According to Albert Estrada, a Spanish student, studying Chinese is one of the best ways to get closer to the culture.

Estrada     1     (study) at the Confucius Institute of Barcelona in Spain for five years. He says the huge     2     (difference) between the two languages mean that Chinese people find some aspects of Spanish grammar hard while Spanish people find the pronunciation of Chinese, as well as Chinese characters,     3     (challenge). “I wouldn’t say I speak Chinese right now.     4     the last few times I’ve been to China, I have been able to shop, buy food and talk to people without turning to English,” he says.

The Confucius Institute     5     (found) in Barcelona in 2009 as part of a collaborative effort between Spanish and Chinese universities,     6     offers Chinese language courses at 14 different levels. Estrada is     7     (current) on the fourth of the six HSK levels. He stresses that it is important to mix with Chinese people, both at home and in China.     8     (break) the linguistic barrier is the first step, and once they see that you are learning     9     language, they feel more relaxed and then it is easy to establish a relationship.

Estrada spent two months in China last summer, and he hopes to visit it again at the end of this year     10     (experience) Chinese New Year.

China is known as Xia for its grand etiquette (礼仪) culture, and known as Hua for its beautiful attire (衣裳). With the     1     (change) in society, economic development, and cultural development, clothing has evolved over thousands of years. However, while the forms may have been changed, the essence (本质)     2     (remain) constant.

“In ancient China, emperors like Huangdi. Yao, and Shun brought peace to the world through their clothing.” Clothing holds     3     significant place in Chinese culture. It is not only used for daily wear,     4     (cover) the body and protect it from cold but also as an instrument of management. In ancient Chinese society, there were strict rules and dress codes about clothing. The presence of clothing distinguished civilization     5     barbarism (野蛮), while changes in color and style     6     (gradual) developed into a form of etiquette. Their design conveyed behavioral norms and     7     (they) patterns were rich in cultural significance. Moreover, ancient attire were also an important carrier of morality. China has always been known as a nation     8     values formal attire and etiquette.

What is the Chinese style? It is something that makes people think of China as soon as they see it. For example, the horse-face skirt, which     9     (favor) by international brands and Chinese people for many years, will continue to be attractive. Chinese clothing, as a classical style. has been known to the world overnight with good opportunities. It’s not just a traditional costume style but also a source of     10     (admire).

Primary school students in Changsha, Hunan province have started to learn the Changsha dialect(方言) in an elective course     1     (new) offered by the school this semester.

More than 20 third-grade students from the Affiliated Primary School of Hunan Normal University have signed up     2     the course. A dozen language     3     (professor) at universities are teaching the course.

Apart from listening, speaking, reading and     4     (write), students will also gain knowledge about the culture behind the dialect, according to Luo Xinru, a Chinese language professor at Hunan Normal University and one of the teachers of the course.

The Ministry of Education     5     (start) the National Language Resource Protection Project in 2015 to protect its language resources. The country has established     6     largest language resource database in the world, according to the ministry.

“Dialect protection is the future trend and different dialects     7     carry diverse culture and value should not and will not disappear,” she said,

Dialect is a valuable language resource and should     8     (protect). “We do not expect all children     9     (take) the course to learn perfect Changsha dialect,     10     they should understand the importance of different dialects and perhaps be willing to div e into the research and protection of them as they grow older.”

Several years ago I started riding a bike. At first, I thought it was only a short ride. But as I built up my strength, my friends inspired me     1     (try) some longer trips. The first one to come along was a 150-mile journey, an event held every year that raises money to fight cancer.

When I signed my name, the idea seemed fantastic. It was to support a worthy cause when we went for the distance. And I trained with great excitement. But as the time for the ride approached, I didn’t really want to bike all those miles for two days straight.

The ride began on a Sunday morning in the Georgia countryside. There were a number of strong riders. For the first few hours, I felt wonderful. There were not many     2     (vehicle) on the way. But by the end of the day, my energy had run     3    . I was sure I would give up before I reached the destination.

As I was getting to the top of hill, the sunset which looked so     4     (admire) kept me going for a few minutes more. I said to myself, “So far half of the distance     5     (cover) by me. That is enough.” Then in the distance, I saw a lone (单独的) rider riding very slowly. I noticed that the person looked different in some way, but I couldn’t tell the reason     6     that person was different. I managed to catch up. There she was, riding slowly but steadily, with a determined smile on her face. Then I kept up     7     her and found that she had only one leg. In my view, she can be regarded as a     8     (represent) of people with strong determination.

My focus changed at that moment. I’d been doubting my body for a whole day. But now I knew-it wasn’t the body, but the will that would help me reach my goal.

It rained all the second day. I never saw the one-legged biker again, but I pushed on without complaining. And at the end of the day, still feeling strong, I     9     (eventual) completed the 150th mile. Now it seems that I have been     10     (addict) to such a kind of event.

China International Culture Association, a key sponsor of “Happy Chinese New Year”, called for rabbit-themed mascot (吉祥物) design for the Year of the Rabbit,     1     started on Jan. 22, 2023, according to the traditional Chinese calendar.

The     2     (collect) design went through four stages of evaluation, and the winner was told at the end of 2022. “Happy Chinese New Year” is known for     3     series of cultural activities held in numerous countries     4     (introduce) the lunar New Year culture and bring the joys of Chinese New Year to everybody throughout the world. The Year of the Rabbit is considered as one of the     5     (lucky) signs of the Chinese Zodiac (生肖). It is traditional Chinese     6     (believe) that the Chinese Rabbit will live a long, peaceful life filled with beauty and love.

The design competition     7     (hold) for the first time to create a memorable and     8     (cultural) fresh experience for the globe. The interested     9     (party) could check out details and know more information at https://ishijue.com/, the official website     10     the competition.

Carrying the Flame of Inspiration

Excited, proud, and even a little emotional, I experienced a rush of different feelings when I passed the flame of the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou,     1     capital city of Zhejiang province, on Saturday as one of the 600 torchbearers (火炬手).

Although from different backgrounds, we 600 torchbearers all have something in common: Our deep respect for the para sports movement and the spirit in     2     these sports are contested. The flame that I carried was passed on by the first torchbearer of the relay, powerlifting Paralympic and world champion Tan Yujiao. The Rio and Tokyo Paralympic gold medalist is     3     (particular) proud to attend the Asian Para Games at home, both as a torchbearer and an athlete.

“My heart is just like the flame right now. I used to be a kid with     4     (disability) who could not even attend our school’s PE classes, and now I’m a para athlete who is aiming at     5     (break) my own world record. Life presents me with the     6     (tough) tests, and I have lived my life in the most beautiful way,” said Tan.

When I was informed that I     7     (choose) for the honor, I asked myself one simple question: What will I actually pass through the flame? I think my fellow torchbearer Tan summed it     8     better than I could: “What I hope to pass on is the spirit of the para athletes that enables them     9     (fight) against all odds to win and chase excellence. I also want to pass on their positive energy, their     10     (confident) and strength.”

The two students have completely different lifestyles.

Joe, a student from London,     1     (use) the computer since he was very young. He does     2     (vary) things online. For example, besides doing all his school work, he chats with his friends, watches films and so on. In his opinion, it is convenient     3     (compare) the quality and prices from different online shops before be buys. However, his parents are worried about him. His mother considers it important to meet friends     4     person from time to time. If Joe keeps     5     (do) like that, he may become an “Internet addict”.

For Li Ying, studying is a big part in her life. She tends     6     (set) a goal for every subject when the term starts. She is very attentive in all classes and thinks     7     (active). She has a top 10 reading list and she tries to keep it     8     (update). She is also     9     active member of her school’s long-distance running team and volunteering club. All in all, she makes good use of every minute to achieve her goals.     10     the popular saying goes, “Every minute counts!”

As one of the three major drinks in the world, tea is also the most consumed drink after water on earth. Since tea trees     1     (discover) thousands of years ago, the drink has become closely integrated with daily life and has developed into     2     unique culture.

How could such a little leaf from nature generate such great power? An ongoing exhibition     3     (focus) on tea culture manages     4     (explorer) the answer by offering visitors a comprehensive view of the drink.

The World of Tea: Special Exhilition of Tea Culture takes place at the Wu Men Exhibition Hall of the Palace Museum from September 2 to November 30 in Beijing. It displays 555 items       5     (attach) to tea culture, many of     6     are representative collections of 30 cultural institutions and museums at home and abroad.

Furthermore, it also provides insights into a cultural phenomenon’s origins, evolution and     7     (remark) achievements while emphasizing how it has acted as a unifying thread connecting diverse regions and fostering the integration of various ethnic groups. Using tea as a medium, it displays the essence of Chinese tea culture, and also embodies the Chinese philosophical     8     (pursue) of unity between heaven and humanity.

Wang Guangyao, director of the show and also a researcher at the Palace Museum, says, “We want our audience to     9     (complete) lose themselves in the show by setting     10       interaction spaces.”

The Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional Chinese festival,       1       (celebrate) on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese calendar. It     2     (date) from over 2000 years ago, which falls on June 20th this year.

The Dragon Boat Festival is    3     memory of Qu Yuan, a great poet of ancient China. On this day, Chinese people prepare Zongzi     4       (wrap) in bamboo     5     (leaf).       6     the festival name shows, people have dragon boat races to celebrate it,     7     (especial) in the     8     (south) places     9     there are many rivers and lakes. The competing teams row their boats forward to a drumbeat,     10     (race) to reach the finishing end first.

A good parent-children relationship should     1    (build) on the basis of understanding and respect. On the one hand, parents cannot impose (强加) their ideas on their children. They should treat children as     2    (independence) people. It is good for the parents to learn to listen to     3    (children) ideas and encourage them     4    (think) on their own, instead of deciding everything for the children. On     5     other hand, children should listen to their parents’ advice because they’re more experienced. Try to be understanding     6     there is disagreement with parents. Always keep one thing in mind—whatever they do     7    (come) from their love for us. It is also necessary for children to exchange ideas     8     parents from time to time. Doing so will bridge the gap between parents and children. Parents give us life and all the     9    (thing) we need, but we can’t give them back. However, we should try our best to treat them     10    (kind). Our parents are so good to us, so we must be grateful to them.