【推荐1】Birthday facts

Many centuries ago, birthdays were considered a time when the bad spirits were able to harm you. It was believed that you should have your friends and family around you    1     their good wishes and present-giving would keep the bad spirits away. People also believed that, by lighting candles, they were sending a signal or wishes to the gods.

Later on, candles started     2     (use) on birthday cakes. One story about the beginnings of the birthday cake is    3     it started with the Greeks, who made round cakes     4    (represent) the full moon for their moon goddess . They also placed candles on the cake to make it light, again like the moon.

However, the Germans are said to have first used cakes and candles. They used a sweet cake and they put a large candle in the centre of the cake to mean “the light of life”.

The “Happy Birthday” song is more than a hundred years old. The music was written in 1893 by two sisters, Patty and Mildred Hill,     5     were schoolteachers in Louisville, Kentucky. The music was first used as a morning greeting to their students     6    (entitle)“Good Morning To All”. In 1935, the words legally     7    (belong)     to the Hill sisters, and the copyright has been bought and sold for millions of dollars ever since. The present copyright is owned by Warner Communications. They bought it in 1989    8     more than $22 million.

‘Happy Birthday to you’     9     (recognize) around the world and has been translated into many different languages. And children still love to make new versions of     10    .

International Nurses Day is an annual celebration of the vital work and role of nurses around the world. The event, which was first marked in 1965,    1    (create) by the International Council of Nurses.

Since January 1974, the global celebrations are traditionally held     2    12 May. But this year's celebrations will be "extra special". The public has been asked to shine a light" on Tuesday. The request is in    3    (recognize) of the World Health Organization. Chief nursing officer for England Ruth May has joint other leaders in     4     (urge) people to shine a light from their window at 8：30 pm on Tuesday     5     (mark) the day.

Ms. May said of the event： "International Day of the Nurse is     6    （particular） special this year not just because we mark the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birthday,     7    because of the extraordinary work all those who have followed in her footsteps are doing in    8     fight against the novel coronavirus.

She continued “I want to thank each and every one of our fantastic nurses who are on the frontline in the battle against the greatest health emergency in NHS history. Their professionalism and skills are helping to save and rebuild     9    （count） lives. I know how much the public's support has cheered my     10    （colleague） during this testing time. It would mean a great deal if people once again showed their gratitude by shining a light for nurses this Tuesday."

When it comes to Qing Ming, another custom, the Cold Food Festival or Hanshi Festival, can’t be neglected, which is a legend associated with Jie Zi Tui     1     (occur) in Shanxi province in 600 B. C. Legend has it that Jie saved his starving lord’s life by serving a piece of his own leg. When     2     lord succeeded in becoming the ruler of a small country, he invited his     3     (faith) follower to join him. However, Jie refused his invitation, preferring to lead a simple life with his mother in the mountains.

Believing that he could force Jie out by burning the mountain, the lord ordered his men to set fire     4     the forest. To his horror, Jie chose to remain     5     he was and was burnt to death. To commemorate Jie, the lord ordered all fires in every home to be put out on the anniversary of Jie’s death. Thus began the “cold food feast”, a day when no food could     6     (cook) since no fire could be lit.

The “cold food” festival falls on the eve of Qing Ming and is considered as part of the Qing Ming festival. As time passes, the Qing Ming festival     7     (replace) the “cold food” festival up to now. Whatever practice is observed, sweeping the tombs and paying respect to the dead with offerings are the two     8     (basic) important practices to remember late relatives. To make the visit even more meaningful, some time should be spent     9     (remind) the younger members of the family of the lives and     10     (contribute) of their ancestors, and the story of Jie Zi Tui who chose death over capitulation.

Smooth yet tensile. Versatile (用途广泛的) and durable. With these qualities, Xuan paper     1     (know) as the “Paper of Ages”.

The term Xuan paper first appeared in On Famous Paintings through the Ages, a book     2     (write) by Tang Dynasty (618-907) scholar Zhang Yanyuan, in     3     he described Xuan paper as an ideal carrier for calligraphy and painting. Handmade Xuan paper from Jingxian county, East China’s Anhui province, was listed as     4     gift served to the imperial court for its supreme quality during the period.

The traditional craft of making Xuan paper is     5     (extreme) demanding. Sandalwood bark, a plant native to southern China, goes through 108 procedures together with rice straw over the course of three years before it can transform     6     a bunch of fine Xuan paper. The entire procedure is so complex that even the most skilled craftsman can only master limited number of     7     (step) .

The flow of ink, both guided and resisted by water, determines the output of Chinese art, and Xuan paper outshines others with its excellent     8     (able) to give full play to ink.

Xuan paper     9     (accompany) the passionate brushstrokes of the Chinese literati for thousands of years. Unlike other forms of paper, it is very resistant to damage brought by time. It is this durability that has made the preservations of many     10     (value) works from ancient China possible.

Paper-making is a crystallization of wisdom of the ancient Chinese, and Xuan paper is the top of paper-making.