{#/blank#} no fertilizer.(肥料)

    The Amber Room, an{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (amaze) treasure, which was decorated with gold and jewels, was made of several tons of{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (select) amber. It first{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (belong) to the King of Prussia and was given to Peter the Great as a gift. The Czar sent Frederick William a troop of his best soldiers{#blank#}4{#/blank#} return. Later it was moved to a palace outside St Petersburg{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Catherine Π spent her summers.

    During the Second World War, when Germany and Russia were at war, The Nazis stole the room{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (secret). In less than two days 100,000peices were put into twenty-seven{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(wood) boxes and put on a train for Künisberg. After that, what happened to the Amber Room{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (remain) a mystery and the room is now missing. Recently, the Russians and Germans have built a new Amber Room,{#blank#}9{#/blank#} looks like the old one,{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (celebrate) the 300^th birthday of the city of St Petersburg.

    In the West, some people believe that personality can be predicted according to the blood type {#blank#}1{#/blank#} the person was born with. People with blood type A, for example, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (consider) more likely to be serious, hard-working, and quiet, while people with blood type O are likely to be popular and outgoing, yet often unable {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (finish) what they start. Though this belief continues to be strong, some people question whether it is true.

    The blood-type personality theory {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (start) in Japan in 1927 when Furukawa Takehi noticed personality similarities and {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (different) among his workers. This idea soon went out of fashion, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} it was brought back by a Japanese television host named Toshitaka Nomi in the 1970s. The belief is still strong in Japan and is increasingly popular in neighboring countries. Most Asians might believe {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the blood-type theory, but for many it seems {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (harm) and not something to be taken too seriously.

    Is the belief true? The scientists in Asia largely dismiss (摒弃) the belief as a modern-day superstition (迷信). Most studies have failed to find any strong {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (connect) between blood and personality. {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (general), scientists warn against making predictions or important decisions based on this questionable theory.

    Litter is everywhere, doing great harm {#blank#}1{#/blank#} the environment and life on our planet. Jeff Kirschner, who wants to build a litter-free world, started a global community named Litterati {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  (settle)this problem.

    The story began with his 6-year-old daughter. One day they were going on a hike when the girl noticed a {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (break)plastic tub(浴盆)in a river. She said, “Daddy, that doesn't go there.” That took Kirschner by surprise. He, like many adults, had become so used to the rubbish around them that he hadn't given it a second look.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} his daughter said reminded him of the serious problem our planet faces.

    Jeff started to take {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(act).He created Litterati, an app that makes it fun to pick up litter. The idea is {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(fair) simple: Spot a piece of trash, take a photo, post the photo online and then put the litter into dustbins.

    {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (see)that Jeff was keeping a record of the positive impact he was having on the planet, people worldwide started participating. Up to now, over 2, 500, 000 photos posted by 3,500 people from over 40 countries {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (find)their way to Litterati's digital landfill.

    Litterati is more than an app. It is a highly {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (effect)solution to a pressing issue. Wherever you live, whatever you do and {#blank#}10{#/blank#} you are, join Litterati to make the world a cleaner and healthier place to live in.

    The United Kingdom consists of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Wales was linked {#blank#}1{#/blank#} England in the 13th century. In the 17th century England and Wales were joined to Scotland, {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (form) Great Britain.

    They were united in {#blank#}3{#/blank#} peaceful way. The southern part of Ireland was unwilling to join the English government and broke away to found its own government.

    England is the {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (large) of the four countries and for convenience it is divided {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (rough) into three zones: the South of England, the Midlands and the North. Most of the population lives in the south, but most of the industrial cities {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (locate) in the Midlands and the North. It is a pity that the industrial cities which were constructed in the nineteenth century do not attract {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (visit).

    London is the capital city with great historical treasures, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} is the centre of national government and its administration. It has the oldest port, building and castle {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (build) by the invaders. Without the historical evidence, we {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (will) not be able to learn more about the history and culture of the UK.