In much of Asia, especially the so-called “rice bowl” cultures of China, Japan, Korea,     1     Vietnam, food is usually eaten with chopsticks.

Chopsticks are usually two long, thin pieces of wood or bamboo. They can also be made of plastic, animal bone or metal. Sometimes chopsticks are quite artistic. Truly elegant chopsticks might     2     (make) of gold and silver with Chinese characters. Skilled workers also combine various hardwoods and metal     3     (create) special designs.

The Chinese have used chopsticks for five thousand years. People probably cooked their food in large pots,     4     (use) twigs (树枝) to remove it. Over time,     5     the population grew, people began cutting food into small pieces so it would cook more quickly.

Food in small pieces could be eaten easily with twigs which     6    (gradual) turned into chopsticks.

Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius,     7     lived from roughly 551 to 479 B.C., influenced the     8     (develop) of chopsticks. Confucius believed knives would remind people of killings and     9     (be) too violent for use at the table.

Chopsticks are not used everywhere in Asia. In India, for example, most people traditionally eat     10     their hands.

In ancient times, silk from China found     1    (it) way overland to India, the Middle East, and Rome, along     2    became known as the Silk Road. A trading route across the sea was also extended along the coasts of the Indian Ocean, centred around Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Here, merchants from China and many other places met     3    (negotiate) trade deals, which also led to more     4    (aware) of each other’s cultures. Over the centuries, further trading allowed more exploration of the regions to the west of China, as     5    (record) in Du Huan’s Record of My Travels in the eighth century. 

To reach out across the sea     6    (remain) a strong desire today. The ancient sea routes travelled by Zheng He are being revisited with the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road,     7     is part of the Belt and Road Initiative. The aim of this initiative is to encourage cooperation and trade across the     8    (history) Silk Road areas, and strengthen the bonds between China and the rest of the world. Trading has grown greatly in recent years, and will continue to do so in years     9    (come). China     10    (invest) billions in systems and services along these routes, which will help to greatly develop the whole area for the benefit of future trade and cultural exchange.

The United Kingdom has a long history. Everywhere you go in the UK, you will be surrounded by     1     (evident) of four different groups of people taking over at different times throughout history. The first group, the Romans, came in the first century. Some of their great     2     (achievement) included building towns and roads. Next, the Anglo-Saxons arrived in the fifth century,     3     introduced the beginnings of the English language. The Vikings came in the eighth century, and left behind lots of new vocabulary. The last group, the Normans were French, so many French words     4     (slow) entered into the English language and they had castles     5     (build) all around England.

There is so much more to learn about the interesting history     6     culture of the United Kingdom. Studying the history of the country will make your visit much more     7     (enjoy). The capital city London is a great place to start; as it is     8     ancient port city that has a history     9     (date) all the way back to Roman times. The UK is a fascinating mix of history and modern culture. If you keep your eyes open, you will be surprised     10     (find) that you can see both its past and its present.

Festivals around the world have a wide range of     1    (origin), including seasons, religions, famous figures and significant events. The harvest festival     2     usually takes place after all the crops have been gathered is the most common one in different cultures. People celebrate it     3    (show) that they are grateful for the harvest.

In some regions, it’s a day for people to show     4    (they) respect for nature.     5    (decorate) with flowers and fruits, many churches become a joyful place for people to get together to celebrate festival.

Customs have a great impact     6     festivals, but they can change over time. For example, some Chinese cities give up the typical custom of lighting firecrackers, for it     7    (make) the air pollution more serious. In recent years, festivals are becoming more and more commercial, with businesses     8    (take) advantage of the celebrations.

Online shopping websites and social media apps have made it much     9    (convenient) for the public to spend more on gifts than before. In spite of that, festivals are an important part of society, because they reflect people’s wishes, beliefs, faiths and attitudes towards life. They are     10    (absolute) significant occasions that we should take advantage of to stay with our family and to relax and enjoy life.

Tang suit(唐装) is an expression    1    (come) out of the overseas Chinese people. The Tang Empire is so famous in the world that foreigners call the overseas Chinese people “the Tang people”.

Tang suit, which has    2    (it) origin in a kind of Manchu clothing, has some characteristics. The Mandarin collar with front opening is    3    traditional Chinese clothes style. The hand-made Chinese knots are used as buttons and    4    (decorate). Another characteristic is the fabric,    5    usually is a traditional cloth such as a kind of silk. Adding the western cutting method as well as shoulder pads(肩垫)    6    (make) the clothes fit better. It is    7    (wide) recognized that this kind of clothing later had a great influence    8    the traditional clothing in many Asian countries such as the Kimono in Japan and Hanbok in Korea.

In 2001 in APEC the Tang suit was worn by leaders from different countries, attracting many foreigners    9    (wear) it. Since then, this kind of clothing    10    (regard) as Chinese Tang suit and has enjoyed a great popularity in China and abroad.