The West begun to take more notice of the East. The fifth volume of an enormous work re-assessing the Chinese contribution to science and technology is to be published next year. The first volume, which was published twenty years ago, set the 11 for the whole work. In it, 12 was given to show that many inventions which, until then, western historians had claimed for Europe, were made first in China. The 13 to rewrite the intellectual history of the world was not received without protest by some reputable historians. However, the evidence that has been 14 so far in the first four volumes has persuaded many historians who were skeptical at first. China’s invention of paper, printing, the magnetic compass and gunpowder has never been 15 , but this new history has added advanced bridge design, mechanical clocks, paddle boats and many other inventions to the 16 .
In the four volumes published so far no attempt has been made to explain 17 China has not kept up with the West in science and technology in modern times. It is 18 that the answer is to be found in the social and economic history of China, where a static society under a relatively benevolent (仁慈的) regime of scholar-gentry contrasts with the potentially revolutionary and dynamic society of the West at the end of the Middle Ages. In 19 years, the Chinese government has been making every effort to catch up with the West again, and there is little doubt that the gap is being 20 year by year. But will China avoid the West’s mistakes
A．that B．why C．past D．recent
E．probable F．evidence G．tone H．text
I．list J．attempt K．disputed L．produced
M．reduced N．presented O．said