Dragon boat racing, a traditional activity celebrating Duan Wu, also known     1     the Dragon Boat Festival, is enjoying a revival thanks to the     2     (popular) of rowing events and cultural tourism. The sport     3     (begin) in Zigui county of Yichang city in Hubei province. This was home to Qu Yuan, a poet in the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). The festival commemorates his death. Over the past 2,000 years the race     4     (develop) into a sports event. It has now attracted younger generations--college students, for example--     5     (join), breathing new life into the historic custom. For young people, the team game is good for both     6     (they) physical and mental health. They are not only trained to be strong     7     united with other people. Also, it’s a good way to experience the traditional Chinese culture.

Dragon boat racing also brought a travel boom to Zigui county,     8     was named as the “hometown of the Chinese dragon boat”. Its well-preserved boat racing     9     (tradition) are also highly praised. The county, rich in history and folk customs, has been developed into     10     popular destination for travelers. The festival has also become a cultural, sports and cuisine gala for people from home and abroad.

Every culture in the world celebrates festivals. Festivals around the world not only have     1     wide range of origins but also have different customs. The harvest festival,     2     takes place after all the crops have been gathered in, can be found in almost every culture. People celebrate it     3     (show) their gratitude to the year’s supply of food. But the     4     (celebrate) vary from country to country.

In ancient Egypt, it     5     (feature) a parade and a great feast with music, dancing, and sports during springtime. During the Mid－Autumn Festival in China, families gather to admire the     6     (shine) moon and enjoy delicious mooncakes.

Customs change with the     7     (develop) of modern society. In China, many big cities     8     (give) up the custom of lighting firecrackers in order to avoid air pollution. Nowadays, businesses take advantage of the celebrations and make festivals commercial. Although some are     9     it, others believe the increase in spending is good for the economy and public happiness.

Festivals reflect people’s wishes, beliefs, faiths and attitudes towards life. If you study festivals     10     (careful), you may be surprised to find that different cultures actually have a lot in common after all.

Getting to know a little bit about British history will help you understand what these different     1     (name)—the United Kingdom, Great Britain, Britain, England—mean.

In the 16th century, the nearby country of Wales     2     (join) to the Kingdom of England. Later, in the 18th century, the country Scotland became part of the Kingdom of Great Britain. In the 19th century, the Kingdom of Ireland was added     3     (create) the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Finally, in the 20th century, the southern part of Ireland broke away from the UK,     4     resulted in the full name we have today: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The four countries use the same flag,     5     (know)as the Union Jack, as well as share the same currency and military     6     (defend). However, they also have some differences.

The United Kingdom     7     (have) a long and interesting history to explore. Almost everywhere you go in the UK, you will be surrounded by evidence of four different groups of people—the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings     8     the Normans—who took     9     at different times throughout history.

There is so much more to learn about the interesting history and culture of the United Kingdom. Studying the history of the country will make your visit much     10     (enjoyable).