The Grand Canal, known to the Chinese    1    the Jing–Hang Grand Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the longest canal or artificial river in the world. It runs north and south eastern China. The canal    2    (stretch) over 1,100 miles from the city of Beijing to the city of Hangzhou.

The original canal system began around the year 605,    3    Emperor Yang was in power. He realized that he needed a quicker and    4    (efficient) way to move food from China’s southern rice-growing region to the country’s north. So, the first section of the Grand Canal was ordered to be constructed,    5    (connect) existing canals, lakes, and rivers. An    6    (estimate)one million people, mostly farmers, worked on the construction, which took six years. Future rulers continued to expand and improve the waterway, and it eventually became    7    vital national lifeline.

The Grand Canal    8    (make) great contributions to China’s unification, economic development and cultural prosperity in the past hundreds of years. It is awarded as one of the great    9    (project) of ancient China, and still has a    10    (significance) influence on China both economically and culturally

As early as a thousand years ago in Kaifeng, China, there were a group of people presenting art and beauty in a delicate manner. Such craft is known     1     Bian embroidery (汴绣). It is now recognized as a state-level intangible cultural heritage. Bian embroidery is characterized by simplicity and serenity. It     2     (consider) a unique form of artistic     3     (express) of the Song Dynasty. The purest natural colors and delicate stitches (针法) make the embroidery look vivid like a     4     (paint) if not bring it to life. For each piece of work, embroiderers would integrate many elements into it     5     (include) fine art, literature and philosophy. The re-creation of the first volume of the work Along the River during the Qingming Festival is the work of     6     (experience) Bian embroiderers who have long observed the     7     (origin) work Qingming Festival and objects.     8     took over 20 embroiderers a year working around the clock     9     (complete) such a masterpiece. The millennium-old craft still has its charm today. It goes beyond the time, bringing out the fine texture of painting     10     it can also be a treasure that one holds dear.

Singapore’s tradition of eating out in places called hawker(小商贩) centers is now     1     (recognize) by the United Nations for its cultural     2     (important).

A hawker is a person     3     sells food or goods and advertises by shouting at people walking by on the street. Hawkers are an important part of Singaporean culture. Open-air eating areas where hawkers sell     4     (they) goods are very popular. On Wednesday, the United Nations’ cultural agency, UNESCO, added the city’s “hawker culture,” to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Singapore       5     (seek) to have hawker culture added to the list about two years ago.

Now that it has been recognized, Singapore must provide     6     report every six years to UNESCO. The report must show efforts the city-state has made     7     (save) and support its hawker culture. “These centers serve    8     ‘community dining rooms’ where people from diverse backgrounds gather and share the experience of dining over breakfast, lunch and dinner,” UNESCO said.

However, Singapore’s hawker culture does face difficulties. The average age of a hawker in Singapore is 60 years old. Younger Singaporeans now want to work in offices. They are less    9     (interest) in working in small restaurants.

The COVID-19 health crisis also hurt sales, preventing foreign visitors from     10     (eat) out. During the first few months of 2020, restrictions on movement and social distancing also stopped locals.

Papercutting is a(n)     1     (tradition) Chinese folk art with a long history. Papercuts     2     (use) during festivals to decorate gates and windows. The main cutting tools are simple: paper and scissors or a knife. Clever craftsmen are very good at     3     (cut) in the theme of daily life. When you look at works created by paper cutting     4     (careful), you will be amazed by the true-to-life expression of the figure’s     5     (appear) and thoughts.

Although other art forms, like painting, can show similar scenes, paper-cutting still     6     (stand) out for its beautiful lines and patterns which are all hand-made. Learning about cutting a piece of paper     7     (be) easy but mastering it is very difficult. One must hold the knife upright and press on the paper without much strength. Any carelessness will lead     8     damage to the whole image. Craftsmen try     9     (create) a circle like     10     moon. They have to be careful and keep practising to make the scenes seem as alive as possible.