Shuttlecock (毽子) kicking is a traditional popular folk game,     1     (date) as far back as the Han Dynasty.The fun game gained popularity during the Tang Dynasty, when     2     (store) specializing in the shuttlecock business appeared. In the Qing Dynasty, shuttlecock kicking reached its peak in terms of both making techniques and kicking skills.

To make a feather shuttlecock, a piece of cloth wrapped around a coin     3     (need). Through the coin hole you can stick some feathers,     4     function is to delay the rising and falling of the shuttlecock.

There     5     (be) a great number of variations in styles and methods of kicking. With one leg fixed on the ground, the shuttlecock is kicked by the inner ankle of     6     other. Some other styles include kicking the shuttlecock backwards and forwards between two people. Those who advance to a high level of mastery can perform some actions that are     7     (fair) wonderful. The challenge of the increasingly difficult levels of shuttlecock kicking has made it a popular and timeless game among Chinese children.

Playing with shuttlecocks is     8     (benefit) to health. When people are kicking shuttlecocks, various parts of the body need to work together, which enhances balance capabilities and physical flexibility and helps them strengthen their legs. Besides, shuttlecock kicking is convenient     9     (play). It can be practiced just about anywhere and anytime.

Since the establishment of the Chinese Shuttlecock Kicking Association in 1987, the national shuttlecock kicking tournament has been held annually, appealing     10     people of all ages.

Hua Tuo was a famous physician in the later years of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He is     1     (wide) known as the first doctor in traditional Chinese medicine to invent some anesthetic (麻醉的) herbal formulas and the first surgeon to conduct abdominal (腹部的) operations. Hua also created     2    set of therapeutic qigong exercises called Wuqinxi,    3     imitate the movement of tiger, deer, bear, ape and bird, and are still popular today.

Hua later appeared in many     4     (legend) stories. One of them is about how Hua did surgery on Guan Yu, a famous general of the Kingdom of Shu, without using any anesthetic.

According to the story, after Guan’s right arm    5     (wound) in a battle by a poisonous arrow, he invited Hua to help treat the wound. First, Hua wanted the general    6     (take) his anesthetic. The general laughed and sad that it was unnecessary since he was not afraid     7     pain. So, without applying any anesthetic, Hua used a scalpel (手术刀) to cut off the poisoned flesh from Guan’s arm and then scraped the affected bones while the general calmly played chess.    8     (listen) to the sound of bone scraping, the onlookers’ faces turned pale,    9    the general never uttered a single sound of discomfort throughout the operation.

This popular story shows both the doctor’s exceptional skill and the rare    10     (brave) of the general.