Hot pot, as a traditional Chinese folk dish,     1     (become) a favorite dish throughout China since at least the Han Dynasty,     2     is particularly true during winter months. There are different     3     (style) of hot pot with differently flavored thick soup in China, from spicy hot pot in Sichuan, seafood-based hot pot in Guangdong to mutton hot pot in Hong Kong. No matter what your     4     (prefer) is, Chinese hot pot has something to interest you.

The spicy hot pot featured in Sichuan is probably the most famous among the native Chinese. When     5     (visit) Chongqing, you will have     6     opportunity to taste authentic (真正的) Chinese hot pot. Chongqing hot pot is known as má là (“numb and spicy”) due     7     the inclusion of Sichuan peppers and is unique in the types of meat and the types of sauce     8     (use) for its base.

Though the flavor of Chinese hot pot varies from region to region, the dining customs are similar. Hot pot is     9     (typical) served in a metal bowl at the center of the dining table. As the soup in the pot is cooked at almost boiling point, the ingredients (原料)     10     (add) into the boiling thick soup. The ingredients can vary from thinly-sliced meat, vegetables, mushrooms, potatoes, and cabbage, to seafood, fish balls and tofu.

There is an extremely informative book on baijiu called The Essential Guide to Chinese Spirits, by Derek Sandhaus, that     1    (explore)the history and production of baijiu in vivid and lively detail. Sandhaus traces the invention of baijiu back a thousand years,     2     either traders from the Middle East     3     invaders from Mongolia introduced the concept of distillation(蒸馏)to the mainland.

Baijiu is identified     4     smell into four main categories: nong xiang(strong scent), qing xiang(light scent), jiang xiang(sauce scent), and mi xiang (rice scent).

Zhou Enlai, the first Premier of China, was so taken with Kweichou Maotai, a sauce scent-style baijiu, that it     5     (name) China’s National Liquor, necessary at state dinners. Due to limited production and popularity, Kweichou Maotai can now fetch hundreds of dollars     6     bottle.

There are a few     7     (requirement) that unite all of these spirits while also distinguishing them from Western drinks,     8     (chief)that baijiu   is produced in a process known as solid-state fermentation(固态发酵).

When you first drink baijiu, it’s hot enough to make you clutch your chest,     9    (set)your mouth, throat, and nose on fire before leaving you with     10    (it)lingering taste — so fragrant and complex, it reaches into your soul.

The Double Seventh Festival or Qixi Festival known as Chinese Valentine’s Day (情人节) falls on the 7^th day of the 7th lunar month. For girls, Qixi has another    1    (mean), because it is time of a year to pray to Goddess Zhinu for ingenuity (心灵手巧). That’s the start of    2    (it) another name, Qiqiao Festival. The festival    3    (celebrate) since the Han Dynasty. It is     4    day full of exciting moments because of an ancient love story in China about Niulang and Zhinu. There are different kinds of     5    (interest) activities on that romantic day. Traditionally, the festival was very popular among young girls. They wore traditional Chinese clothes    6    (ask) for ingenuity. Some people showed respect for the Moon, prayed to Zhinu for Skillful Hands an date Qiaoguo. Now people    7    (usual) celebrate Chinese Valentine’s Day by giving    8    (flower), chocolates, and other presents to their sweethearts, instead     9    doing the traditional customs. Although the Western Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14 has been popular in China for years, Chinese people attach more importance to Qixi, their own Valentine’s Day,    10    is a valuable opportunity to rebuild the connection with the cultural root and keep the tradition alive.

Xiazhi     1     (establish) as one of the first of China’s Twenty-Four Solar Terms long ago. It does not just represent the longest day,     2     is an important point upon which the year’s spiritual energy     3    (turn).

Chinese people attach equal     4    (important) to this day, which falls on Jun 21 this year, the     5    (ten) of the traditional Twenty-Four Solar Terms. As Xiazhi represents the longest day and is considered special by people who observe the movement of     6     sun, related     7    (activity) have been held in many cities across China and the world.

Although Xiazhi is     8     the height of summer, it is not the     9    (hot) time of year. A Chinese folk saying goes, “The summer is not hot enough     10     Xiazhi”. After Xiazhi, the temperature will continue to increase.