I. Discuss the following questions with your partner and then come up with your answers. 1. China has been officially and conveniently divided into five homogeneous physical macro-regions. What are they? Search for more information about them and explain the features of each of them. China has been officially and conveniently divided into 5 homogeneous physical macro-regions: Eastern China (subdivided into the northeast plain, north plain, and southern hills), Xinjiang-Mongolia, and the Tibetan-highlands. Its physical features are multiples. The eastern and southern half of the country, its seacoast fringed with offshore islands, is a region of fertile lowlands and foothills with most of the agricultural output and human population. The western and northern half of China is a region of sunken basins (Gobi, Taklimakan), rolling plateaus, and towering massifs, including a portion of the highest tableland on earth (Tibetan Plateau) with lower agricultural possibilities and thus, far less populated.

2.Which part do the Chinese population traditionally dwell on? And why? Traditionally, the Chinese population centered around the Chinese central plain and oriented itself toward its own enormous inland market, developing as an imperial power whose center lay in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River on the northern plains. More recently, the 18,000-kilometers coastline have been used extensively for export-oriented trade, making a power shift, with the coastline provinces becoming the leading economic center.

3.How many rivers does China have? Name 10 of them and locate where they are. (omitted)

II. Fill in each of the following blanks with an appropriate word or phrase chosen from the text. 1. Canada; the United States 2. Amazon; Nile 3. Pacific Ocean4. Pearl River 5. Bo Hai Gulf 6. Pacific; 5,000 7.mountainous; plateaus8.basins; plains 9.unevenly; sparsely10.Northwest; Plateau