Dragon dance is a traditional folk activity in China. The dragon     1     (represent) wisdom, power and wealth. It is also said that the dragon dance performed     2     New Year’s Day scares away the evil spirits and all the bad luck with them.

During the dance, a dozen or so     3     (performer) hold the dragon up on poles. They raise and lower the dragon     4     (make) him “dance” as they wind through the crowds, stopping here and there to put on     5     fantastic performance for the crowds.

The frame of the dragon itself was     6     (traditional) made of wood or bamboo, covered with material. Nowadays, lighter materials     7     (use), such as plastics. For the Chinese dragon costume, different colors can be chosen. The main body of the dragon could be green, for a great harvest. Yellow represents the empire and red represents the     8     (excite) and good fortune of the festivities. The dragon varies in length, some reaching up to 100 meters long! It is believed that the     9     (long) the dragon is, the more luck it will bring!

The dragon follows a man carrying a ball on a stick. During Chinese New Year, it is a red or yellow globe,     10     is supposed to be the sun as the festival celebrates the spring rains and the sun for a good harvest.

During my teenage years, I developed a deep love for ballet (芭蕾). I would volunteer at a local dance school     1     was next to my home. It was a great chance for me to be part of the dance community.

One day, there was a debate about the preferred style of ballet among the teachers. Some preferred the traditional ballet, while others     2     (be) more interested in exploring modern movements. I found the content of     3     (they) discussions interesting.

In order to contribute to the dance world, I decided to open my own ballet school and make it     4     (attract). I worked hard to clean up     5     old building and turn it into a beautiful studio (工作室). The greenhouse nearby provided a perfect space for practice and warm-up exercises.

Creating a suitable environment for learning and dancing was important to me. I wanted my students to feel interested.     6     (actual), one of my main challenges was coming up with creative ideas for each class. I wanted each topic to ignite (激发) curiosity and     7     (excite).

I was excited when my first group of freshman     8     (dancer) joined the school. It was easy for them     9     (mix) up the dance steps at first, but with practice, they became more fluent in the movements     10     before.

Israeli singer-songwriter Gilad Segev has devoted himself to an ambitious project to present different views of China through music, because of his love for the country. In June 2020, he launched Project 34, through    1    he will release a song for each of the 34 provincial-level regions in China every month.    2    (combine) Chinese music and global folk music, he    3    (post) 17 videos so far on social media platforms, gaining millions of views.

“My    4    (inspire) for the project was the great beauty I discovered in China’s culture, landscapes, and more    5    (important) , the hearts of Chinese people.” says Segev. He calls    6    (he) a “passer-by” — a traveling artist who tells stories from his encounters with people from various cultures, through music.

Over the past decade, the award-winning musician has travelled to most of the 34 provincial-level regions, and plans to go to    7    rest when travel is not restricted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For each music video, he cooperates actively    8    a Chinese singer or musician, to include characteristics from their own home region. He and his team have listened extensively to various types of Chinese music    9    (figure) out what suitable elements can be used in his works. “I believe when all of our voices    10    (hear) together, true harmony can happen,” Segev says.