Yue Opera is one of the most popular Chinese operas, which is no small achievement when you consider that there are over 360 opera     1     (type) in China. After all, there’s nothing wrong with getting a silver medal!     2     (originate) from Sheng County in the Shaoxing City of Zhejiang Province, it is sometimes simply called Shaoxing Opera. The name “Yue” is derived (源自) from the ancient State of Yue, which     3     (rule) the region during the Spring and Autumn Period.

Like many styles of Chinese opera, it evolved from the conversations farmers would have and the folk songs     4     they would sing when they are working. It became particularly popular     5     rural communities because of its lively and romantic descriptions of normal daily life. Kind of like watching     6     (you) favourite soap opera! During economic downturn, many farmers would turn to this folk art as a secondary job     7     (increase) their income.

Initially, this style was performed only by male actors. However, in the late 1920s an all-female troupe (剧团)     8     (call) the Women’s Refined Opera appeared. In a true demonstration of girl power, this troupe became so popular that all-male troupes were     9     (complete) replaced by all- female troupes during the 1930s and 1940s. It was around this time that     10     name “Yue Opera” was formally adopted.

6 . Hou Yifan, born on February 27, 1994 in Jiangsu, China, is a world-famous Chinese chess player. She was the Women’s World Chess champion (冠军), the youngest ever to win the title (头衔).

Hou started playing chess when she was 5 years old in 1999. At that time, her parents took Hou to try different brain games at a training center. “It was so interesting that I was attracted (吸引) by the chess and decided to take up the hobby,” said Hou. “Chess is a brain game full of uncertainties(不确定性). Even when there are only five or six pieces left on the board, you cannot predict all the results,” said Hou. “So instead of focusing too much on theories, we should depend on practice and skills more.” Learning methods from the past matches and practicing chess became her daily activities.

It needed a lot of hard work, but it was worth it. She became the youngest chess champion in the world at the age of 16. Although she became a famous chess star known all over the world, Hou wasn’t proud of it. “I’m happy to win these titles, but I know this is a coin with two sides,” Hou added. “As I gain public attention, my faults will become larger. So I should keep improving.”

Having focused on international chess for a long time, Hou then decided to study in college. In 2012, she studied International Relations at Peking University and then she went to the University of Oxford in 2018. In 2020, she became a teacher at Shenzhen University. She wanted to connect the methods she learned in China and the West and teach more young Chinese people.

The traditional Chinese craft of turning thick bamboo into delicate slices achieves fame on overseas short video platform TikTok, receiving more than 10 million     1     (view) and hundreds of thousands of likes. The skilled bamboo craftsmen are recording the daily detailed production process of their handicrafts on social media,     2     are regarded as a “    3     (mystery) Chinese power” in the eyes of foreign netizens.

Anne, a TikTok talent from Omaha, USA, filmed a reaction video to the artistry and posted     4     online. While     5     (witness) the process of bamboo gradually turning into bamboo silk and pot brushes, she couldn’t contain her     6     (surprise) expression. “A real craftsman,” she said in the video.

    7     fancy tools, these bamboo craftsmen make amazing works of art     8     (simple) using their own bare hands. Pan Yunfeng, 51, from Lin’ an, Zhejiang, started learning bamboo weaving at an early age and by now with over 5 million followers on Douyin, he     9     (become) a genuine influencer for netizens home and abroad.

Bamboo weaving art, originating from the Warring States Period 2,000 years ago, has become an essential part of Chinese traditional culture. Now, the popularity of bamboo art on TikTok has opened a window for foreign netizens     10     (understand) Chinese culture.

10 . Juleus Ghunta is an award-winning children’s author, but growing up, he could barely ________. Raised by a single mother, who often had to make ________ choices about how to use their limited resources— including a decision to send his oldest sister to school, so he had been kept home and had no ________ to books as a child.

When Ghunta finally got the opportunity to attend school, he couldn’t ________ words, spell his name, or read with understanding. The situation was made worse by a series of teachers who made him feel ________. “They were not very patient, not very kind,” he said, “I suffered from a deep sense of loss and shame.”

Fortunately, a young teacher decided to start a reading program for ________ students. Ghunta was the first to sign up. “The teacher was ________ kind to me.” he said, “She had left me with the gift of literacy, and a deeper appreciation of my value as a human being.” Under her patient ________, Ghunta’s reading skills gradually improved, and his sense of inadequacy (不足) began to ________.

After interacting with the young teacher, Ghunta’s life took a new ________. He graduated from high school with a number of academic awards, and went on to college successfully. Nowadays, he is the author of two children’s books about ________ difficult experiences in childhood.

In 2010, Ghunta went back to his old school to ________ his old teacher’s name, but in vain. However, he still hopes to ________ her one day, so that he can thank her for seeing his ________. “I would love for her to see the significant impact she has made on my life, and the ways in which I have ________ this memory of her— the hope, the light, with me- and how it continues to be a source of joy.”