There is no doubt that the vaccine(疫苗) wars have already come to Europe. For months now, wealthy countries have been clearing the world’s shelves of coronavirus vaccines,     1     (leave) poorer nations with little hope of exiting the pandemic this year. But     2     fresh conflict has forced the rich to compete against the rich—Britain versus the European Union—in the fight for medicinal bottles, opening a new and fierce nationalist     3    (compete) that could poison relations and set back previous collective efforts     4    (end) the pandemic.

    5     more than 13 percent of Britons have so far received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, only about 2.5 percent of EU residents have had a shot. The European Union,     6    (annoy) by its slow progress on vaccinations, threatened to tighten rules on the shipment of Belgian-made shots to Britain. British law makers, in turn, have accused their Europe an counterparts     7     a blackmail campaign     8     could disappoint relations for a generation.

And poorer countries, already at the back of the line for vaccines, will probably face even     9     (long) waits if the intense argument among rich countries     10     (drive) up prices for everyone else.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has evolved over thousands of years. It is a comprehensive healthcare system     1     (root) in ancient theory and wisdom.

TCM came into being in the primitive (原始的) society, and its theory     2     (form) during the Spring and Autumn Period. During the Ming and Qing Dynasty, doctors tended to improve it despite pressure and difficulties.

    3     makes Chinese medicine distinct is its emphasis on the balance of vital energy within the body and the recognition of the body as     4     whole. In TCM, individuals often encounter a unique diagnostic (诊断的) approach,     5     involves considering not just symptoms but also the lifestyle of the person. Chinese medicine has a wide range of treatments,     6     (include) herbal medicine, acupuncture (针灸), and dietary therapy, to address both the symptoms and potential imbalances. In fact, TCM doesn’t only treat diseases; it promotes overall well-being by harmonizing the body, mind, and spirit. Medical     7     (professional) advocate that each individual is different, and their health conditions may originate from a     8     (combine) of factors.

Ancient wisdom and modern research have enabled Chinese medicine to find its place alongside Western medicine,     9     an increasing number of people seeking a comprehensive approach to healthcare. As Chinese medicine becomes more     10     (wide) recognized, it not only contributes to individual health but also enriches the global healthcare landscape.

The silk industry in Sichuan is one of the original points of Chinese silk culture. Sichuan brocade (蜀锦) originated from the Spring and Autumn period, and fully developed in the Han and Tang     1     (dynasty). It has a history of more than 2, 000 years and had a far-reaching influence     2     traditional Chinese silk production. Sichuan brocade features light shades     3     (integrate) in an elegant and care free style, which shows Han Chinese characteristics and local traditions.

Sichuan brocade is one of China’s four most famous branches of brocade, the others     4     (be) Yun brocade in Nanjing, Song brocade in Suzhou and Zhuang brocade in Guangxi. With its     5     (attract) designs and bright, clear colors that follow the style of Chinese-ink paintings, Sichuan brocade was put on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.

Silk     6     (produce) in Sichuan Province since ancient times and Chengdu was the starting point of the southern Silk Road. Sichuan brocade is made with local silk and colored silk threads,     7     are the raw materials. Special embroidery (刺绣) skills are used     8     (turn) brocade into quilt covers, pillowcases, clothes and shoes.

    9     subjects of the Sichuan brocade are rich and varied. Some come from legends, myths, historical stories, and others come from landscape, figures, flowers, birds and animals,     10     (especial) the beasts that symbolize fortune and long life.

The velvet flower is a craft that uses mulberry silk to make the surface details with wire as the framework. The Beijing-style velvet flower making skill, which has a history of more than 300 years,     1     (list) as an intangible cultural heritage of Beijing in 2009.

As a sixth-generation inheritor, Cai Zhiwei, 52, has always been thinking about how to better pass on and develop this 300-year-old skill. Cai       2     (grow) up in the former Chongwen district, which was known as a hotbed of craft skills. It was home     3     many handicraft workshops and each family made their own crafts.

During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, the red and blue velvet flowers     4     decorated the hats of the medal presenters were made by Cai’s studio. He thinks that the Olympics was a good opportunity       5     (put) velvet flower making on the world stage. “It was an honor, as       6     inheritor of this craft, to present the skill to the world,” said Cai.

    7     (devote) himself to the skill for two decades, Cai is     8     (current) planning on combining velvet products with modern decorations or small furniture items so that his new products can be both pleasing to the eye and     9     (function). He believes that, in addition to inventing new tools to increase     10     (efficient), the new products will better suit consumer tastes through the use of modern aesthetics (美学).