I sat down at my desk and started writing a letter of thankfulness. But when it came to actually putting the letter into the mailbox, I 1. I couldn't do it. I suddenly felt a sense of 2 and insecurity (不安).
The letter was to an old teacher with whom I kept in 3 on Facebook. For months, I read about what she 4 on her Facebook page, which helped me to live my life differently. Her volunteer work wasn't huge. 5, she was doing small, local good deeds. 6, she changed my views on the world and for some reason, I felt I should let her know how her example 7 influenced me.
I could have easily sent her an email, but that seemed not enough for such an important thank-you. That's why I ended up 8 the letter. But now here I was, standing before the mailbox, unable to put the envelope inside. What was stopping me? It suddenly hit me that I was 9 of being too nice. I guess I felt strange 10 it wasn't like she was my best friend or a relative. Maybe my 11 was too heartfelt. Thinking this over, I put the envelope in the mailbox 12.
Weeks later I received a message from her. It turned out she was 13 a hard time and my note 14 a lot to her. She said she had no idea she was playing such a big 15 in others' life.
Not only did this letter make her happier, but her response to it brightened my world and 16 my joy as well. I was so 17 that it had such a great influence on her that I decided to write a letter of 18 to someone each month. Now it's easier for me to 19 the goodness in others and be more 20 for this beautiful life I'm living.
If it had not been for Fan Jinshi and her team, the world cultural heritage at Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in a remote Chinese desert might have long been destroyed by sand, weather or humans.
Born and raised in Shanghai, Fan has spent half a century fighting an uphill battle to preserve the ancient Buddhist wall painting at Dunhuang, in Northwest China's Gansu Province. The 1 651-year-old Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are a huge collection of Buddhist art—more than 2 000 buddha figures and 45 000 square meters of paintings spread among 735 caves. It is China's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Archaeologist Fan was sent to Dunhuang after graduation from Peking University in 1963. While in Dunhuang, a remote village in the desert then, Fan lived in an abandoned temple. At first, she did not even dare to go out to the toilet at night. To protect the treasures from sand and dampness, Fan and other workers put doors on the caves, planted trees and started monitoring temperature and humidity in the caves. They also controlled the number of visitors.
In the late 1990s, with tourism booming nationwide since national holidays were extended, the local government planned to go public with Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, but found Fan firmly in their way. "The heritage would have been destroyed if it had been listed," she said.
Dunhuang Academy has now photographed and cataloged online all the sculptures and paintings. "Despite our efforts to minimize damage, we can't completely stop them from being eroded. But the digital database will last."
Fan was grateful when her husband joined her in Dunhuang in 1986 after 19 years of separation. Her two sons grew up in Shanghai with their aunt. "I have not been a good mother or wife. With regard to my family, I'm full of guilt," she said. Fan, 79, retired two years ago as the director of Dunhuang Academy but continues her efforts as a national political adviser.
A Brave Maid
A wooden vase at the (enter) to the reception hall amazed everyone. The artists designed it in rare style and selected valuable jewels (decorate) it. People thought (high) of its fancy colour of honey and the beautiful paintings on it. The vase (use) to belong to an old castle. But when the country was war, the enemy troops exploded the castle. Debates on how the vase (survive) went on and on. In order to remove people's doubt, a team of no less than 20 people carried out an (formal) investigation. The evidence they found showed that a maid took the vase apart and asked a sailor to sink it in a local well. She never gave away the secret even under the cruel trial of the enemies were in search of treasures.
It is worth (give) this brave maid a fortune in return.
China is making great effort to protect its cultural relics. In early May, State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) added 1 943 unmovable cultural relics sites to the list. So the number of these sites on this list will increase to 4 295.
The newly added sites were reviewed (评审) by more than 130 experts. They spread around Shanxi, Henan, Hunan, Hebei and Jiangsu provinces, including 795 pieces of ancient architecture and 516 ancient ruins.
In an interview, the head of the SACH said that new types of cultural relics sites have been newly listed to get protection at first, including industrial relics, rural architecture and cultural landscapes. For example, some are in the north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Despite great achievements during the years of effort, problems still exist. Historic relics get stolen and antiques are taken abroad secretly.
The head of the SACH said that people has faced a challenge to the protection of cultural relics for a long time. So, balancing the relationship between economic development and protection of history is important. He also used good examples of protection, describing how some cultural relics sites have become education bases for young people and popular tourist places, where a lot of people spend their holiday.
A. All of them need protecting as quickly as possible.
B. They also include outstanding modern architecture.
C. The SACH has found a total of 4 295 cultural relics.
D. Many relics have been destroyed in the process of urban construction.
E. Cultural relics sites should become positive factors to improve economic development.
F. When talking about protecting the cultural relics, the head of SACH ordered some to be saved.
G. Moreover, many of the new sites also include valuable cultural relics from ethnic minority regions (少数民族地区).
