The Chinese Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, celebrates the beginning of spring and is the occasion     1    families show respect to their ancestors by visiting and cleaning their tombs. The festival takes place on the 15th day after the Spring Equinox (春分), which falls on April 4th    2     5th. As Qingming comes, temperature rises and rainfall increases,    3    (indicate)an important time for sowing seeds.

The Qingming Festival     4    (date) back more than 2,500 years and it originated from Hanshi Day, meaning “a day with cold food only”. One story has it that Jie Zitui, who was a loyal man to his lord Duke Wen, died in a fire in 636 BCE. So Duke Wen ordered three days without fire     5     memory of Jie. The next year, he ordered that the day after Hanshi Day should be the Qingming Festival, a day to honor     6     dead. Over time, the two festivals     7    (eventual) combined and the traditions of eating cold food and honoring ancestors became     8     (attach) to the Qingming Festival.

While there is much sadness surrounding Tomb Sweeping Day, there is also     9    (celebrate) , happiness and a festive atmosphere. Nowadays, the Qingming Festival is a time of multiple     10    (activity) , such as tomb sweeping, spring outing, flying kites and eating festive food like Qingtuan.

The “Understanding Contemporary China” Foreign Language Contests were held in Beijing from December 4 to 8．

Nearly one million college students from more than 1,300 universities participated , with about 2,500     1     (enter) the national final. The contests aimed to     2     (deep) college students’ understanding of China, enhance their linguistic (语言的) abilities and intercultural communication     3     (competent), and provide a platform for them to tell China’s stories well.

The champion of the English group     4     (determine) through a simulated (模拟的) “Global Youth Summit”. Three contestants discussed     5     (topic) including cultural diversity and the future development of mankind with Xinhua News Agency’s reporter Simon Keith Robinson,     6     tested their knowledge and ability to handle diverse subjects.

Xu Chengcheng, from Beijing Foreign Studies University, won     7     national championship of the International Communication Contest. She demonstrated a high-level of English proficiency(熟练)and strong communication skills in the prepared speech     8     the Global Youth Summit session(会议).

A special session of “Multilingual Champions Showcase” was part     9     the closing ceremony, where champions used their foreign language skills     10     (share) stories about their understanding of China and communication with the world, showcasing youthful insights.

International Tea Day is celebrated every year on May 21. On this day, tea lovers unite in celebration of their favorite beverage. International Tea Day also promotes ways     1     (sustain) the production and consumption of tea. You might be     2     (astonish) to know that tea is the most loved beverage for millions worldwide. Every second, people consume 25,000 cups of tea,     3     suggests more than two billion cups of tea are consumed per day.

In 2005, tea-producing countries came together to celebrate International Tea Day. These countries     4     (be) Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, and Uganda. In 2019, the Intergovernmental Group on Tea decided to celebrate International Tea Day on May 21. The U. N. said yes to the celebrations on December 21, 2019. The first official U. N. International Tea Day     5     (celebrate) on May 21, 2020.

Estimates show that as the world population increases, so will     6     number of tea drinkers. Tea enjoys great     7     (popular) in India and China. These two countries alone account     8     37% of the world’s total population, meaning a significant number of tea lovers live in India and China.

Besides     9     (drink) it for taste, there are numerous health benefits of tea drinking. Drinking tea can reduce the risk of heart attack, protect the bones, boost the immune system,     10     relax the body. Habitual tea drinkers are less likely to suffer from early death. They drink the beverage at least three times a week.

In the ancient Shuowen Dictionary, trust is defined as a combination of sincerity and reliability,     1     (emphasize) the importance of keeping one’s word. This concept was     2     (deep) valued in ancient China, with many proverbs highlighting the significance of integrity in personal and professional relationships. CaoCao, the     3     (rule) of the Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period, embodied (体现) this spirit of trustworthiness, which played a crucial role in his ability     4     (draw) numerous heroes to his side.

During the Three Kingdoms era, a time     5     (mark) by division and conflict among the states of Wei, Shu, and Wu, loyalty was a prized yet rare commodity (商品). Cao Cao’s relationship     6     Guan Yu shows his understanding of trust and respect as foundational     7     (element) of leadership. After capturing Xu Province, Cao Cao encountered Guan Yu. Guan Yu’s surrender (投降) to Cao Cao, under the condition     8     he would leave once he learned of Liu Bei’s whereabouts, presented     9     unique challenge. Cao Cao’s acceptance of these terms, and his subsequent efforts to win over Guan Yu, demonstrate a strategic approach to leadership that     10     (value) talent and honours personal loyalty.

Established in 1927, the Henan Museum is one of the country’s oldest modern museums. In 2009, it was chosen to be one of the first national-level museums     1     (create) by the central and local governments. With a collection of over 170,000 artifacts, it houses a wide range of treasures,     2     (particular) prehistoric relics, stone carvings and so on.

With 2.7 million visitors and over 39 million yuan in revenue (收入) from cultural products last year, the museum is not just preserving history     3     shaping the future of cultural exploration.

The Henan Museum has been a pioneer in this direction, making use of a variety of     4     (approach) including exhibitions, digital activities and educational programs. Over the past year, the significant progress     5     (make) in the use and promotion of artifacts around the world. Thanks     6     major discoveries and research results, a large number of exhibitions have encouraged     7     creative transformation (转变) of traditional Chinese culture.

Ma Xiaolin, director of the Museum, stresses the great need     8     (protect) cultural relics, and sees this as a long-term task that demands continuous efforts. Ma suggests that tourists     9     (visit) Henan should take the time to explore the museum. “It’s an important window     10     people can appreciate the culture of the Central Plains, the Yellow River, and Chinese civilization.”

Guangzhou, a city located in the southern part of China, is famous for     1     (it)historical and cultural heritage as well as its unique food culture around the world. Among them, the most     2     (represent) dish is the “Dim Sum” in Cantonese morning tea.

Dim Sum, literally (字面上) translated as “touching heart”, is a term     3     (use) by Cantonese people to refer to traditional Chinese desserts and snacks. It originated in the Qing Dynasty and was originally served     4     breakfast for the nobility (贵族). However, over time, Dim Sum     5     (become) a part of Guangzhou people’s daily life. Whether it’s morning or afternoon, you can see people enjoying this delicacy in tea houses.

    6     variety of Dim Sum is wide, including steamed rice rolls with chicken, rice noodle rolls, shrimp dumplings, siu mai, chicken feet, egg tarts and so on. Each type of dim sum has its unique production process and taste. For example, shrimp dumplings     7     (make) by mixing fresh shrimp and pork, and the outer skin is as thin as a cicada’s wing. Moreover, the inner filling is     8     (extreme) delicious.

In Guangzhou,     9     (enjoy) Dim Sum is not just about tasting delicious food, but also a way of life and cultural experience. People will spend a lot of time in tea houses, sharing food, chatting, and enjoying life with friends and family. This lifestyle is called “drinking tea”,     10     is a necessary part of the lives of Guangzhou people.