As a Chinese American, noodles have been a big part of my life since I was first able     1     (eat) solid (固体的) foods. While it isn’t served at every single meal like rice is, we will eat noodles     2     least 2 or 3 times a week. Sometimes, we will go out for the wonton noodle soup at restaurants that specialize in it, which could     3     (see) everywhere in the southeastern city of Guangzhou where I was born, and in Chinatown in Boston where we often go after     4     (move) to Massachusetts when I was very young.

Noodles are part of everyday life in Chinese culture. Besides, they also hold a lot of symbolism (象征意义) when eaten during significant     5     (event).In China, noodles are often eaten on birthdays and at     6     start of the Lunar New Year. In fact, they symbolize longevity and good     7     (healthy) for the year ahead.

The main concern is flavor and texture (口感) when you’re eating noodles. Rice noodles — my favorite— taste best when they are smooth, not too hard, yet not too soft. The sauce (调味汁) or soup     8     is ready for the noodles should have a nice balance of flavors. Slurping (吃时发出啧啧的声音) is not only allowed but also     9     (strong) encouraged, because it     10     (mean) you’re enjoying the noodles you’re eating.

Sichuan hot pots, Nanjing salted duck and Cantonese dim sum are the     1    (tradition)Chinese foods.

Sichuan hot pots are believed     2    (start)off in the late Qing Dynasty as a way for boatmen on the Yangtze River to keep warm during the cold and wet winters.     3    (gradual), it ranges from simple delicious dishes by boiling vegetables, chillies and Sichuan peppers in water     4    multiple options of soups, vegetables, meats and sauces, appealing to people of different tastes. When I tried it, the hot flavour       5     (quick) our laughter and conversation, making the meal the perfect way to relax with friends.

Nanjing’ s most famous food export is salted duck,     6     is juicy and salty.     7    takes several days to prepare each Nanjing salted duck. A local history book from the late Qing Dynasty praised it,     8    (say)it was without equal.

In Guangzhou, morning tea is     9    essential part of the daily routine. Today Guangzhou’s restaurants stimulate     10    (customer)appetite with more than a thousand offerings, with each more delicate and delicious.

No doubt, one of the most admired Chinese paintings of all time is the Qingming Shang He Tu,     1     Along the River During the Qingming Festival. The painting is on a silk scroll that is 24.8 cm wide and 528.7 cm long,     2     (bear) Emperor Huizong’s name. It was painted by Zhang Zeduan, who was a court painter during the Northern Song Dynasty.

This amazingly     3     (detail) painting quickly became a national treasure. Over the centuries that followed, hundreds of copies of it were made, many of     4     became national treasures themselves.     5     the original painting was lost for some time, it is now     6     (proud) placed in the Palace Museum in Beijing. The painting     7     (exhibit) for only brief periods every few years. However, using computer animation, the painting has been remade into     8     animated digital version for all to enjoy.

The Qingming Shang He Tu is not only a true work of art, but it also gives us a rare insight     9     daily life of ancient China. So often, history only contains the stories of emperors, generals, and important events. This painting’s great appeal is     10     it provides us with a look into ordinary people's lives in the Song Dynasty.

The Double Ninth Festival, also known as Chongyang Festival, is    1     important traditional festival in China. The festival     2    (fall) on the ninth day of the ninth month of Chinese lunar calendar.

According to I Ching, the number 9 is regarded as a Yang number. Because the ninth day of September has two 9, it    3    (name) as Chong(double)yang. In addition, the number 9 is the     4    (large) number, so people give it connotations of health and longevity. The history of the Double Ninth Festival can be traced back to the encyclopedic Chinese classic text Lvshi Chunqiu (The Spring and Autumn Annals of Lv Buwei). Chinese ancestors believed that it was a     5    (luck) day, so they started to celebrate it long time ago.

As for the origin of the Double Ninth Festival, it originates from people’s worship towards astronomical phenomena. In ancient times, people tended     6    (hold) grand ceremonies and activities in September     7    is the time of harvest, showing their appreciations and praying for great harvest next year.

Nowadays, besides its original     8    (meaning), the festival has been given new connotations. In 1989, China officially set the ninth day of September of lunar calendar as a festival     9    the elderly. Subtly combing tradition and modern, it has become a festival for taking care of, showing respect to and     10    (help) old people. Another theme of the Double Ninth Festival is ancestor worship. Many people choose to go back to hometown and pay respects to their ancestors.