Jingxi Taiping Drum is a traditional form of dancing. With its display of profound cultural elements, it     1     (include) in the first batch (批次) of China’s national intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) items in 2006.

The     2     (early) historical references of this art date back to the Spring and Autumn Period. In the Qing Dynasty, it started to gain     3     (popular) in and around the capital. In ancient times, the drums were played     4     New Year’s Eve at the imperial palace to bring peace. As a result, the performance also became known as the “New Year Drum” by Beijingers. This type of drum dance is     5     (common) seen performed during the last and first month of the lunar year in many local festive activities, thus expressing     6     (people) hope of a peaceful and rich year to come. During a given performance, drummers perform various dance moves while     7     (hold) the drum in their left hands and a mallet (大头锤) in their right hands. Traditional Chinese aesthetic (美学的) concepts are reflected in the drum playing, all of     8     represent distinctive local features.

In the past decades, Beijing has made considerable efforts     9     (protect) this signature folk dance culture. Today, the time-honored folk art of the Jingxi Taiping Drum is being taken up by the young people     10     is presenting its lively artistic charm (魅力) on a global stage.

Dunhuang Sand Painting — A Call to Cherish (珍惜) Art

Dunhuang, an ancient Chinese city on the Silk   Road, has     1     number of historical attractions and the   world’s most treasured grotto (石窟) art.

Recently, a sand painting was finished at Mount Mingsha,    2     (make) a sharp contrast to the surrounding desert. As the sun rose and set, the painting gradually faded away within a day after       3     (remove) canvas (帆布) over the painting.

This work was accomplished by a young team of    4     (artist) led by Liu Jie, an expert in solid colour sand painting. He    5     (hope) the unique piece would remind people that art can easily fade away without proper protection, and said that the great culture of Dunhuang should be protected carefully.

“It is very meaningful to be   part   of   this   campaign to   raise awareness. Hopefully, watching   the       6       (disappear) of   the painted sand can motivate a desire to   cherish what is   precious and   translate   it    7     action,” Liu said.

The good news is    8     scientists as well as visiting scholars from across the world are drawn to the caves. Thanks to international cooperation and advanced technology, Mogao’s relics have been    9     (successful)   preserved. All these show how Mogao has built bridges of common understanding and share its    10     (culture) heritage with the world.

Some historians say that silk originated in China about 10,000 years ago. In China, however, legend     1    (have) it that Empress Si Ling Chi of China was the first one     2     (discover) silk more than five thousand years ago. The story goes     3     while sitting under a mulberry (桑树)tree in her palace garden, the Empress was having tea. A cocoon fell into her hot cup of tea from the branches of the mulberry tree. And as she watched, a strong white thread spread gradually.

For more than two thousand years, the Chinese kept the secret of silk to themselves. Anyone found guilty of smuggling (偷运)silkworm eggs, cocoons, or mulberry seeds was put to     4    (die). Silk became the cloth of emperors and royalty and a great source of wealth. But common people were prohibited     5    wearing silk. Silk was gathered and kept in warehouses for     6     emergency.

The Chinese used silk in many ways. Civil servants     7     (pay) in quantities of silk, and it was a way for the rulers to reward their citizens. Silk was also used as currency in domestic as well as foreign trade. Chinese traders exchanged their silk in return for spices and jewels     8     (buy) in India.

Later, people from different parts of society began wearing silk clothes, and     9     (surprise) silk came into     10    (much) general use than before.

Xu Xiake was born in 1587．    1     (he) parents were rich landowners. Yet he gave up a     2     (comfort) life, and decided to explore the mountains and rivers on foot.

China has more famous explorers. There was: Zhang Qian,     3     traveled into Central Asia during the second century BC, opening a trade road that became what is known as the Silk Road. Or Zheng He, the sailor who in     4     15th century sailed as far away as Africa. Yet these explorations     5     (support) by governments. Xu was totally different.

“On the surface, Xu’s travels can neither be classified as great affairs of state nor great adventures that changed the course of history,” writes cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai. “Xu travelled to satisfy his own     6     (curious).”

Scholar Julian Ward agrees, describing the lonely Chinese wanderer like the Middle Kingdom’s version of John Muir: “Deep in love with nature and eager to find freedom     7     worldly concerns, Xu was a man addicted to     8     (see) and describing the landscape.”

“The few coins     9     (slip) from a hole in my pocket while I was climbing a mountain in Yunnan. When I finally managed to the town, I sold all my clothes, bought myself a bottle of wine and a good dinner     10     (celebrate) my survival,” the dreamy explorer wrote in his diaries, which mix details of geology, geography and botany with such personal travel experiences.