There are many classic (经典的) cultures in China. All of them have a very long history. Here we introduce some of them.

The Silk Road is the name of different roads that long ago connected Europe, Africa and Asia. People reached these different places along these roads. Scientists believe people began to travel the Silk Road about 3000 years ago. By the time the Chinese silk trade became important in the world, the Silk Road covered almost 6500 kilometers. It went from Rome to China, which is from the West to the Far East.

Merchants travelled along the Silk Road to carry silk, of course. They also carried and traded other things like spices(香料), cloth, jewels and gold.

Along and around these ancient paths have come many fascinating and mysterious stories.

It is said that Roman soldiers who lost a war travelled through central Asia. They decided to live somewhere near the ancient Chinese villages. Some of these Romans married local Chinese women and the legend of the blond-haired, blue-eyed tribes of China started.

Some historians believe that the people of Kashmir were taken away from their country Israel. They were prisoners of war almost 2800 years ago. People say that these people travelled along the Silk Road. They kept their Jewish way of life for a long time.

During its busiest period, the Silk Road allowed people from many different cultures and countries to meet each other and mix. The Silk Road allowed the sharing of valuable things and new ideas. It included people and trading goods from different areas. All these peoples travelled the Silk Road, and they shared goods, stories, languages, and cultures.

In modern times, the old Silk Road routes are still used, but now they are crossed by trains instead of camels and horsed. There is even a Silk Route Museum in Jiuquan in China. It has over 35,000 objects from all along the Silk Road. In this way, China protects the history of many countries and peoples.

No one knows when the first kite was made. The first record of a kite was more than 2,000 years ago in China. Han Xin, the leader of an army, wanted to bring down a king. He decided to dig a tunnel (隊道）into the king’s palace. He flew a kite over the wall of the palace to make sure the length (长度）of its string (线).In this way, he could determine how long the tunnel should be.His men in the tunnel took the kite string with them. When they reached the end of the string, they knew to dig up.

Kites have been flown in Japan for hundreds of years. In the 1700s, kites were flown in autumn to give thanks for a good harvest. They were also flown to send good wishes to couples who had their first son. Today in Japan, kites are often flown as part of a celebration, such as the beginning of a new year. And kite festivals are held each year in many parts of the country.

Kites have been used for scientific purposes in the western world. In 1752，Benjamin Franklin tied a key to a kite and flew it in a storm to find out that lightening was a form of electricity. In the 1890s，Lawrence Hargrave invented the box kite to test ideas about flight. From 1898 until 1933，the United States Weather Bureau (气象局） used box kites to collect weather data. The Wright brothers also experimented (试验）with kites. What they learnt helped them make the first airplane flight in 1903.

One day, an American man Simon went to London to visit his friend, Rick. Rick told him that his flat(公寓) was on the first floor. When he arrived, Simon went straight to the first floor of the building. But a man told him that there was no Rick on that floor. Do you know why?

In fact, the British(英国人) call the first floor of a building the ground floor. The floor above（在...之上） the ground floor is the first floor, but Americans would call it the second floor.

The story shows that there are a few culture differences between Britain and America, though the British and Americans both speak English.

The British don’t like showing their feelings. They hardly start a small talk with strangers（陌生人）. For example, on the train the British often spend their time reading newspapers or books. But Americans are quite different. They’re more active（活跃的） and easier to talk with.

The British and Americans may use different terms for many things. The British usually use “football”, “eraser” and “mail” while Americans prefer to use “soccer”, “rubber” and “post”.

New York is the biggest city of the USA. A long time ago, it was called Lenapehoking. In 1626, Dutch people bought the land for only ＄24! They called it New Amsterdam. Then in 1664, the British took it over and changed the name to New York.

　　New York had an excellent harbour(港口). Many people from all over the world came by sea and landed in New York. These people wanted a better life. New York seemed to give them that. By 1835, New York became the largest city in the United States. New York City used to have five smaller towns but now they are all part of the same city. They are Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island.

　　Today, New York is home to millions of people from all over the world. These different cultures make New York an exciting place to visit. There's much to do in New York. You can take a helicopter(直升飞机)riding through the city, ride horses in Central Park, see a movie in the afternoon and watch the sunset(日落)over the Brooklyn Bridge. Don't worry if you get hungry. Some restaurants are open 24 hours a day!

Some people say extreme（极限）sports are dangerous—and they’re probably right—but hey, if you’re not afraid of getting hurt, you might as well do it with style! It is reported that regular sports are not completely safer than extreme ones. Here is an introduction to three new extreme sports.

Every year, in late March or early April, a boat race takes place on the Thames River, England. This boat race is an event between the two most famous and also the oldest universities in Britain the Oxford (牛津大学) and the Cambridge (剑桥大学).

   The idea for the boat race between the universities came from two friends—Charles Merivale, a student at Cambridge, and his friend Charles Wordsworth who was at Oxford. They decided to set up a boat race between the two universities. On March 12, 1829, Cambridge sent a challenge to Oxford first.

   When the first boat race took place in a small town by Thames, eight students from each university became the competitors. Crowds of twenty thousand travelled to watch. It was so exciting. And the Oxford was clear winners. Later on, not only did the students from the two universities take part, but also some social groups attended the event. By 1845, with the small town becoming too crowded, the boat race had moved six miles up to the village—Putney. From 1856 on, the race has been held every year except war years. This boat race is considered to be “the world's oldest sporting challenge”.

   The race is four and a quarter miles in just 20 minutes and the competitors often face difficulties. It usually takes six months for the two teams to prepare for the big day. In the past, the Oxford was mostly the winners. But things have changed from 1993 on. The Cambridge has won more.

根据短文内容,判断正(T)误(F)。