Nowadays the virtual choir is popular with people. They have the opportunity to sing together with hundreds of other people. Anyone can take part in a virtual choir from anywhere—    1     you need is a video camera and     2     Internet connection. They record themselves when     3    (perform) alone on video. These videos     4    (upload) onto the Internet, and then put together into one video. The virtual choir which helps connect ordinary people together has proved to be a positive influence     5     the lives of many people.

The     6    (create) of the virtual choir, Eric Whitacre, fell in love with music when singing for the university choir. In 1997, he received a master’s degree in     7    (music) composition. Over the next 10 years, Whitacre’s original compositions began to become popular among choirs and singers,     8     led to the creation of the virtual choir. In 2009, Whitacre received a video of a girl who was singing one of his works.     9    (inspire), he founded his first virtual choir. Since then, the virtual choir has become a worldwide phenomenon. It is so wonderful for people around the world     10    (sing) with that it is making the world a better place.

Eric Whitacre was the first person     1     (come) up with the idea of a virtual choir. In 1988, he began studying music at the University of Nevada and     2     (fall) in love with Mozart’s classical music. In 1995, he graduated from university and then received a master’s degree in musical       3     (compose) from the Juilliard School in New York in 1997. Over the next 10 years, his       4     (origin) compositions began to become quite popular among choirs and singers. In 2009,     5     (inspire) by a video of a girl who was singing one of his works, he asked his fans to make videos     6     he then joined together into one performance. Thus his first virtual choir     7     (produce). Since then, the virtual choir has become a world wide phenomenon.

The virtual choir has proved to have a positive influence     8     the lives of many people.     9     is a good way for people around the world to sing with one voice and make the world     10     better place.

The reason why singer-songwriter Zhang Gasong’s music is unique lies     1     his folk tunes (歌曲调) and song words in local dialects. Yet for Zhang     2     (he), they also make him always remember     3     he comes from.

He talked about his experience and     4     (understand) of the style of his music on Monday, shortly before     5     (take) part in a lawn (草坪) concert at Beijing’s Yuanmingyuan Park, which stood out for the songs sung in many     6     (variety) of dialects.

Born in the countryside of Jingyuan county, Baiyin city, Northwest China’s Gansu Province, Zhang, 34, has become famous for his songs that     7     (create) several years ago to praise his homeland, and he put much effort into his music.

Some video works of his singing, dressed in traditional Chinese clothing and playing traditional musical instruments, have spread     8     (wide) on social media over the past few years.

One of such videos is     9     (show) his respect (尊重) to his aunt, a doctor who headed for Wuhan during the Spring Festival holiday of 2020. The simple song     10     his deep feelings shown in the words of the song are touching.

Have you ever seen wheat straw left over in the field? It is     1     (probable) seen as a pile of waste by you, right? However, the straw     2     (leave) over from harvested wheat can be turned into some common items in our daily life. Some even can be made into beautiful and eye-catching     3     (function) artworks by craftsmen.

Straw weaving is a method of manufacturing daily items or artworks, and it     4     (list) as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. The straw-weaving products discovered at Hemudu Cultural ruins were considered as the     5     (early) in the world.

Here is the process of straw weaving: Selecting materials is the first step of a complicated and labor-intensive process     6     can take weeks, or even months, to complete. You need to sketch the piece on paper, which requires drawing     7     (skill) . Next comes weaving， shaping and preserving of the work. Even if the whole process has been finished,     8     is hard to say you have got a good piece of work. And     9     hardest part is to make it lifelike.

Next time, if you see wheat straw, you may as well try     10     (create) your own work, which helps dig deeper local traditional culture.

With Silk Road-themed music performed by musicians, a grand art exhibition titled Silk Road: Artists’ Rendezvous kicked off at the National Art Museum of China in downtown Beijing on the afternoon of August 15,     1     (attract) about 40 foreign diplomats and representatives from several international organizations.

The exhibition presents over 190 works     2     (create) by artists from 112 countries in the Belt and Road Initiative. It also includes an interactive unit     3     visitors may click a mouse or use their fingers on a touch screen     4     (change) digital versions of the artwork.

“This artistic and cultural feast for eyes and hearts alike is a vivid testimony(证明) to the great success of China’s Belt and Road Initiative,” said Wu Weishan, an organizer of the exhibition.

According to Wu, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism     5     (invite) countless influential artists from Europe, Africa, America, Oceania and Asia for field trips, residency programs and workshops across China so far. Drawing     6     (inspire) from their experiences in China, these artists have created     7     wide variety of works, including oil paintings, traditional Chinese ink paintings, sculptures and mixed media.

“The Silk Road is an invaluable world heritage to be celebrated for reminding the world     8     the importance of cultural diversity and cross-cultural communication,” said Shahbaz Khan, director of UNESCO Beijing and Representative to China. “Cultural and artistic creations, no matter what     9     (they) specific forms are, are all     10     (benefit) to innovation and sustainable development in a country.”