The invention of rubber surgical gloves is celebrating its 135th anniversary in 2024!

Believe it or not, this little tool     1     (see) in every doctor’s office and hospital was invented out of love. In 1889, Dr. William Halsted fell in love     2     the nurse and eventual wife, Carolyn Hampton. Indeed, this invention should be named “Rubber Gloves of Love”.

Hospital procedures require surgical personnel (全体人员)     3     (wash) and disinfect their hands before interacting with patients. Carolyn developed severe dermatitis (皮炎) due to the use of mercuric chloride (氯化汞) for disinfection. She was almost about to resign,     4     Halsted wanted to keep her near him. To protect her     5     (hand), he thought hard and suddenly, something occurred to him. He     6     (contact) the Goodyear Rubber Company, asking the engineers there to fashion thin rubber gloves for Carolyn.

Original rubber gloves were very different from     7     we have today, but they proved to be     8     excellent addition to the operating room. The gloves were actually well received. Many other personnel began wearing the gloves. It’s     9     (general) known that now they have many uses, far beyond their original purpose. For example, hairdressers use     10     (they) to prevent getting poisoned by dyes and solutions used in their business.

In many Asian, African and Latin American cultures,     1     (extend) eye contact is impolite and it is thought of     2     an offensive or a challenge of authority. It is considered politer to have brief eye contact, especially between people of different social status (like a student and a teacher, or a child and his elder relatives). For example, if a Japanese woman avoids looking someone in the eye, she is not showing a lack of interest nor is     3     (she) showing a lack of confidence. Instead, she     4     (be) polite, respectful and appropriate according to her culture. So in many of these cultures, you should take care of     5     kind of eye contact you initiate with those who are your     6     (superior) or in authority over you, so that you are not thought to be     7     (respect) or rude. As you can see, it is vital for you to know what eye contact communicates before you visit a new culture.

Before you travel, you can either look up relevant information in your local public library     8     check out a book about the culture of the country you plan to visit in a bookstore. Learn how to make use of eye contact and other body language     9     (flexible) so that you     10     (perceive) to be polite, and so that you can better connect with people who are foreign to you!

Ma MianQun is a kind of traditional Chinese dress. The question of     1     it’s named so has always been puzzling. It’s said that “Ma Mian” is a kind of structure used for     2    （defend）in the city wall system. But whether that’s true is still a question     3    （confirm）. All the books about Ma MianQun,     4     they are related to costumes, operas or cultural relics, only show that the smooth surface without pleats（褶皱）in the middle is called “Ma Mian”, but there is no     5    （far）explanation for the source of “Ma Mian”.

The Chinese Horse Face Skirt showcases     6     uncommon structural design that pairs practicality with elegance. Its A-line shape, characterized by a series of pleats that expand outward, offers a glimpse     7     the wearer’s grace with every step.

In Chinese culture, the Horse Face Skirt is     8    （actual）a canvas（画布）of symbolism. The pleats implies wealth and status while the colors used, such as red and yellow,     9    （tie）to luck and imperial authority respectively.

The Horse Face Skirt, with its deep historical roots, has transitioned into modern fashion,     10    （serve）as a bridge between the past and the present.

The celebrations of Chinese New Year, also     1     (call) Chinese Spring Festival, were born out of fear and myth (神话). Legend (传说) spoke of the wild beast Nian (which also is the word for “year”)     2     appeared at the end of each year,     3     (attack) villagers. Loud noises and bright lights were used     4     (scare) the beast away, and the Chinese New Year celebrations were born. Today, the Spring Festival     5     (observe) with a week of vacation in China. Much like the Western New Year (January 1st), the biggest celebration is on the eve of the holiday.

The Chinese New Year’s Eve meal is the most important dinner of the year.     6     (typical), families gather at a designated (指定的) relative’s house for dinner, but these days, more and more families choose to hold New Year’s Eve dinner at a restaurant. Many restaurants require     7     (reserve) months ahead.

There are also some families that hire (雇用) a professional chef to come cook at home. Chefs are often busy running from one home     8     another cooking dinners for different families on New Year’s Eve.

Chinese New Year is a 15-day celebration and each day, many families take turns to hold celebrations among homes of     9     (they) relatives. The festivities are day-long and sometimes, a family ends up cooking two meals for relatives, once at lunch     10     once at dinner.

Sustainable tourism, which is becoming     1     (increasing) popular nowadays, is not just about seeing the sights — it is also about connecting with people and their cultures,     2     (make) a positive impact on the places we visit and enhancing (增进) opportunities for the future. So, how can we be sustainable tourists?

It is important to travel in     3     environmentally friendly manner. Getting to a tourist destination by airplane, which greatly increases our carbon footprint,     4    ( have) a huge impact on the global environment. While avoiding flying is not always     5     (practice) , we can help improve the environment by travelling on local public transport or even, on foot wherever possible. When at the hotel, we can reduce our impact by cutting back on water consumption and not having our bedding and towels     6     (wash) everyday. We also need to protect the local culture. When visiting temples or churches, where a strict dress code may     7     (require) , we should dress properly. While travelling, we should respect the right to privacy. We must ask for     8     (permit) before taking pictures of the local people,     9       are human beings and not on display.

    10     summary, being a sustainable tourist comes down to respect for nature, culture and people.

The lantern fair in Zigong, Southwest China’s Sichuan province, boasts a history of more than 1,000 years.     1     (mark) the Year of the Dragon, many of the lanterns show the Chinese sign of the zodiac (生肖), but there are also     2     wide variety of other lantern designs to meet different needs. Visitors     3     prefer traditional lanterns can find lanterns with flowers and birds, and legendary figures, while lanterns with modern patterns such as cultural     4     (trend) and online games are gaining popularity among young people.

In addition to the     5     (elegance) craftsmanship, modern technologies such as 3D printing and artificial intelligence have also been used to make the lanterns     6     (nice) and more vivid. The lantern show is also accepting the concept of environmental protection. A set of lanterns     7     (feature) the famous Chinese statue “Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow” from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) was created by using different kinds of waste materials, including tires and plastics to form its outside decorations.

This year’s show will not come to an end     8     July 31. The sets of lanterns     9     (update) to keep up with other traditional Chinese festivals, such as the Dragon Boat Festival. Visitors can also enjoy folk arts, and Chinese music performances during     10     (they) lantern-viewing tours.

We all know that honesty is     1    important value and     2    lying is wrong. But sometimes we tell some “white lies”    3    (protect) others from the truth.

There are three main reasons     4    we tell a white lie. First, we try to make others feel better, so we protect ourselves from the     5    (disappoint) and anger of others. Another reason for     6    (tell) a white lie is to give encouragement. For example, when our friend asks us what we think of his singing, we surely say it’s wonderful, despite     7     (secret) thinking that it’s awful. Stop for a moment and consider that perhaps our friend wants some frank     8    (comment). Finally, we may also tell a white lie when we want to protect others from bad news.

We may find even white lies have     9     (expect) results. Perhaps the meal we said was “delicious ”     10     (serve) every time we visit. Or when we only share good news, others won’t truly understand our emotions.