watching paper wasps (黄蜂) make their various 3. __________(nest). Tools and machines of papermaking in modern times may be 4. __________(complex), but they still make use of the ancient technique.

Emperor He, 5. __________ was pleased with the invention, awarded Cai great wealth. However, when Emperor An of Han came into power, Cai was ordered to report to prison. Before he set off, he killed himself by 6. __________(drink) a kind of strong poison.

After Cai invented the papermaking process, paper became widely used 7. __________ a writing medium in China by the 3rd century. It enabled China 8. __________(develop) its civilization much faster than it had with earlier writing materials.

By the 7th century, China's papermaking technology had spread to Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. In 751, some Chinese paper makers were caught by Arabs after Tang troops 9. __________(defeat) in the Battle of Talas River. The techniques of papermaking then 10. __________(gradual) spread to the West.

【文章大意】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍了蔡伦和他发明的造纸术。

1. 【解析】the。句意: 他历来被认为是纸张和造纸工艺的发明者。此处表示特指, 因此应填定冠词the。

2. 【解析】inspiration。该空前为动词receive, 因此应填入inspire的名词形式作其宾语。

3. 【解析】nests。nest为可数名词, 而且前面有various修饰, 因此应填入所给词的复数。

4. 【解析】more complex。句意: 虽然现代造纸的工具和机器可能更复杂...... 因此空格处表示比较, 故用比较级。

5. 【解析】who。此处是一个非限制性定语从句, 先行词指人, 且引导词在定语从句中作主语, 因此应填入关系代词who引导该定语从句。

6. 【解析】drinking。by为介词, 后面跟v-ing形式作宾语, 因此答案为drinking。

7. 【解析】as。考查介词。be used as意为"被用作......", 为固定短语。

8. 【解析】to develop。enable sb. to do sth. 为固定搭配。

9. 【解析】were defeated/had been defeated。考查时态和语态。此处是叙述过去发生的事情, 再根据after一词可知, 应填入were defeated或had been defeated。

10. 【解析】gradually。修饰动词spread, 故用副词形式。