This year’s Chinese New Year is the year of the rabbit. Rabbit is the fourth of the 12 Chinese zodiac (生肖) parts, in the order of Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog,     1     Pig.

The order of animals in Chinese zodiacs is from the Chinese Great Race story. Many years ago, the Jade Emperor     2     (decide) to start a way of recording time by introducing a calendar. He wanted to name each year after     3     animal. He invited lots of animals to e    4     a race to cross the river. The first 12 animals to finish the race would have a year named after     5     (they). The rat was the first animal to cross the river, so the first year was named after the rat. The rabbit came fourth in the race, so the fourth year was the year of the rabbit.

The rabbit is     6     (consider) as a gentle and loving creature. In Chinese culture, rabbit can be a symbol of the moon. Ancient Chinese believed there was a rabbit     7     (live) on the moon. The rabbit, called in Chinese the Jade Rabbit or the Moon Rabbit, is a companion of the Moon Goddess who can keep     8     (youth) forever.

To celebrate the year of the rabbit, people decorate their     9     (house) with rabbit-shaped lanterns and paper-cut. Fireworks are set off and family members stay together and count down to the new year     10     (happy).

In China, the history of people planting and using bamboo can date back to as far as 7000 years. As early as the Shang Dynasty, bamboo     1     (use) in ancient people’s daily lives. People used it for food, clothing, transportation, houses, musical     2     (instrument) and even weapons (武器).

In 251 BC, Li Bing, in Sichuan,     3     (lead) the local people to build the Dujiang Weirs. Thanks to     4     (they) hard work, the first irrigation (灌溉) network in the world completed. And bamboo played     5     important role in it.

The world’s     6     (old) water pipe (管) was made of bamboo. During the Han Dynasty, the people in Sichuan successfully     7     (dig) a 100-metre-deep well (井) with thick bamboo ropes. This technology did not spread to Europe     8     the 19th century.

In Chinese culture, bamboo is well-known     9     one of the “four gentlemen” in plants. To many men, bamboo is a symbol of honesty and closely related 10 people who have the positive spirits. When facing difficult situations, people are encouraged     10     (hold) on by the effect of bamboo culture.