【推荐1】There’re something you should pay attention to when you’re in Thailand.

There’s one thing for sure: Don’t touch the head. Thai people are very     1     (friend). After all, it is known as the “Land of Smiles”, but like any other country there’re some customs visitors should follow in case you offend (冒犯) someone unknowingly.

The head of a person or statue (雕像) in Thailand is regarded as     2     most important part of the body. It     3     (consider) rude to touch a stranger’s head, as it would be in most countries around the world. It is also impolite to touch the head of a statue,    4     (especial) a statue of the Buddha (佛). Certainly, close friends     5     family members often touch each other’s heads or hair,    6     is not rude.

And, of course, another thing is very important: Know where your feet are. Visitors should try to avoid     7    (point) their feet directly at another person or Buddha statue. It is also not proper to step over a person or a Buddha statue.    8    other words, your feet should always be    9     (low) than another person’s head.

Buddhism plays a key role in the country’s culture. Therefore     10     (tourist) need to show respect towards the religion (宗教).

【推荐2】A festival for the Dead is held once a year in Japan. This is a traditional festival in Japan and many    1    (celebrate) are held. This festival is a cheerful occasion.    2    this day, the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living. As they are expected to be    3    (hunger) after their long journey, food is laid out for them. Specially-made lanterns are hung outside each house    4    (help) the dead to find their way. All night long, people dance and sing. In the early morning, the food that has been laid out for the dead is     5     (throw) into a river or into the sea as     6    is considered unlucky for anyone living to eat it. In towns     7    are near the sea, the small lanterns hung in the streets the night before are placed into the water when the festival is over. Thousands of lanterns slowly drift (漂) out to sea     8    (guide) the dead on their return journey to the other world. At     9    same time, crowds of people stand on the shore watching the lanterns drifting away     10    they can be seen no more.

The International Day of Families, which was started by the United Nations in 1993,     1     (hold) on May 15 every year. The day celebrates the     2     (important) of families. It aims to deepen people’s understanding of issue     3    are related to families. With a different theme each year, the day is observed with a wide range of events that are organized at local, national and international     4     (level).

Many traditional Chinese foods are intended to honor either the gods or extraordinary persons     1    history. Zong Zi is no exception. It is meant    2    (honor) Qu Yuan, the pioneer poet of ancient China.

Quan Yuan was a famous poet who was also concerned about the fortune of his government. Unfortunately his body shape made him an envy of the king,    3     forced him to go to a remote area.

The poet felt    4    (hope) about the government and its politics. When the state’s capital    5    (seize) by its enemies, he drowned (淹没) himself in the Miluo River (on May 5th according to the Chinese lunar calendar.) The Chinese people felt this loss deeply, as he was    6     respected poet. Local people searched for    7    (he) in the river, meanwhile dropping dumplings of sticky rice wrapped (包) in bamboo    8    (leaf) into the river in order to keep the fishes from attacking Qu Yuan’s body.

Since that time, it    9    (be) a custom on this day to enjoy Zong Zi as memorial to Qu Yuan. In addition, there is also a festival     10    (call) the Duan Wu or Dragon Boat Festival, when there is a nationwide custom of enjoying Zong Zi.

Learning Chinese calligraphy was listed as one of the must-do things when I     1     (come) to China. Now, I’m in the course of learning this unique art,     2     value is considered very high in China, even across East Asia today. It is not only     3     ancient artistic form of human language, but it also reflects Chinese traditions.

As a person who paints, draws, and loves all     4     (create) things, at first, I assumed I would be rather good at Chinese calligraphy. But I was     5     (total) wrong. I have no idea about the different     6     (type) of calligraphy and the meaning hidden behind each one. Also, I have to hold the brush in a very special way. I need to be very     7     (care) when changing the angle or direction of the brush, especially if I press too hard     8     the paper.

After     9     (take) the lesson, I now understand the difficulty of calligraphy and that it will take efforts     10     (master) this art form. Yet, I am grateful to learn such a special Chinese tradition.

The Dragon-Head-Raising Festival falls on the second day of the second lunar month every year, with the dragon     1     (wake) up from its winter hibernation (冬眠) and after the day, rainfall increases.

Traditionally, the dragon is believed to live in the sky     2     he takes charge of bringing rain, which is an important factor in ancient agriculture society. There is an legend     3     one year a drought     4     (strike) a village. Blue Dragon, having compassion for people, gave them some rain without permission. To punish the Dragon, the Jade Emperor imprisoned it in a mountain and said he would never release it     5     gold beans bloomed.     6     clever villager found that com kernels (玉米) were golden like soy beans and more importantly, they could bloom when     7     (roast). Then the man led all the villagers to worship the Jade Emperor with bloomed corm kernels. To keep his word, the Jade Emperor had to release the Dragon on the second day of the second Chinese lunar month. Since then, the Dragon-Head-Raising Festival     8     (celebrate) in various ways in China to show     9     (admire) for the Dragon. The most famous tradition is getting a haircut,     10     (mean) getting rid of bad luck.