Nut carving, known as Hediao in Chinese, generally refers to two kinds of carvings that use the fruit’s pit (核), like peach pits, and walnut (核桃) as the raw material.

It gained popularity in the Song Dynasty, and by the Ming Dynasty, the art form     1    (make) very high achievements, with many of the rich and high officials considering     2     fashionable to wear a piece of nut carving around. The ancient artists left their accomplished skills on those small     3    (work), which featured human figures, various birds and beasts, and even lines of poems.

The hardest thing about nut carving is     4     each piece of the raw material is different in texture (纹理) and flexibility. By looking at the textures on the surface of a walnut, a seasoned carving artist can basically tell whether the piece can     5    (use) for carving. In carving the artwork, the artist should first have     6     basic blueprint in his mind according to the textures on the surface, and then make adjustments when meeting any     7    (hide) holes in the pits or walnuts. The whole carving process     8    (constant) requires reconsideration and creation, and there is no established pattern to follow.

    9    (be) a good nut carver, one needs not only the basic skills in painting, calligraphy, and carving, but special materials, knives, good observation, flexible fingers, unique ideas, and exceptional     10    (patient).

China’s industry has grown     1     (rapid) since the start of reform and opening up. However, the size of the industry doesn’t     2     (necessary) guarantee its strength. Since China is changing from high-speed to high-quality growth, craftsmanship has been     3     much greater importance than ever in supporting the industry.

The spirit of craftsmanship means close attention to details in     4     (make) products and the ability to innovate production methods     5     (keep) up with the times. However, in recent years it has been overlooked as certain local governments and companies have chosen profits as their priority.

In order to carry forward the spirit of craftsmanship and     6     (strength) the manufacturing industry, a social value system, in     7     knowledge, talent and creation are respected, is necessary. Besides, the social status of technical workers should be improved. An advanced vocational education system must also     8     (establish). This will produce more high-quality products and Chinese brands. Only with high-quality products and world-famous brands can the Chinese industry take a(n)     9     (globe) lead. Workers in the manufacturing industry should be encouraged to develop world-renowned products in order to realise their personal value     10     upgrade the industry.

Jingdezhen, known     1     the “Porcelain Capital” of China, has a long history and a magnificent culture. Located on the south of the Yangtze, between the Huangshan Mountain range and the plains of Poyang Lake, it is designated (指定) one of the first 24 famous Chinese cities of historical and cultural interests and a first-rate city     2     is open to the foreigners by China’s State Council.

Endowed (赋予) by nature with a network of rivers and hills, Jingdezhen is     3     prefecture-level city directly under the provincial government with a total area of about 5,248 square     4     (kilometer) and a population of 1.49 million. The city’s reputation for     5     (produce) fine porcelain began in the Eastern Han Dynasty. During the Song Dynasty the Jingdezhen workshop     6     (order) to produce porcelain for the court.

    7     (traditional), Jingdezhen was titled Ceramic Capital. Since the period of Han Dynasty, Jingdezhen     8     (have) the ceramic industry. Up to now, it has more than 2000 years of history. Porcelain of Jingdezhen has a     9     (beauty) shape, various types, rich decorations and unique styles. It is worldwide famous for     10     (it) color as white jade, brightness as mirror, thinness as paper and sound as music.

Keeping a tradition alive

In Beijing’s Dongcheng District lies a small house surrounded by a noisy neighborhood. It is the place    1    Wang Yifeng produces the traditional Chinese music instrument, guqin. Wang came to Beijing in 2017 to learn how to play it. But later, he became interested in how the instrument    2    (produce).

At first, Wang, who had his own job, considered his interest in the instrument    3    a hobby. As he began to study it, he was    4    (amaze) at the traditional way of making guqin and became curious about how to make it today.    5    (gradual), he fell in love with it more deeply and decided to become a full-time guqin maker.

Wang    6     (make) only four instruments in the past two and a half years. But this is because he makes the instruments all by    7    (he). For Wang, it takes about 7 months    8    (make) a piece of wood into an instrument. All materials are carefully chosen, and the making process is according to    9    highest standards of the Tang Dynasty (618 -907).

His instruments are very popular with    10    (collector) at home and abroad. He loves everything that records history, and he hopes to keep a tradition alive.