Once celebrated as “the sport of kings”, polo (马球), a unique sport with ancient roots,     1     (play) on horseback with a ball. Its exact origins remain uncertain,     2     one early version of this sport emerged in ancient Persia (modern Iran) around the 6th century BC.

Different cultures developed similar games and, over time, polo evolved     3     the sport we know today. It also has a deep historical connection with ancient China, as     4     (show) through the discovery of numerous artifacts, including murals (壁画), stone carvings, mirrors and paintings.

During the 1930s, the modern version of the sport enjoyed a period of     5     (popular) , with polo grounds established in cities with foreign populations like Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Qingdao.

Polo’s noble and warrior-like characteristics have won it many     6     (passion) players, and among them is Jackie Wang. She and her family     7     (spend) the past three years researching and writing Polo in China, a book that documents the lengthy history of the sport in China.

Published by the Cultural Relics Press, the book gives a detailed introduction to polo in China, with photos of artifacts and events, and an engaging storyline     8     brings the sport to life.

As     9     combination of historical reference and artistic representation, the book serves both as an academic work and a general interest publication,     10     (contribute) to the study of polo in China while sharing the sport’s charm through its design and presentation.

4 . Four unique European music traditions that are protected by UNESCO

Inuit drum dancing, Greenland

In 2021, UNESCO(United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) recognised Greenland’s Inuit drum dancing and singing as an intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) of humanity. The drum dance typical of the tradition can be performed by one dancer alone or accompanied by a group of people singing songs about love, humour and hunting.

Uilleann piping, Ireland

Uilleann piping was included in the UNESCO’s list in 2017. It involves playing Irish music on a particular type of bagpipe (风笛) known as the “uilleann”. It is a highly developed and complex instrument, with some functions that cannot be found elsewhere. It often accompanies music played at weddings and parties, and it’s been passed on through several generations of Irish musicians.

Kaustinen folk music, Finland

In 2019, UNESCO added to its list Finland’s Kaustinen folk music, a tradition where the violin, with or without accompanying instruments, is played by ear. The style is characterised by rhythms or accents that make it easy to dance to. The 250-year-old tradition is played during wedding parties, public concerts and at music festivals in the small village of Kaustinen.

Fado, Portugal

Fado music, which originated in Portugal in the early 19th century, is now a symbol of Portuguese culture and tradition. It combines poetry and music to create a sometimes sorrowful, and always passionate melody, usually performed by a solo singer accompanied by guitars. It was included in the UNESCO’s list in2011.

6 . For years, secret gifts had been a holiday essential in Stephanie Levinson’s classroom at San Fernando Elementary School in Los Angeles County. A teacher in a______neighborhood, Levinson knew that her young students led a______life—some were homeless and others lived in garages.   So every holiday season she______to bring the kids some small gifts—a pack of crayons, a pencil, or something.

Then something unexpected happened, and the district______online learning. It opened the educators’ eyes to many other______their students faced. Some attended virtual classes from motel (汽车旅馆) rooms where their families were temporarily______, and some took classes in the places where their parents worked. When the temperature dropped, Levinson began to hear a common______. “They told me they were cold,” she said.

Levinson knew she had to do something. But with her limited______how could she possibly keep all her students______? So she created a wish list on Amazon: a blanket for each of her 24 students to______the cold. She made a heartfelt______to the residents of the rich neighborhood.

Five minutes later she got a text from a neighbor. “I’m looking at your wish list,” the ______ read, “but there’s nothing there.” Feeling puzzled, Levinson______the Amazo page. Just like that, in five minutes, her neighbors had finished the______!

Christmas comes once a year, but______knows no calendar. In the days that followed, Levinson created more wish lists, and there were always generous donors.

A red envelope is simply a long, narrow, red envelope.     1     (tradition)red envelopes are often decorated with gold Chinese characters, such as the characters for     2     (happy)and wealth.

During Chinese New Year, money     3     (put)inside red envelopes. Parents, grandparents, relatives, and even close neighbors and friends give them to younger generations. Red envelopes are also popular gifts     4     birthdays and weddings.

It depends on the situation as to how much money should be put into a red envelope. For     5     (young)children, the equivalent (等量) of about $7 is fine. More money is given to older children and teenagers. The amount (金额) is     6     (usual)enough for the child to buy a gift, like a T-shirt. If you go to     7     wedding, the money in the red envelope should be equivalent to a nice gift     8     would be given at a Western wedding.

For all occasions, certain amounts of money are     9     (avoid). Any amount with the number four in it is best avoided because four     10     (sound)similar to death in Chinese. Even (偶数的) numbers, except four, are better than odd ones-as good things are believed to come in pairs. For example, gifting $20 is better than $21.

10 . As a well-recognized chef, television star, and restaurant owner, Joyce Chen introduced Chinese food to America. She made such a(n) ________ impact on American culture that her photo was included on a US stamp.

Joyce Chen was born in a ________ family and discovered her enthusiasm for cooking at a very early age. Her father ________ a family chef that cooked all of their meals. Chen ________ Chinese cuisine simply by watching their chef cook in their home kitchen. By the time she was 18 years old, she organized and cooked her first ________ dinner. This was the beginning of her career in the ________ industry.

In 1949, Chen and her family moved to Massachusetts. While ________ near Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she frequently met Chinese students that ________ the food they’d grown up with. Chen’s children attended Buckingham School and she would often cook food to be served at ________ events. Her meals quickly became popular among the students. This ________ Chen to open her first restaurant in 1958. At this restaurant, she often served “buffet-style (自助式的)” meals, allowing customers to ________ samples of everything.

Chen rose to fame as a(n) ________ and began holding cooking classes. She released her first cookbook and ________ in “Joyce Chen Cooks”, her own cooking show that aired world wide. However, she began to ________ her brand by marketing various cooking items as well as ________ and selling Chinese sauces to supermarkets. In the early 1980s Chen began to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (阿尔茨海默病) and passed away in 1994.