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.

June 11 marks the annual National Cultural and Natural Heritage Day in China. As one of the featured celebratory     1     (event), the 2022 Intangible Cultural Heritage (非物质文化遗产) Shopping Festival kicked off last Saturday. Relevant departments of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism     2     (organize) multiple major e-commerce platforms to show the essence (精华) of Chinese cultural heritages,     3     brought those cultural products to people’s daily lives.

The theme of this year’s festival is “connect modern life and exhibit historical charm”.     4     (vary) platforms launched live streaming, flash purchase and other activities     5     (support) inheritors (继承人) and handicraftsmen, especially those from remote areas, to sell their products, boost employment       6     promote economic developments in the intangible cultural sector.

An official with the Intangible Cultural Heritage Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said that since 2020, China has been promoting the protection of intangible cultural heritage,     7     ( help) inheritors and enterprises get through the challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic, and trying to win the battle against     8       (poor).

Over the past two years, the festival     9     (receive) active responses from many e-commerce platforms, media and provinces around China. It has now grown to be     10     popular brand activity for the Chinese people.

Every culture in the world celebrates festivals. Though different festivals have different origins, the spirit of     1     (share) joy, gratitude, love, or peace is common in all festivals.

The harvest festival,     2     takes place after all the crops have been gathered in, can be found in almost every culture. People celebrate it       3     (show) their gratitude to the year’s supply of food. But the     4     (celebrate) vary from country to country. In ancient Egypt, it featured a parade and a great feast with music, dancing, and sports during the springtime     5     during the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, families gather to admire the shining moon and enjoy delicious mooncakes.

Customs change with the     6     (develop) of modern society. In China, many big cities     7     (give) up the custom of lighting   firecrackers in order to avoid air pollution.

Nowadays, businesses take advantage of the celebrations and make festivals     8     (commercialise). Although some are     9     it, others believe the increase in spending is good for the economy and public happiness.

Festivals reflect people’s wishes, beliefs, faiths and attitudes towards life. If you study festivals     10     (careful), you may be surprised to find that different cultures actually have a lot in common after all.