Festivals are an important part of society. They reflect people’s wishes, beliefs, faiths and    1    . They are    2     allow us to relax and enjoy life, and forget about our work for a little while. They help us understand where we came from, who we are, and     3    . And if you study festivals carefully, you may be surprised to find that     4     actually have a lot in common after all.

Emperor Qinshihuang united the seven major states into one     1     country where the Chinese writing system began to develop     2     one direction. That writing system was of great     3     in uniting the Chinese people and culture. Even today, no matter where Chinese people live or     4     dialect they speak, they can all still communicate in writing.

Written Chinese has also become an important     5     by which China’s present is connected with its past. People in modern times can read the     6     works which were written by Chinese in ancient times. The high regard for the Chinese writing system can be     7     in the development of Chinese characters as an art form, known as Chinese     8     . which has become an important part of Chinese culture.

    9     China plays a greater role in global affairs, an increasing number of international students are beginning to     10     China’s culture and history through this amazing language.

At the beginning, written Chinese was a picture-    1     language. It dates back several thousand years to the use of longgu-animal     2     and shells on which     3     were     4     by ancient Chinese people.