The Monkey King, also     1     (know)as Sun Wukong, is the main character in the traditional Chinese book Journey to the West. The image of the Monkey King has been taken into the     2     (heart) of Chinese people and is one of the important symbols of Chinese culture. Because of his amazing     3     (intelligent), he gains great powers.

The Monkey King is not just a normal monkey. He is a brave, clever, wise and interesting monkey. In fact, he sometimes does not even look like a monkey. This is     4     he can make 72 changes, turning himself     5     different animals and objects.     6     (fight) evil souls, the Monkey King uses a magic stick. Sometimes he can make the stick so small that he can keep it in his ear. At other times, he is able to make it big and long. The Monkey King’s image appears     7     (frequent) in Chinese culture, not only in literary work,     8     in different entertainment forms, such as movies, TV shows, cartoons, and games.

Chinese children are excited when they see him. They are also interested in reading about him because the clever Monkey King keeps fighting to help     9     weak and never gives up. Sun Wukong has become a classic image in Chinese culture. His image     10     (represent) the spirit of courage and never giving up. At the same time, the story of Sun Wukong also inspires people to have the courage and wisdom to face all kinds of challenges and difficulties in life.

The word “toad” (癞蛤蟆) would be very easy in an English-language spelling bee, but not in a nationally televised contest in China.

In Chinese, toad has three characters that are made up of 46 individual strokes(笔画). Yu Shuang,     1     8-year-old contestant, quickly wrote the characters on a screen that     2     (project) her effort on a big display above her head. When she finished, one of three judges hit the bell signaling a correct answer.     3     the other two didn’t agree,     4     (point) out that the young girl had missed a single dot in the third character.

Yu wasn’t alone. The show tested a group of adults in the audience, just 30% of     5     could write toad correctly.

Since the first show on a minor TV channel about educational programming, the “Chinese Characters Dictation Competition”     6     (explode) in popularity. The show shied to a Friday evening time on CCTV 1, even challenging the popularity of the country’s most     7     (watch) shows, including China’s version of “The Voice”.

Its creator, Guan Zhengwen said, “The hope is     8     the show could arouse people’s     9     (enthusiastic) for the language, which is one of the most spectacular treasures of Chinese civilization and the fifth big invention the Chinese people have given to humanity. The so-called four great inventions from China     10     (typical) are lite das paper, gunpowder, the compass and printing.

The 2023 Chinese Bridge Calligraphy and Painting Contest lasted for six months,     1     (attract) 1, 084 contestants from 86 countries     2     a total of 1, 146 calligraphy and painting works.

According to experts, the award winning calligraphy works this year mirrored many Chinese classic elements with more     3     (expressive) and creativity, compared to the winners of last year's contest,

“I feel honored to be the judge again and also     4     (delight) to find that the entries for this year have been such a breakthrough. From their progress, you can     5     (definite) see the authors must have spent a lot of time and energy learning traditional Chinese culture, ” commented one of the judges.

At the closing ceremony, Zhang Bo, professor from Beijing Language and Culture University, gave high praise of the achievement of overseas Chinese teaching,     6     played a significant role in cultural exchanges. He said the quality of the entries resulted from the contestants' years of study, as well as     7     guidance and assistance of overseas Chinese teaching behind them.

The experts suggested watching the videos about the contestants on the website. “Through these videos, we can see their daily practice and creation process,     8     we can also feel their understanding and love for Chinese culture from their introductions. The creative process of calligraphy and painting     9     (have) a visual appreciation similar to dance. It is our hope that these videos     10     (share) on social media will encourage more people to develop a love for Chinese culture.”

Prioritizing Safety at Winter Games

The countdown to the opening of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has already kicked off. Besides Beijing’s promise of hosting a “fantastic, extraordinary and excellent” Winter Olympic Games, “safe” is also     1     keyword with the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

    2     (base) on the latest scientific advice and key learning from other events, the first editions of the Beijing 2022 Playbooks     3     (publish) on Oct 25, 2021. They had been developed     4     (joint) by Beijing Organizing Committee, the IOC and the IPC. The playbooks cover the whole journey of all Games participants,     5     (detail) the requirements for entry and the measures that will be     6     place within the closed-loop management system. The two playbooks, one for athletes and team officials, and one for media and technical officials, provide comprehensive COVID-19     7     (guideline). They will help participants prepare for their arrival in China, fulfilling their roles at the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and their     8     (depart) from Beijing.

Compared to Tokyo’s, the prevention measures in Beijing 2022 could be stricter. Beijing Organizing Committee has highlighted the importance of full vaccination (接种),     9     was not stressed by the Tokyo 2020 organizers. Overall, these playbooks are the basis of the game plan     10     (ensure) that all Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games participants and the people of China stay safe and healthy for the Games.