feather fan                       round silk fan                                folding fan

Last year, I went to Italy as an exchange student. Before     1     (leave), I asked my mother what gifts I should choose for the teachers and the students there. Mom said that the Chinese fan was a good choice, because it is an     2     (importance) part of Chinese culture.

I went shopping and bought three kinds of Chinese fans.     3     first kind was the feather fan for the teachers,     4     was made of bird feathers. The fans I     5     (buy) for the girls were silk fans. They are also called “round silk fans”. The silk fans show paintings of beautiful women, birds or flowers. They are very popular     6     women of all ages. As for the boys, I     7     (pick) the folding fans from Rongchang, a place in the west of Chongqing. The folding     8     (fan) are made of paper and bamboo and there are great paintings and calligraphy (书法) on them.

At the welcoming party in Italy, my new teachers and classmates were all     9     (excite) to get the wonderful fans. And they were even more excited after learning about the stories and culture behind     10     (they).

Mid-Autumn Festival has a history of over 3, 000 years and is     1     second most important traditional festival in China after the Chinese New Year. It falls     2     the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese lunar calendar.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a big day for Chinese people, who will go back home and have dinner with their families. After the dinner, people will go outdoors     3     (admire) the full moon on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. For Chinese, the full moon,     4    reminds people of their hometowns and loved ones, is the symbol of a family reunion. Of course, the moon cake is a must-eat food at the Mid-Autumn Festival. The cake is     5     (typical) round, symbolizing the full moon,     6     (present) as gifts to relatives and friends.

There are quite a few stories associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the most popular     7     (be) the legend of the Chang’e, Jade Rabbit and Wu Gang. In ancient times, Chinese emperors used to offer sacrifices to the full moon for the harvests. Poets would admire the moon at the Mid-Autumn Festival, expressing their     8     (thought) and feelings.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is the best time to visit China. The weather is ideal to spend time outdoors and enjoy the sight of the golden autumn. The customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival     9     (different) across China. Why not start your tour in China by     10     (explore) the mystery of the Mid-Autumn Festival?

According to Chinese custom, 2024 is the year of the Dragon, but     1     is still unclear whether the English translation of the dragon is “dragon” or “Loong”. Here’s an answer that might help you out.

    2     (influence) by Greek fairy stories, the dragon is often the keeper of treasure, so the dragon is often     3     symbol of greed (贪婪) and destruction. Therefore, the warriors (勇士) in European fairy stories are often dragon slayers, killing a dragon to prove their strength.

Contrary to the evil image of European dragons, Chinese dragons     4     (traditional) represent strong power, strength, and good luck. They even have jobs. In fact,     5     Chinese legends, dragons were appointed head of the four seas where they must keep order, as well as the job of bringing rain to the earth.

    6     (look) through the history books, we can learn that “龙” and dragon were originally translated into each other in a dictionary written by the British Morrison after the Opium War. Since then, “龙” and dragon     7     (translate) into each other on most occasions, for example, the     8     (excite) film called Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. In any case, “龙” and dragon can not be directly translated into each other,     9     has led to cultural misunderstanding to a certain extent. After all, the     10     (image) of Chinese dragon and Western dragon are very different.