After     1     80-minute drive northwest of downtown, Beijing, a village pops up. It houses a shadow puppetry troupe (皮影戏剧团) and Beijing Long zaitian Shadow Puppet Theater.

Shadow puppetry is seen     2     the prequel (先行篇) to film and animation in China. Besides performances     3     (create) by light and shadow, performers must master     4     (vary) skills as the plays combine painting, carving, opera and literature. But due to low revenue and a small market, young people are unwilling     5     (learn) shadow puppetry.

However, this particular troupe stands out from the crowd. Average performer age is only 25. Moreover, over the years, it has trained 300 performers, many of     6     are under 1.4 m in     7     (high). In 2021, the team created Winter Olympics-themed shadow puppets. The troupe also staged different plays     8     (introduce) ice and snow sports through fairy tales.

“    9     (fortunate), we have these people. They     10     (devote) to the inheritance of shadow puppetry for over a decade,” said Wang Xi, inheritor of Beijing Western School Shadow Puppetry.

Spirited Away is a popular and breathtaking masterpiece from Studio Ghibli     1     tells a young girl entering a magic world in order to save her parents who have been changed into pigs. The film focuses on Chihiro as she works in a mystical (神秘的) bath house and comes across magical beings.

China dropped the film into the theaters on June 21st, 2019, helping to realize Chinese audiences’ dream     2     (have) a look into this unique world on the big screen.

Spirited Away has received success during its time in both theaters     3     home video, even receiving an Academy Award for best picture in 2003.     4     addition, the movie itself was the     5     (high) grossing (总额) movie in Japan’s history. With this amazing showing, the movie managed to blow away some     6     (competitor) with Japanese audiences such as James Cameron’s Titanic and the animated hit, Your Name.

Studio Ghibli films are     7     (absolute) among Chinese audiences’ favorites. December, 2018 saw the Ghibli film, My Neighbor Totoro, which Chinese audiences had looked forward to     8     (watch), manage to be on show in China.

For all films entering the country, approval must     9     (give) by the country’s government and with a     10     (peace) relationship between the two countries over time, more Japanese movies are being introduced to China.

With unnecessary outdoor activities banned, kids are adapting to a new life at home. Though it’s impossible to predict exactly when life will return to normal,       1     is certain is that schools will be remaining shut for a considerable period.

Parents, especially those who work from home and try to stay productive, come close to being     2     (wear) out with so many responsibilities. Fortunately, there are a growing number of daily activities       3     (intend) to make life more manageable in these crazy times. Recently, a company     4     (launch) a new educational resource, providing kids who are at home or off school       5     30 fun activities. Physical education is equally important during a lockdown. One fitness club from the UK is offering     6     alternative to sports classes on YouTube. The Body Coach is another group sharing workouts for kids.     7    is an ideal opportunity for parents and children alike to come together and challenge       8     (they).

Though learning from home is far from ideal, doing something to keep your kids’ minds engaged is       9     (good) than letting them watch endless YouTube videos until three in the morning. Make a few       10    (adjust) to your new life in lockdown, give your children the attention they require, and we’ll pull through this with a new-found appreciation of our teachers and schools.

Tiger Parents Do No Good to Kids’ Development

Digging through kids’ school bags, looking up all the assignments, sitting beside them going through each item, and finally     1     (have) all the homework checked with a name signed is a daily routine for most Chinese parents, as     2     (require) by teachers. A demanding task especially after a long day’s work at office, isn’t it?    3     (luck), some parents in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, have been liberated. A local primary school has recently announced that parents will no longer have to sign their names on their kids’ homework, as students should be responsible     4     their own assignments.

Making mistakes is     5     essential part of the process of understanding. Who cares how much you     6     (score) in your homework after you have settled down in life and found your directions? The     7     (able) to realize one’s mistakes and learn from them is what matters, which is also the main purpose of education.Why not give students a chance     8     (find) out and correct their mistakes themselves?

It is by no means parents’ duty to go through the kids’ assignments.     9     parents are supposed to do is to create a friendly studying environment for kids, and teach them to be an independent learner. After all, independent learning is much     10     (important) than high scores.