When it comes to recent hot news on the Internet, Zibo barbecue is sure to top the list.     1     (thousand) of people from all over the country have reportedly been flocking(涌向) to Zibo. Many people     2     /’wʌndə(r)/ why only Zibo barbecue has become so popular around the country. Actually, there     3     (be) a story behind it.

In May 2022, a serious epidemic(疫情) hit the city of Jinan. Therefore, more than 12,000 students from Shandong University were sent     4     neighboring Zibo for centralized isolation(集中隔离).

However, Zibo did not simply think of the isolation as a     5     /tɑːsk/, but took good care of the students. When it was time to say goodbye, local people bought lots of barbecues in the city and treated them to     6     big meal. All the students were deeply moved when they     7     (sudden) enjoyed the long-lost barbecue. They promised to return when spring comes and expressed     8     (they) thanks for the warm reception(接待).

In March this year, the students, as promised, brought their classmates and re-experienced that     9     /speʃl/ barbecue. The love and kindness from the people in Zibo left a deep impression(印象) on the university students. They took pictures, wrote blogs,     10     shared them on the Internet. Soon, Zibo barbecue drew more people’s attention.

The popularity of Zibo barbecue not only offers an opportunity for people to relax themselves, but also shows the kindness and warmth of Shandong people.

Recently, Zibo city in Shandong Province has unexpectedly become really     1     (著名的) for its local barbecue on Chinese social media.

In     2     (二月), a group of college students enjoyed barbecue in Zibo and posted a short video on the social media. Surprisingly, the video     3     (传播) quickly on the Internet. In March, the searches for “Zibo Barbecue” increased by 770 percent and 3.8     4     (百万) people went to the city from all over the country to try the dish.

Zibo Barbecue has won the     5     (心) of most Chinese people because it is different. It’s made on a stove. The food is 70-80 percent cooked     6     (在……之前) they are brought to the table. People continue to cook them on their     7     (自己) on the stove. They are also served flat pancakes so people can eat the food like Beijing Duck.

More importantly, the low food     8     (价格), the good service and the friendly local people make the city more attractive. Also, the government takes the chances to     9     (发展) tourism. For example, visitors will be allowed to enter 10 places of interest     10     (免费) as long as they come to Zibo. And many more good policies are on the way.

Recently, Dong Yuhui’s introduction about Shanxi has drawn attention of a lot of people. More and more people show interest     1     this province. Shanxi Province got its name because of its location（位置）to the west of Taihang Mountain. Shanxi covers an area of 157,000 square kilometers     2     a population of over 37 million.     3     capital is Taiyuan City.

History

As the saying goes, “if you want to know about five thousand     4     of the Chinese history, visit Shanxi”. Shanxi is one of the birth places of Chinese civilizations（文明）. The early Chinese emperors Yao, Shun and Yu established capitals and built their empires here.

Places of Interest

There are a number of natural and beautiful places in Shanxi. For example, Wutai Mountain is one of the     5     famous Buddhist（佛教）mountains in China. Yungang Grottoes is one of the largest grottoes in China. It is     6     “Chinese Treasure”. These grottoes last 50 years. Pingyao Ancient City was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO in 1997. The wall of Pingyao Ancient City was built in Ming Dynasty. The wall is ten meters     7    , 6163 meters around, and three to five meters wide at the top.

Food

The traditional food in Shanxi has attracted many tourists around the world. Shanxi is famous     8     its wheaten food（面食）. There are a lot of cooking ways like steaming, boiling, frying or baking. And the shapes are     9    , such as colorful steamed bread, steamed boat-flour rolls, sliced noodles and so on. Even a Shanxi native doesn’t have the chance to try all kinds of the fine food.

Since the founding of New China, Shanxi has     10     more progress. People’s daily lives are getting better. Shanxi in the new era（时代）is pursuing a dream for the brighter future.

The Zibo Barbecue suddenly became well-known after a group of college students shot videos of themselves enjoying a meal and posted     1     (they) on social media in late February.

It is reported that visitors     2     (go) to 10 scenic spots in the city to try Zibo barbecue with their train ticket as long as their final place is Zibo. And it     3     unexpectedly 3 (become) famous on Chinese social media since then.

Visitors from other provinces are common there these days. “I am so happy to have a chance to try Zibo barbecue and enjoy its beautiful scenery,     4     it took me so long to arrive here”, said Li Leirui from Hebei province.

Zibo barbecue is bringing more and more people to the city, and the government encourage the local people to treat tourists in a     5     (friendly) way than ever.

Jing dezhen is known as the “Porcelain Capital” (瓷都). It began to make pottery (陶器) during the Han Dynasty(206 BC-AD 220) and porcelain about 1,700 years ago.

The city of Jing dezhen has been famous for its porcelain     1     the Song Dynasty(960-1279). Under the rule of Emperor Zhenzong, the city got the name Jing dezhen. At the     2     (begin) of the Yuan Dynasty, the city started making porcelain for the government. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, porcelain from Jing dezhen     3     (travel) to many places around the world.

Jing dezhen porcelain has many styles. They include elegant blue, white, and colorful porcelain. Jing dezhen has over 30,000     4     (art), including 5,000 foreigners, living in the city. These people are known as Jingpiao and foreigners as yangjingpiao. They make     5     living by selling porcelain. For them, the small city’s low cost of living and artistic culture make it a dream place. As a result, they are able to live in this city     6     (peace).

Japanese ceramist (陶艺家) Takeshi Yasuda and his wife     7     (stay) in the city for seventeen years. Jing dezhen is not only their workplace, but also their     8     (two) home. In Yasuda’s eyes, foreigners chose     9     (come) to Jing dezhen because they can learn high-level skills. Plus, precious materials and tools in Jing dezhen can turn their ideas into artworks.

“The future of Jing dezhen will be     10     (bright) as it is building cultural confidence at a higher and more international level,” said Yasuda.

Shaoshan is     1     small city close to Changsha, Hunan. It is famous     2     the hometown of Mao Zedong, the founding father of People’s Republic of China. So far tourism     3     (become) the leading industry in Shaoshan. It receives     4     (million) of visitors every year. Among numerous scenic spots, Mao Zedong Boyhood Residence and Mao Zedong Bronze Status Square are much     5     (busy) than others.

Mao Zedong Boyhood Residence faces north, and the building structure is like a Chinese character “凹”. On the east, it belongs     6     Mao’s family, while the other side of the house is Mao’s neighbor’s. The central room is shared by the two families. On December 26, 1893, Mao     7     (bear) in the house.

Mao Zedong Bronze Status Square gets     8     (it) name because of the Mao Zedong bronze statue in the square. The bronze statue is 10.1 meters in height, which symbolizes the National Day on October 1 as well as the great founder of New China. It took a long time for designers and workers     9     (complete) the whole bronze.     10    (certain), the statue has reproduced the people’s leader Chairman Mao at the founding ceremony of New China.