As Chinese traditions go, few things are     1     (good) than sitting around a steaming hotpot in winter of northern China. Archaeological studies support the claim that Kublai Khan, the     2     (found) of the Yuan Dynasty, invented mutton hotpot. For a long time, only the upper classes could get their hands on mutton hotpot. It was also     3     (extraordinary) popular among many royal families of the Qing Dynasty. And according to the record, Emperor Qianlong was a true hotpot lover.

Among vegetables and meat spread out on the dinner table, mutton has been placed in the center. Many diners believe mutton has the medical effect of warming the body,     4     (make) it an ideal food for the colder months. Many folk customs favor mutton over beef in part because in the past, cattle     5     (consider) much more important as a means     6     production.

Traditional Beijing instant boiled mutton,     7     many southerners think tasteless, is known for its simplicity. It has no mouthwatering hotpot soup base, just plain water with some scallion and ginger (葱和姜) slices     8     (add). Thus, the quality of the mutton plays a major role in the hotpot experience.

Nowadays, mutton hotpot has become one of     9     favorite cuisines of the Chinese, with     10     (technology) development in mutton production allowing for year-round supplies of fresh meat across the country.

Imagine biting into a juicy burger that was produced without killing animals. Meat grown in a lab is turning that     1     (imagine) into a reality. Several companies are developing lab-grown beef, pork, poultry and seafood. And the field is attracting millions in funding.

If widely used. lab-grown meat, also     2     (call) clean meat, could reduce much of the cruel treatment of animals     3     are raised for food. It could also reduce the environmental costs of meat production     4     (great).

The meat     5     (produce) by first taking a muscle sample (样本) from an animal. Scientists collect stem cells from the sample and multiply (使繁殖) them to form more muscles. It’s said that one muscle sample from a cow can produce enough meat     6     (make) 80,000 hamburgers.

Many companies say they expect to have products for sale within the next few years. But clean meat will have to overcome     7     number of difficulties, such as reducing the cost and proving the safety     8     the meat before it appears on the market. The good news is that despite all these     9     (challenge), the clean meat companies are keeping trying. If they can succeed, clean meat could make our lifestyle     10     (green) and more ethical than before.

Do you know spring rolls? Spring rolls,     1     name is a translation of the Chinese chun juan, are     2     variety of filled, rolled dim sum found in East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine.

In China, the past spring rolls were regarded as a seasonal food     3     (eat) during the spring. They started as a pancake rolls stuffed with the new season’s spring vegetables. Nowadays, spring rolls can be enjoyed throughout     4     year and they are usually served as an     5     (amaze) starter for parties.

Fried spring rolls are generally small. They can be sweet or salty; the former are often filled     6     red bean paste (红豆馅) and the latter are typically prepared with vegetables. Non-fried spring rolls are usually     7     (big) than the fried ones. Unlike fried spring rolls, non-fried spring rolls     8     (make) by filling the wrappers with many different pre-cooked ingredients.     9     (tradition), they are food for the Cold Food Festival and the Tomb Sweeping Day in spring     10     (remember) ancestors.

Minor Cold is the 23rd solar term of the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms and also the 5th solar term in winter, which     1     (arrive) on January 5, 6 or 7 every year. This years Minor Cold stars on January 5. After the Winter Solstice (冬至), the temperature continues to drop, and hits its lowest point on the occasion of the Minor Cold and Major Cod. The nine periods     2     (follow) the Winter Solstice are the coldest days in China. And Minor Cold is just in the per id of the second and third nine days.

As the name implies, Minor Cold means that the weather in this period is cold     3     not yet the coldest. However, in north China, the weather during the Minor Cold is colder than     4     of the Major Cold. Therefore, in the north, there is a     5     (say) that the Minor Cold is colder.than the Major Cold. But for some areas in the south, the     6     (low) temperature of the year will still appear in the Major Cold.

Minor Cold     7     (divide) into three 5-day phases in ancient times. In     8     first phase, wild geese would leave the warm places, and start to fly back to the north in     9     (group). In the second phase, magpies (喜鹊) that, are     10     (common) seen in nor them China would begin building nests for young birds. In the third phase, pheasants (野鸡) would crow in search of a mate.