Eric Zhang was born in Chongqing, in southern China, and grew up     1    (enjoy) warm-weather activities. But now, he’s raising his twin toddlers in China as lovers of winter sports.

The timing couldn’t be     2    (good), as China is now hosting the Winter Olympics in Beijing. A new generation of Chinese kids is watching athletes like Eileen Gu win gold medals and beginning to dream about its own     3    (athlete)achievements. Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Beijing and Shenyang — China’s biggest cities — are now home to places     4     adults and kids alike can play in the snow, even when it’s 80 degrees Fahrenheit outside.

Chinese social media is also a source of     5    (inspire), with Weibo and WeChat users sharing photos of their latest skiing and snowboarding trips.

In recent years, the national government has taken steps     6    (promote) winter sports in China as part of its Olympics campaign. More than 300 million Chinese people     7     (take) part in winter sports since Beijing won its Olympics bid seven years ago.

    8    , the rapid growth of the indoor winter sports industry has come at a price. Many of the domestic ski resorts and skating rinks in China are not as up-to-date as     9    (that) in more established areas in Europe or North America. The quality of facilities can be uneven, and building too many too quickly can also be bad for the environment — making large quantities of artificial snow     10     (require) an immense amount of water.

Wushu, widely     1     (know) as Chinese Kungfu, will make its debut (初次亮相) as an official sport at the Youth Olympic Games held in Dakar, Senegal in October, 2022. It is intended for those     2     love this kind of martial art deeply.

With a long history and deep roots in our traditions, Wushu unites the body and spirit. China wishes to share these qualities with the world. It is a long-held     3     (expect). The International Wushu Federation applied to the International Olympic Games (IOC) in 2001, 2008 and 2011,     4     failed each time.

In the past few years, Chinese Wushu Association     5     (contribute) a lot to the promotion of Wushu. Besides, the government not only provides technical support,     6     (regular) sending experts to the International Wushu Federation, but also provides     7     large amount of Wushu equipment free of charge. Every year, many local groups are sent abroad to put on performances and shows, whose aim is     8     (improve) the influence of Wushu. Due to their efforts, Wushu has been viewed as an effective way to     9     (strength) the body, and has gained a great popularity among the youths.

China’s effort to get Wushu recognized as an official Olympic event speeds up its internationalization. In 2020, a total of 48     10     (athlete) from across the world will compete in four Wushu event: men’s and women’s Changquan and men’s and women’s Taijiquan.