Chinese calligraphy (书法) is an art form that    1    (involve) the skilled and deliberate use of brush and ink to create beautiful and expressive characters.

The origins of Chinese calligraphy can be traced back thousands of years to the Shang Dynasty, making it one of the     2     (old) continuous artistic traditions in the world. Its evolution is accompanied with the development of the Chinese writing system,     3     consists of thousands of characters, each with its own artistic structure and stroke order (笔顺).

Calligraphy in China    4    (regard) as one of the highest forms of artistic expression. It is not only a means of communication     5     a way to develop one’s character, discipline, and spirituality. The practice of calligraphy requires     6    (patient), concentration, and a deep understanding of the balance between empty space and solid forms.

Different styles of calligraphy have emerged throughout history, each with its own distinct characteristics and artistic conventions. The most famous    7    (style) include regular script (kaishu), running script (xingshu), cursive script (caoshu), and seal script (zhuanshu).

Chinese calligraphy has a profound influence     8     other art forms, such as     9    (paint), poetry, and seal carving. It is often considered as an important part of the Chinese traditional culture, where scholars and artists would gather in a     10    (culture) salon to appreciate and discuss calligraphic works.

The Lunar New Year     1     (celebrate) by around 1.5 billion people across the world.

Lunar New Year     2     (vary) in different countries, but celebrations usually involve families gathering together for feasts. Schools and     3     (business) shut for a few days as the celebrations take place. Traditional foods include dumplings, rice cakes and noodle soup,    4     are thought to bring happiness and wealth. Spreading good fortune is a major theme, and firecrackers are lit     5     (drive) evil spirits away. Parents and grandparents give children money in envelopes. There are parades (游行) and performances,    6     (include) lion dances and dragon dances. Chinese New Year is the     7     (large) Lunar New Year celebration, and takes place over 15 days, ending in a lantern festival.

The Chinese zodiac (十二宫) is divided     8     12 blocks. Each block lasts a year and is represented by     9     animal. This year is the Year of the Ox. The date for Lunar New Year is worked out through the traditional Chinese Lunar calendar, which is based on the Moon's     10     (move). It depends on the new moon arriving in Asia between January and February.

When the new school year starts, a lot of Chinese students need     1     (take) the military training course as the first challenge.

This fall semester, the military training course will have new     2     (requirement). According to China Youth Daily, a new syllabus (教学大纲) for the military training course for senior high school students has been released by the Ministry of Education,     3     will be carried out nationwide on Aug. 1.

The course     4     (relate) to military knowledge will be divided into two parts—basic military knowledge and basic military skills. This is the first time the course     5     (adjust) to suit high school students. The course itself will also be more flexible. In     6     (add) to main course, students can choose other areas to focus on. For students who are     7     (particular) interested in military knowledge or a specific skill set, they will have the opportunity to get     8     (far) training.

The military training course will be anywhere from 7 to 14 days long, with a minimum of 56 class hours.     9     the end of the course, students will be given one of     10     following evaluations: excellent, good, pass or fail.

In most countries, turning 18    1    (mark) the start of adulthood. But what does reaching the age of majority really mean? Does it mean that you will be    2    (complete) in charge of your own life and able to express yourself in new and    3    (excite) ways? What new responsibilities will you have to take    4    ? Here, three young people tell us what turning 18 means, or meant, to them.

Bethany, 16, comes from Victoria, Australia. She won’t have the right to vote in the next general    5    (elect), because she won’t be old enough. She has been taking driving lessons but she isn’t allowed to take her driving test    6    she is 18.

Lin Ning, 19, is from Shanghai, China. At 18, although he could do things like    7    (get) a credit card and act on his desire to help others, there were still rules    8    (obey) and lessons to attend.

Morgan, 20, is from Florida, the US. He thought once he turned 18 and got    9    good job he would rent an apartment, but his salary was not high enough. The reality for him has been very different.     10    is hard for him to save money because of the household bills and high commute costs.