The art of paper-cutting in China may date back to the second century, since paper    1    (invent)by Cai Lun in the Eastern Han Dynasty in China. As paper became more affordable, paper0cutting became one of the most important    2    (type) of Chinese folk art. Later,    3     different regions adopting their own cultural styles, this art form spread to other parts of the world.    4     (usual), the artworks are made of red paper, as red is associated with    5    (happy) in Chinese culture, but other colors are also used.

With    6    (it) long history, paper-cutting,    7    originated in China, has been very popular among the ordinary Chinese people. People put up papercuts on walls, windows and doors at wedding ceremonies or festivals     8    (strengthen) the cheerful atmosphere.

Chinese papercuts are rich in content. The auspicious（吉祥的）designs symbolize good luck and the avoidance of evil. The child, lotus and bat designs suggest a family with    9    large number of children and grandchildren. Birds, livestock, fruit, fish and worms are also familiar objects    10    (accept) by Chinese farmers. In a word, papercuts used in different occasions have different meanings.

Twelve animal head statues of the Chinese zodiac ( 生 肖 ) are well-known treasures from Yuanmingyuan, or the Old Summer Palace. After Anglo-French troops broke     1     the Old Summer Palace in 1860, numerous national treasures, including the 12 animal head statues,     2     (take) away.

On Nov 13,     3     red bronze horse-head statue,     4     was donated by Macao-based collector Stanley Ho, returned to Beijing. “The     5     (break) link of historical memory is thus re-connected,” Liu Yuzhu, director of the NCHA, told China Daily. “The return of these relics holds the Public’s collective emotion. People’s cultural     6     (confident) can be strengthened. It will also encourage more compatriots’ (爱国者) devotion, both at home and abroad,     7     (preserve) the cultural heritage of our country better.”

In the past 70 years, the Chinese government and many compatriots     8     (spare) no effort to     reclaim (拿回) lost Chinese relics and artifacts from overseas. Due to their efforts, the horse statue is the     9       (seven) of the 12 animal statues to be returned from overseas. Now, the search is on for the     10     (remain) five: a dog, a rooster, a dragon, a sheep and a snake.