It is just past five o’clock on the Chinese New Year’s Eve, and the dinner table is already covered     1     white china plates and bowls, full of all sorts of dishes: chicken, duck, pork, fish and vegetables. Luo Yan, 29, lifts the cover of a large bowl to breathe in the rich smell of the soup his wife and mother have prepared. Luo Yan’s son, Bofeng, happily takes a bite of the chicken his grandfather     2     (select) for him.

Six-year-old Bofeng has not seen his grandparents for almost a year, and he is full of joy and     3     (excite). Indeed, the whole family could not be happier to be together.     4     the cold outside, their happy faces fill the air with warmth while merry laughter rings throughout the house. Luo Yan and his wife and son have settled in the big city, far away from their hometown. Every year, they travel back for the Spring Festival, for their dream of “three generations under the same roof”.

The Luo family’s journey back to their hometown was a long and     5     (tire) one just a few years ago. However, the high-speed train has made it much     6     (convenient) for them to go back home. During the five-hour trip, they chatted excitedly with each other, their minds full of thoughts about their sweet home.

On their     7     (arrive), they find Luo’s parents eagerly waiting for them. Their home has been specially decorated for the joyous occasion. From the neat designs of the paper-cuttings on the windows, to the Spring Festival couplets on the door, and to the New Year paintings on the wall, everything represents joy, luck and happiness. Even the fish on the plate expresses a hope     8     nian nian you yu—yu means both “fish” and “plenty” in Chinese—”May you get more than you wish for every year”.

After dinner, the hours until midnight go slowly by. The whole family are going to stay up late on the Chinese New Year’s Eve. They gather around the television to watch the Spring Festival Gala,     9     eating snacks, chatting with each other and making dumplings that they will eat at the very start of the new year. In the warmth and comfort of the room, Luo Yan talks about his plan for the future. “I hope we won’t have to be separated again,” he says,     10     (look) at his ageing parents. “My parents are getting old, and we should spend more time with them. We’ll come back more frequently and we’re also considering taking them to the city to live with us. After all, home is where all family members are together.”

As midnight approaches, Luo Yan takes his parents, wife and son outside to set off firecrackers.The whole village is lit up with colourful fireworks. All over the country, people are celebrating their good fortune, celebrating their family’s togetherness, and celebrating their nation’s strength.