It is actually a long-held idea that sharks are     1     (danger) animals, especially after the film Jaws hit the screen. Jaws gave an account of how sharks pull swimming people underwater,     2     (attract) huge audiences and winning many awards. This film encouraged people to hunt and kill sharks. As a result,     3     number of large sharks fell     4     (quick), making it one of the endangered     5     (animal). Another     6     (contribute) factor is finning. Every time there is finning, the sea floor would be covered with dead sharks. That had an unexpected effect     7     Peter Benchley, the writer of the book on     8     Jaws was based. He came to see people as a danger to sharks, rather than the other way round. That was why he     9     (fight) to protect sharks by first admitting that his book was wrong about sharks’ behaviour. Today, as we learn more about sharks, more people than ever want to protect them from     10     (extinct).

The heritage hidden in shadows

Have you ever experienced a shadow play (皮影戏)? In ancient China, it     1     (feature) numerous and vivid characters, underwent rapid transformations in the blink of an eye, and even included special effects, music and performances, without using computers.

Merely     2     (rely) on hands, the ancient Chinese art of shadow play is a tradition with a history that     3     (date) back 2,000 years, and it’s also a representative of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity recognized by UNESCO.

Dang,     4     identity is the fifth-generation inheritor of Wang’s Shadow, a family troupe (剧团) in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, is famous for making shadow puppets off     5     beaten track. Not only does he     6     (skillful) combine the traditional with the contemporary in his creations, he also pioneers approaches     7     enhancing the presentation and     8     (preserve) of this cultural heritage.

During the China-Central Asia Summit in May, Dang and his team used the puppets to illustrate female heroes from films, along with many colorful scenes and maps introducing the countries     9     (involve) in the Belt and Road Initiative. “We aim to demonstrate the excellence of our traditional culture,     10     its ability to produce remarkable creations. Once people are aware that shadow puppets can be cool, their natural desire will be to participate,” Dang says.