Human beings have always moved from place to place and traded with their neighbors, 1)(exchanging) goods, skills and ideas. Throughout history, Eurasia was criss-crossed (纵横交错的) with communication routes and paths of 2)(trade), which gradually linked up to form what is known today as the Silk Road, 3)(routes) across both land and sea, along which silk and many other 4)(goods) were exchanged between people from across the world. Maritime routes were an important part of this network, 5)(linking) East and West by sea, and were used for the trade of spices in particular, thus becoming known as the Spice Route.However, these vast 6)(networks) carried more than just merchandise and precious commodities. The constant movement and mixing of populations also brought about the transmission of knowledge, ideas, cultures and beliefs, which had a profound 7)(impact) on the history and 8)(civilizations) of the Eurasian peoples. Travelers along the Silk Road were attracted not only by trade but also by the 9)(intellectual) and cultural exchange that was taking place in cities along the Silk Road, many of which developed into centers of culture and learning. Science, art and literature, as well as 10)(crafts) and technologies were thus shared and disseminated into societies along the lengths of these routes, and in this way, languages, religions and cultures developed and influenced each other.