England is the     1     (big) of the four countries in the United Kingdom. Together with Scotland and Wales, these three countries are the island of Great Britain.

The official language of England is English, which     2     (speak) today by millions of people all over the world. Many students go to England from other countries     3     (study) the language and learn about the culture.     4     everyone speaks English, there are many different accents (口音) around the country. French     5     (be) the official language in England between 1066 and 1362,     6     is why there are many French words and expressions in English such as “bon voyage” for “have a good trip” or “bouquet” for “a bunch of flowers”.

English people love music.     7     the summer you can go to music festivals all over the country like those at Glastonbury, Leeds or Reading. Glastonbury is     8     five-day festival of music, dance, comedy, theatre and circus and around 175,000 people go. Many people stay at the festivals for a few     9     (day) and camp in tents. People listen to all types of music,     10     (especial) pop and rock. England has produced many international groups and singers like the Beatles, Amy Winehouse, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Adele.

My name is Haroon Ali Kabeer. I am from Pakistan. As a foreigner, I am impressed with Chinese culture and landscapes. I have been to many cities in China like the capital city of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xi’an, Urumqi, Suzhou and everywhere in Shandong.

I understand the     1     (important) of proper research. In this article, I will share my personal experience     2     has changed my life. At that time, I was living and working in China     3     an international student and foreign teacher.

China is a country     4     (know) for its rich culture, long history and breathtaking landscapes. The country’s rich culture, with its unique and advanced educational system, has made it     5     popular place for international students all around the world.

In 2016, I     6     (come) to China to receive education and I must say it was the     7     (good) decision I have made in my life. Another reason for     8     (choose) China was the good relationship between Pakistan and China. The Chinese are friendly with foreigners, especially with Pakistanis.

One of the things I noticed is how Chinese people value education. They take their studies seriously. From primary schools to universities, education is     9     (high) regarded, and that is obvious in the quality of the education system. The education system in China has made sure that students can     10     (equip) with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in life.

In Shanxi Province, there is a tradition of taking afternoon naps, which means people take a short rest in the middle of the day. You can see people of all ages, men or women     1    (take)their naps. To them, it’s a peaceful and quiet time     2    the busy streets become empty and still.

Taking an afternoon nap is a tradition that     3    (be)around for a long time in Shanxi. It has been passed down from generation     4     generation. Parents teach their children the     5    (important)of rest and encourage them to do it. Through naps, they hope the young ones can learn to take care of     6    (they)and enjoy a quick break from a busy day.

Actually, the tradition of afternoon naps     7    (believe)to have many benefits. It helps people feel     8    (great)refreshed for the rest of the day. It also gives their bodies and minds a chance to relax and recover from all the activities in the morning.

So, if you ever visit Shanxi, don’t be     9    (surprise)if you see people taking naps in the early afternoon. And when you feel tired during the day, try finding somewhere comfortable and taking a good afternoon nap. Who knows, a little shut-eye might make     10    difference in making you feel great and your day even better!

A concert     1     (feature ) ancient China's Tang Dynasty poems was held in Philadelphia, on Friday night January 6 to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year.

Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems, the 1.5-hour-long concert attracted more than 2,000audience and brought the Tang Dynasty to life with ancient poems reinterpreted by young international    2     (composer).

    3     concert, presented jointly by Suzhou International Young Artist Festival and the Philadelphia Orchestra, was also held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the orchestra’s historic 1973 tour of China.

Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping,     4     made remarks before the show, said, “The Philadelphia Orchestra     5     (become) one of the most popular foreign orchestras in China since the ensemble’s (乐团) trip to China. The stories between the Philadelphia Orchestra and     6     (it) Chinese partners showed that people to people exchange is a constant driving force for China-U. S. relations.”

    7     (found) in 1900, the orchestra was the first U S orchestra to perform in China Since then, it has     8     (frequent) visited the Asian country, serving     9     a bridge for bilateral cultural, educational and people-to-people exchanges. “The concert was marvelous, ”said Jennifer Lin, a local documentary director told Xinhua after the show. “The poetry was     10     (impress) .The singing was beautiful , and the orchestra was fantastic ”

Zu Ti of the Jin Dynasty was a man who had with great ambition. When he was young, he had a good friend     1     (name) Liu Kun. They had such a deep friendship     2     they stayed together every day and got up at the same time every morning.

One day, when they were sleeping. Zu Ti heard the rooster crowing (鸡鸣) . He woke up Liu Kun and said, “How about     3     (get) up to play swords (剑) as soon as we heard the rooster crowing from now on?” Liu Kun was still     4     (sleep) . But he agreed with him     5     (joyful) . From then on, they got up and played swords once the rooster began crowing. They kept their word and never gave up no matter     6     cold in winter or hot in summer. Hard work     7     (pay) off. After a long period of hard study and training, they finally became the all-rounder. And they both did excellent jobs to their country.

The idiom “to rise with the rooster” teaches us that with ambition and hard work,     8     (succeed) is possible. When we can discover our shortcomings     9     time, it is not too late to try. But if you are not willing     10     (work) hard, you will not be able to achieve a career after all.

Most of the Christmas traditions in Greece are     1     (slight) different from the West. Children travel from house to house on Christmas Eve singing carols (颂歌) and offering their good wishes. In return, they will receive sweets, coins, small gifts and other things of appreciation.

In major cities and towns of Greece, decorations     2     (make) with brilliant lights hung across the streets. Shops are decorated with all the usual Christmas     3     (decoration). A number of rituals (仪式) are connected with the     4     (celebrate) of the festival.

During the day, the mother of a family sprinkles (撒) some holy water in each room     5     (scare) bad spirits away. The bad spirits are supposed to do bad things like putting out fires and making milk go off. Besides,     6     time to time priests (牧师) go to the houses sprinkling holy water around so that bad spirits dare not to come any     7     (long).

In most Greek homes, an evergreen tree is decorated with a star placed on top.     8     is known that the main Christmas meal is roasted lamb and pork along with salads and vegetables. In addition, people enjoy     9     (they) by eating Christmas desserts like Melomakarona, egg-shaped biscuits     10     are made from flour, olive oil and honey.

In China, there are 44 national-level intangible cultural heritage items related     1     tea, including the art of making Biluochun,     2     type of green tea. With a history of about 1,000 years, Biluochun,     3     translates as “green spiral spring (碧螺春)”, is made from tender tea shoots. It is known for its spiral-like     4     (appear).

To make this tea, the tea trees and fruit trees     5     (plant) together. The practice, passed down from ancestors, guarantees the     6     (tea) fruity and sweet taste.

Traditionally, Biluochun is produced     7     (entire) by hand. About 1 kilogram of leaves     8     (pick) from a big tea tree produce only 0.1 kilogram of tea after processing.

Biluochun must be processed soon after. Tender tea shoots are placed in a heated iron pan and stirred (搅拌) quickly. A person needs to be particularly attentive     9     (adjust) the level of heat to judge the condition of the tea by smell. Next     10     (come) the shaping process. By stirring, shaking and rubbing the tea leaves in the pan at 100℃, they begin to dry and develop a spiral form. The entire process usually takes about 40 minutes. Every minute matters, or the tea will not taste good.

Home should be a place     1     people feel safe and comfortable. Keeping harmony at home is important for the well-being of an individual, a couple and their children, and even the whole society. But many are being troubled by family problems because of the lack of a sense of family     2     (responsible).

Everyone     3     (have)certain roles to take on in his or her family. Parents     4     (expect) to ensure their children are well-cared and well-educated, helping them build a strong body and great characters. College students also need to behave as     5    (adult). Being independent of parents as early as possible can reduce     6     (they)financial burden. Learning to perform well can prevent us from     7     (become)a source of worry to them. Doing our duty to the best of our abilities allows them     8     (enjoy) life in midlife years, or after retirement.

    9    (brief), a sense of responsibility among family members is a prerequisite for a warm and loving family. Often far away from home, we may start by keeping in contact with our parents as     10     means of showing that we are a part of the family.

Tea is a simple drink. And it is     1    (center) to the lives of millions of people worldwide.

There are six major types of tea in China-green tea, black tea, Oolong tea, dark tea, white tea, and reprocessed tea, distinguished mainly by different     2    (method) of production.

China,     3    (recognize) as the homeland of tea, is a leading producer and consumer, and the discovery     4     the usage of tea have a history of 4, 000 to 5, 000 years. Drinking tea first started to become popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties.

    5     origin of tea is lost among history and legend. What can be     6    (rough) confirmed is that tea originated in southwest China. In Yunnan and elsewhere, some wild tea trees     7     are over 1, 000 years old still exist.

Many traditional Chinese families drink tea after dinner or when     8    (greet) visitors. This is not only a healthy habit but also reflects rich culture and history. Chinese people can chat with a friend or enjoy     9    (they) for a whole afternoon over a pot of good tea.

It was in the Tang Dynasty that teahouses came into being, and in some big cities then, there     10    (be) also tea shops, which stored large quantities of tea leaves and prepared tea for their customers.

The history of siheyuan (courtyard house) in Beijing can be traced back to more than 800 years ago     1     Beijing established its status as the capital city. As a kind of traditional Chinese relic, siheyuan represents the     2     (capital) architectural style.

Siheyuan is a closed rectangular space with a courtyard in the center. It     3     (surround) by four houses: the main room, the opposite room, an eastern-wing house and a western-wing house. The housing arrangement is     4     (total) based on the rules of hierarchical system, which aims to keep the order of the family members’ status. The principal house facing the south is inhabited by the head of the family, and his or her     5     (old) son lives in the eastern-wing house, which is believed to be superior     6     the western- wing house. Usually, the opposite house is given to servants and other members. Undoubtedly, siheyuan is a mirror of Chinese culture,     7     (reflect) the sense of belonging in the mind of Chinese people. All the gates are printed red,     8     symbol of luck in China.

Indeed,     9     (know) more about Chinese culture and traditions, visiting siheyuan     10     (be) a smart choice for you. Staying in a siheyuan, learning how to make dumplings and enjoying a local Chinese life, you will get an unforgettable experience here.