In February 2022, I began learning Chinese with the     1     (intend) of enjoying Chinese culture. Almost a year later, I found myself in Beijing, the capital of China. Before coming here, I     2     (attend) Chinese classes, and I could sense my progress in the language. As     3     matter of fact, studying for just one year wasn’t enough to claim fluency. But full proficiency in the language is not necessary to lose     4     (you) in and enjoy many attractions of life in China.

The one thing that truly makes me feel comfortable is making friends and engaging     5     conversation. At Tsinghua University,     6     I pursued my studies in China, I made friends with many Chinese young people. I often     7     (invite) to have meals or leisure activities with them, such as going to KTV, which is a popular entertainment among Chinese youth. I felt that connecting with my Chinese peers through a shared passion, such as singing, was     8     (incredible) enjoyable and beautiful.

During breaks from study, I frequently travels across China. I’ve explored cities like Shanghai, Chongqing, and Changsha in Hunan province, among others. Though I have experienced traveling on overnight trains for over 12 hours several times and explored     9     (familiar) cities, I never felt fearful or unwelcome as a foreigner. Chinese people are warm and welcoming to foreigners, and eager     10     (offer) help.

Brynn Ann Castle is a student from Muscatine High School in Iowa. At the     1     (invite) of Shijiazhuang Foreign Language School, she, along with 31 classmates and eight teachers, engaged in a study tour in Hebei from April 19 to 22,2024. She visited     2     home of Zhang Xinyi, a senior student at the school.

North China’s Hebei Province and the U. S. state of Iowa     3     (sign) their sister-state relationship in 1983. For over 40 years, Hebei and Iowa have written many praiseworthy tales of friendly exchanges.

In Zhang’s bedroom, pipa, a     4     (tradition) Chinese musical instrument, lying on Zhang’s bed,    5     (particular) attracted Castle’s interest. “This instrument has been in China for 2,000 years. It’s similar     6     a guitar,” Zhang told her. After Castle expressed her desire     7     (have) a try, Zhang shared the playing techniques with her. Soon, a beautiful sound of pipa filled the room. “It’s so     8     (amaze),” said Castle.

Teachers and students from the school held a welcome concert for their American guests,    9     (inspire) by elements such as Tang and Song poetry, and famous Chinese paintings. The American students learned ancient Chinese poems, practiced ping pong, made dumplings, planted friendship trees and visited ancient relics, among others.

The Muscatine High School delegation (代表团) is part of a China-initiated program,    10     will invite 50,000 American youths to China within five years for exchanges and study.

The cool night filled us with eager anticipation as we began climbing Mount Tai. Along the way, we met fellow travelers, all     1     (pursue) the same goal: the sunrise. In the moonlight, their faces seemed     2     (familiar), but our shared purpose united us. “Keep going; we are almost there!” someone cheered, giving us the     3     (motivate) to continue as we paused for a break, “You can do it!” added another voice. These words of encouragement were like a warm wind, refreshing our tired bodies and minds. After about four hours, we finally reached the peak,     4     the temperature was     5     (noticeable) lower. Wrapping     6     (we) tightly in rented coats, we found a suitable spot and settled down to await the sunrise.

The sky gradually     7     (transform), shifting from deep blue to rosy colors. Suddenly a red sun jumped out from behind the clouds,     8     thousands of rays of light shone on the peak.     9     golden clouds delicately suspended in the air, Mount Tai appeared like a fairyland, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene. Bathed in the brilliant sunlight, the entire mountain seemed to come alive with birds singing and trees swaying, as if nature itself was joining in the celebration of the new day.

    10     (strike) by the beauty of the moment, we sat there, feeling proud to have witnessed such a magical sight.

Uniforms, dating back to 800 years ago, have always been a part of our society and have been widely used in various institutions, organizations, and even some companies.     1    (literal), they mean “U Need Form”,     2    regulate people in different walks of life in the same way and make a better society for us. Today, uniforms continue to play a significant role in numerous       3    (setting), particularly in schools.

Most people feel     4     necessary to standardize students’ uniforms because uniforms serve as a means to promote equality and reduce peer pressure. By dressing in the same way, students are not judged by their clothing choices or fashion sense, which     5    (remove) a significant source of bullying and allows students to focus on their studies rather than worrying too much about the external     6    (appear). Furthermore, uniforms contribute     7     a more disciplined and orderly school environment, cultivating a sense of respect and stimulating learning motivation among students.

Beyond their practical benefits, uniforms also have a psychological impact.     8    (dress) in school uniforms, wherever the students go, they see themselves as a member of a group, thus creating a sense of belonging and fostering a shared identity. In a way, uniforms     9    (consider) as a bridge between students, not only bringing them together under a common banner but     10    (promote) unity and cooperation among individuals.

Dear Patrick,

My dad is always very busy at work and rarely     1     (spend) time with me. I feel like he’s becoming more and more like a stranger to me. Sometimes I don’t even know     2     to get close to him when he’s around. Do you have any     3     (suggest)?

Hai

Hi Hai,

I’m Patrick McCarthy, but you can call me Pat. This is the space where I can help you with your daily life problems, one-on-one. Go ahead and ask away!

    4     (frank) speaking, my dad is very similar     5     yours. He is always busy and obsessed with work, also called a “workaholic (工作狂)”,   and I’ve never felt like I could have a close relationship with him,despite my best efforts.

Still, not every family relationship will end up     6     same way. In your case, you can suggest an activity you two could do together, like going to the movies. You could also talk about any interests you both have in common, such as history or art. Over time, you may end up     7     (encourage) him to “come out of his shell” more and more and help him realize that you two have things in common and     8     life is more than just work.

Also, it’s good to remember that our parents are still people like you and me. They have faults of their own. Be willing     9     (forgive) your father for his faults and missteps. This way, you won’t subconsciously (潜意识地) hold a grudge (怨恨) against him for acting like a stranger and thus avoid driving him away even     10     (far).

Patrick

Hanfu has experienced large     1     (grow) during the Spring Festival. The horse face skirt is     2     (particular) popular for its combination (结合) of traditional and modern beauty, especially among young Chinese.

During the Spring Festival, many performers and tourists in Luoyang, Henan province,     3     (wear) the horse face skirts. Impressive hanfu shows in Caoxian county, Shandong province, highlighted (凸显) the elegance of the long tradition of Chinese clothing. Consumers (消费者)     4     were interviewed expressed their wish     5     (promote) traditional Chinese culture.

The sales of horse face skirts are rising. Caoxian county is one of the major hanfu production     6     (base) in China, with sales of hanfu reaching over 7 billion yuan every year. The sales of new year’s clothes for the Year of the Dragon, mainly horse face skirts, were more than 300 million yuan in Caoxian county.

Data from e-commerce platforms (电商平台) show a great increase in the search for hanfu since January. Among the various hanfu styles, the horse face skirt has become     7     most popular one.

Zhang Mingqiang, the general manager of a factory, expressed both happiness and concern due     8     the growing daily orders (订单). So far more than 30,000 orders for horse face skirts     9     (put) off by the factory, which is taking measures to improve production     10     to meet the high demand. The new trend of Chinese-style fashion, led by horse face skirts, is gaining popularity among overseas consumers as well.

Chinese pastries (糕点) have a rich and divers history that spans thousands of years. Traditional Chinese pastries are popular     1     their beautiful shapes, delicate flavors and cultural symbolism.

The origins of Chinese pastries can be traced back to ancient times when they were primarily made for     2     (religion) ceremonies and special occasions. Over centuries of evolution, Chinese pastries    3     (develop), combining various regional flavors and techniques.

During the Tang dynasty, Chinese pastries experienced a significant     4     (grow) in popularity. The Tang dynasty emperors were known for their love of desserts and pastries,     5     led to the development of numerous delicate and complicated pastry recipes.

It was during this time     6     many symbolic pastries were created, and the art of pastry-making reached new heights.

Mooncakes, closely     7     (associate) with the Mid-autumn Festival, are among the most famous Chinese pastries. Mooncakes have a history     8     (date) back over 1,000 years. They were    9     (original) used as an offering     10     (honour) the moon goddess during the harvest season. Mooncakes are often imprinted with amazing designs and symbols that represent good luck and prosperity.

       Each region in China has its own pastries with distinct flavors, ingredients and making methods. Chinese pastries are an essential part of Chinese cuisine and cultural traditions.

Duolun county,     1     (locate) in Inner Mongolia, only 180 kilometers away from Beijing，once suffered severe erosion and desertification (沙漠化).

Ma Yunping, a retired soldier,     2     (sell) six cows to collect 7,000 yuan and decided to contract 3,700 mu of deserted sandy land. Due to Duolun’s unique geological (地质) environment, which consists mainly of shifting sand dunes (沙丘), the inexperienced Ma tried planting grass under the     3     (guide) of the forestry department. However, the sandstorms came frequently. He failed many times     4     continued trying, learning from his mistakes.

During the first three years, planting grass became his primary job. Slowly, the yellow sand was stabilized, and     5     touch of green appeared. In 2016, Ma established a     6     (profession) organization, which now has over 40 members. “I want everyone in my village to     7     (active) participate in preventing and treating desertification and to share in the green achievements,” he said.

So far, in this area, Ma has planted about 400,000 trees in total. All of them have grown into flourishing vegetation, and not a bit of yellow sand can     8     (find). Reflecting     9     the 20-year journey of fighting against desertification, Ma has long engraved the patches of green on the dunes into his heart. “I am so fond of the greenery, and I want to keep     10     (follow) it,” Ma said.

Alcohol or liquor, also called baijiu in Chinese, may be featured on special occasions    1     (ease) the expression of diners’ thoughts and feelings. But in the long process of Chinese history, it is not just an objective existence,    2     a cultural symbol. China is one of the earliest countries in the world to make alcohol and the history can date    3     prehistoric times. Since its appearance,    4     has been reflected in social life, literature, and aesthetic (美学的) ideas is its spiritual and cultural value. In this sense, to drink alcohol     5     (be) actually to taste a culture.

According to the    6     (history) records, as early as in the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC), Chinese people began to drink alcohol and use it to worship gods (祭神). All kinds of alcohol except yellow rice wine developed    7     (great) after the Han (206 BC–220) and Tang (618–907) dynasties.

Chinese alcohol has a wide variety of kinds. By the type of products, they can include yellow rice wine, white wine, medicinal liquor, fruit liquor and beer. By the alcoholic content, they can    8     (group) into 3 categories: strong, medium and low alcohol liquor. With the Chinese wine-making industry    9     (develop) every day, alcohol, over a thousand years,    10     (integrate) into the brilliant Chinese civilization as a basic necessity in people’s life.

Millions of people in China now share a common routine: a session with personal trainer Liu Genghong. The 49-year-old singer and composer has     1     (surprising) become     2     online hit for livestreaming fitness routines from his home. Liu’s workout sessions are so popular that they     3     (break) Douyin’s livestreaming record for 2022 so far.

In Liu’s livestreams, Liu and his wife appear     4     (energy), friendly, happy and super fit. They are usually seen exercising     5     the fast-paced tune (曲子) of pop singer Jay Chou’s Herbalist Manual (本草纲目) and others.     6     Liu’s dance moves look simple, they are often too intense for his audience     7     (follow).

Wei Fang, a student at Shandong Normal University, is one of Liu’s     8     (fan). “My major requires me to sit for a long time, sometimes for the whole day, ” she said. “So how can I refuse a star singer as a personal trainer? Besides, when     9     (watch) the live-stream, I feel like I’m working out with friends,     10     encourages me to keep going until the last minute,” added Wei.