Dialogues /monologues:
1、 Brief Account of the history of China . ( 中國(guó)歷史簡(jiǎn)述 )
Account ：在這里應(yīng)理解為“說明”的意思。
2、 China traces its origins as a clearly separate political and cultural unit to ancient times.
追溯到古代，中國(guó)是一個(gè)政治與文化劃分得很清楚的國(guó)家。
as ：在這里應(yīng)理解為“被看作”。
3、 The dominating class in the later dynasties was made up of scholar-officials, who were recruited to serve the government based on their intelligence and skills rather than their family background.
（ 1 ） make up of sth 由……組成。如：
Farming and mining make up most of the country's industry.
（ 2 ） rather than 與其（某人 / 某事），不愿，不要，不是。如：
It's management that's at fault rather than the work-force.
錯(cuò)在資方而不在勞方。
4、 Its downfall in 1911 led the country to be torn apart by warlords, civil war, and Japanese invasion for several decades.
tear sth apart ：徹底毀滅或擊敗某物，嚴(yán)厲地批評(píng)某事物。如：
The critics tore her new play to pieces. （劇評(píng)家們把她的新戲批評(píng)得一無(wú)是處。）
5、 Governor Arthur Phillip directed the ships carrying “transported” convicts and jailors into Jackson , to the north.
transported 在這里為過去分詞作定語(yǔ)，修飾 convicts and jailors.