In many people's opinion, man's first real invention,{#blank#}1{#/blank#}is also one of the most important inventions in history, is the wheel. All transportation and every machine in the world depend{#blank#}2{#/blank#}it. The wheel is the{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(simple) yet perhaps the most remarkable of all{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(invention) because there are no wheels in nature.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}, then, did man come to invent the wheel? Perhaps some early hunters found that the body of {#blank#}6{#/blank#}heavy animal could be rolled through the forest on logs (圆木) more{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(easy) than they could carry it. However, the logs{#blank#}8{#/blank#}them) weigh a lot.

    It must have taken a great prehistoric thinker to imagine two thin slices of log connected, at their centers by a string stick. This would roll along just {#blank#}9{#/blank#}the logs did, yet be much lighter and easier{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(handle). Thus the wheel and axle came into being and with them the first carts.

In 1990, over 100 countries signed {#blank#}1{#/blank#} international agreement to make it illegal to buy or sell ivory, which is mainly used for jewelry. Most ivory is made from the tusks(象牙) of African elephants. These tusks are {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(terrible) valuable—one pair is worth more than three times the income of an African farmer or a factory worker in a year.

    Hunting elephants was so profitable {#blank#}3{#/blank#}from 1979 to 1989 the number of elephants in Africa fell from 1.3 million to 600,000. It was feared that by the year 2020 there would be none {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(leave). However, thanks{#blank#}5{#/blank#} the international agreement, there {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(be) much less illegal hunting since 1990.

    But considering {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(vary) of aspects, it costs a lot of money to preserve elephants. Games wardens (看守人) must be hired to protect them. Land must be set aside for them, and when they destroy a farmer's crops, the farmer must {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(pay) compensation.(赔偿金)

    Zimbabwe and four other African countries say that some of the elephants should be killed legally. This would help keep the population stable, and selling the ivory would help pay for preserving the elephants. But conservationists say that {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(make) ivory legal to sell would lead to even more illegal hunting. Others say {#blank#}10{#/blank#}is wrong is to kill elephants because they are sensitive animals that feel emotional pain at the death of other elephants.

    Traditional Chinese culture is beginning to attract the attention of the world. Kung fu, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (especial), has had a great effect {#blank#}2{#/blank#} the millions of people who first learned about China through it. Sometimes, they may come to China and learn about some other {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (aspect) of this culture. Other Asian nations have long known about the {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (great) of ancient Chinese culture. Their own cultures are {#blank#}5{#/blank#} mix of native ones and those Chinese characteristics. Korea and Japan long ago adopted Confucianism, something that continues today even as it {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (challenge) by pop culture. This strength comes from the ideas {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (give) in the Four Books of Confucianism, which were built upon the idea of an even {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (much) ancient period included in the Five Classics. From them, the West learns {#blank#}9{#/blank#} is uniquely Chinese, for example, feng shui.

    So far China has taken steps {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (increase) this spread of its culture byestablishing Chinese Cultural Centers in such places as the United States and Europe.