What is culture? Culture is the shared characteristics and knowledge of a group of people,     1     (include) their language, religion, food, social habits, music and arts. The word “culture” has     2     (it) root from the Latin “culture”, which is related to the meaning of “growth”.

A number of historical events     3     (help)shape Western culture in the past 2,500 years. The fall of Rome cleared the way for the establishment of a series of states in Europe. The Black Death of the 1300 cut the population of Europe by one-third,     4     remade the society. Gradually, Christianity became the strength of all religions in Europe. Then the trade between East and West allowed Europeans     5     (explore) North and South America.

Eastern culture generally refers to the traditions in Asian     6     (country). Like the West, Eastern culture was heavily influenced by religion during its early development, but later it     7     (influence) by the agricultural development significantly.

    8     culture differs from area to area, one thing is for certain: Cultures change. “Culture plays     9     important role in our interconnected world,” Do Rossi said. “But it is no longer fixed. Culture is constantly moving and     10     (essential) flowing.”

Dressed in long robes, a crowd of young people wanders around royal gardens, with their flowing sleeves (衣袖)     1     (gentle) swaying in the breeze. They are not actors nor actresses in a movie set, but Hanfu fans in a themed event held in Beijing.

“Over a decade ago, Hanfu fashion was a subculture, but relevant     2     (activity) often draw thousands of participants these days,” said Liu Xiang, an organizer of the event.

Hanfu,     3     was a traditional style of clothing     4     (wear) by the Han people, nowadays enjoys a growing     5     (popular) among young Chinese people, including Liu. Liu is a co-founder of a Hanfu community in Beijing. This community, called Hua Yan Hui,     6     (found) in 2011 following a Hanfu revival (复兴) movement that emerged from growing cultural confidence and the desire     7     (express) national identity. Since then, Liu has been volunteering to support the group.

“My passion     8     Hanfu came from two of my friends who love traditional Chinese clothing,” Liu said. Her interest grew as she learned more about     9     culture behind it and acquired her first Hanfu costume. Currently, more and more young people wear the adjusted Hanfu with the belief     10     the best way to preserve tradition is to adapt it to modern life.

As evening sets in, Chung Chia-ming arrives at the busy night market of Nan’an District in China’s Southwest city Chongqing, parks his car on the roadside     1     kicks up his mobile lemon tea stand.

“Customer flow has increased dramatically recently. I am very optimistic     2     business prospects this year,” Chung said,     3     (add) that he once sold more than 200 cups of lemon tea in a single evening. The economy had been hit     4     (severe) by the COVID-19 crisis in recent years. The car trunk shop, which is a special feature of Chongqing’s night market, offers an efficient service to the customers.

Obviously, the business     5     (grow) since the beginning of this year. Despite being very busy at times, Chung is excited to earn money on his own, and it has also boosted his self-confidence. His shop has gained     6     (popular) among visitors. He has set     7     example for young people in terms of commitment and hard work.

The night market,     8     flexibility provides more employment alternatives for job-seekers, has brought joy and fun for consumers. Meanwhile, it boosts the confidence of the sellers. Chongqing’s Nan’an District has been planning     9     (promote) consumption in the cultural industry. The night market has put great energy into the night economy in the past few months. Its great activity marks a good start for a     10     (hope) year.

Yu Rong, a Chinese artist, thinks of a new way to introduce     1     ancient story of Hua Mulan in her picture book. In the book, I Am Hua Mulan, she tells the story by     2     (combine) paper-cutting with international artistic styles. She places Shaanxi paper-cuts over western-style pencil sketches (素描)     3     (create) a typical presentation of Chinese elements, which turns out to be a successful and impressive breakthrough.

Hua Mulan,     4     story has been told by generations in China, was a fighter from the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). As a     5     (devote) daughter, she dressed herself as a man to serve in the army     6     place of her father. Mulan’s characteristics, such as courage, kindness and a disinterested attitude toward fame and fortune, made     7     (she) one of the most respected historical Chinese heroines. Mulan’s story has been adapted     8     (frequent) in modern media. For example, in 1998, Disney produced a film named Mulan, which     9     (consider) a great success by critics and the public.

To better tell the story, Yu Rong takes inspiration from her several visits to sites of ancient battles and Henan Province’s Yu Opera     10     after years of preparations she finally makes this extraordinary work.

Christopher Reeve was born in 1952 to a novelist father and a journalist mother. From 1978 to 1987, he     1     (give) the lead role to star in four Superman films which were very popular and successful.     2     (fortunate), a terrible disaster in 1995 changed the cause of his life forever. While horseback riding, he     3     (break) his neck. As a result he had no movement or feeling in his body and couldn’t even breathe     4     the help of a machine. His was hurt so severely     5     many doctors believed that he would not survive. At first, being trapped in a broken body made him     6     (depress) but eventually, he decided to recover as well as he could. He undertook     7     intense exercise programme     8     (design) to help him rebuild muscle. Alongside this, he became a     9     (passion) and energetic advocate for others with similar     10     (injure) and raised millions of dollars for medical research. He inspired many people with his continence to recovery and his desire to help others. For that reason he is remembered by many as a superhero in real life, as well as in films.

Communicating with the old can be challenging, especially when considering the fact    1     their abilities are failing.

First of all, you are supposed to respect the old’s thoughts, backgrounds and life experience. Do not correct their opinions even when you can’t reach any     2     (agree). And when old people are talking, listen     3     (careful). Let them finish because letting them express their thoughts and emotions     4     (be) important.

When you’re together with them, try to know if they would like     5     (chat) or be quiet. And     6     you feel they want to be quiet, just be there, because     7     (spend) time with them is as important as talking to them or cheering them up.

As communication with old people can be difficult, it is     8     (importance) to be always patient. When you are explaining something     9     them, you should remain patient when they ask you to repeat yourself. Try using gestures while you talk with them, or write down what you want to say when     10     is necessary.