China, with a history stretching back thousands of years, has a rich and diverse traditional culture. This culture,    1     is passed down through generations, is seen in     2     (difference) aspects of Chinese life.

One typical example is the art of calligraphy,    3     (consider) as a national treasure. The beauty of Chinese calligraphy     4     (reflect) the harmony of nature and the universe. Another significant aspect is traditional Chinese medicine, and it aims     5     (balance) the body’s vital energy.

Festivals also play     6     crucial role. The Spring Festival, the most important of all, marks the     7     (begin) of a new year and is celebrated with family reunions, fireworks, and delicious food. The Dragon Boat Festival, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month,    8     (special) commemorates(纪念) the ancient poet Qu Yuan.

Additionally, Chinese music and dance, traditional     9     (instrument) like the guqin and the drum, are important parts in Chinese culture. It is classical literature that provides insights into ancient Chinese thought and values.

In conclusion, Chinese traditional culture serves     10     a bridge to the past, connecting generations and developing a sense of national pride.

In recent years, food has apparently become a new hot spot for Chinese cities to attract tourists. Following Zibo and Harbin, Tianshui,     1     ancient city in Northwest China's Gansu Province, became the     2     (hot) tourists destination of 2024 because of malatang, a local street dish.

Malatang,     3     (literal) meaning “numbing, spicy, and hot” in Chinese, is a common street food that can be found all over China, but its tastes differ depending     4     the region. In Tianshui, malatang features a mix of fresh vegetables and meat     5     (boil) in a hot, spicy chicken soup.

Tianshui went viral when a student     6     (post) a seven-second video in February on her social media. In the video, she suggested     7     (make) Gansu malatang a national dish. The video,     8     quickly received millions of likes online, attracted food lovers to the city     9     (experience) this local dish firsthand. Malatang also helps draw more visits to key     10     (attraction) in Tianshui, such as Maijishan Grottoes and Fuxi Temple.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is a Chinese holiday that     1    (celebrate) in China for centuries. It is one of the Chinese Twenty-four Solar Terms, which falls on either April 4^th     2     5th of the Gregorian calendar. It’s also a time for people to remember family members     3     have passed away.

The day is also regarded as the start of spring. As trees turn green and the sun shines brightly, people will go outside and enjoy the     4    (amaze) spring. They will take this opportunity to travel together and go on long walks in parks, laughing and     5    (chat). Therefore, Tomb-Sweeping Day not only is a day     6    (memorize) the dead, but it is also a time for people to enjoy     7       (they). There are many different activities, such as taking a spring outing, or flying kites.

On Tomb Sweeping Day, people often eat a kind of green colored balls     8    (make) from glutinous rice(糯米). The green color is from     9     juice of brome grass(雀麦草) that is added in the rice.

All in all, Tomb-Sweeping Day is a combination of sadness and     10    (happy).

Of all the 24 solar terms, Clear and Bright is the only one, the first day of     1     is also a traditional Chinese festival, Qingming Festival or Tomb-Sweeping Day. The words “clear” and “bright” describe the weather during this period. Temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases,    2    (make)it a crucial time for plowing and sowing in the spring.

Cleaning the tombs and paying respect to the dead     3     offerings are the two important practices to remember late relatives. Weeds around the tomb are cleared away and fresh soil     4    (add)to show care for the dead. As trees turn green, flowers blossom, and the sun shines     5    (bright), everything return s to life. It is a fine time to appreciate the beauty of nature. This custom can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770—476BC)and Warring States Period (475—221BC). Flying kites is     6     activity favored by many Chinese during Tomb-Sweeping Day.     7     makes flying kites during this day special is that people cut the string while the kite is in the sky     8     ( let )it fly free. It is said that this brings good luck and that various     9     (disease)can be chased away by doing this.

In many parts of China, eating eggs during Tomb-Sweeping Day is also important. The Chinese folk     10    (believe)is that eating an egg on Tomb-Sweeping Day will bring good health all year. Today, people believe that eating eggs on Tomb-Sweeping Day will bring success.

As the Internet calls him, Terry Lauerman is     1     first of his kind, a professional cat napper (打盹的人). Terry has been in his local pet sanctuary for many years. And since he has started, he doesn’t plan     2    (stop).

Terry’s love for cats     3    (date) back to his younger years but he’d never quite been able to work with     4    (they) until he retired. He spent his free time     5    (volunteer) at this local shelter.

Terry would sometimes take a cat nap with a few of his cat     6    (friend). By taking a nap so     7    (comfortable), Terry has actually done more for the cat shelter     8    others. It started when the shelter began posting pictures of Terry’s napping breaks and he went viral (走红),     9    led him to encourage people to donate a few dollars for the cats. And it worked. Within days, a generous     10    (donate) of tens of thousands of dollars had been given to the shelter in his name.

When Zhao Shuxian started working at an art and craft factory in 1973, the then 19-year-old was given the job of     1     (master) the time-honored craft of making “velvet” flowers from silk. His goal was to be promoted to the designer’s workshop     2     he would be able to make whatever he wanted, and earn a     3     (good) living. Today, Zhao is recognized as one of the few seasoned     4     (make) of this ornament (装饰).

The practice of wearing velvet flowers     5     (believe) to date back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). They were sent to palaces during the reign of Wu Zetian,     6     they became a popular hair embellishment (点缀) for women serving at the court.

“It was common for court ladies     7     (decorate) their hair with flowers,” Zhao says. “But fresh flowers are not available all year around, so     8     (gradual) fabric flowers became a substitute.” Velvet flowers are called ronghua in Mandarin, a homophone for the characters meaning “prosperity”. Wearing them as     9     blessing became popular at wedding ceremonies, Lunar New Year, and Mid-Autumn Festival. Today, Zhao’s customers, who come from all over the world, wear his flowers both as an everyday item and     10     special occasions.

Many highly successful figures had     1    (previous) faced great challenges before they make achievements. Take for example J.K Rowling and J.D. Salinger, both of     2     received rejections from several publishers. Despite these failures, they refused to give up. Instead, they still concentrated     3    their works and do    4    they can to realize their dreams. Eventually, their books, Harry Porter and The Catcher in the Rye,     5     (regard) as global successes. Another example is Helen Keller, who was an American writer, lecturer and social activist. Aged 19 months old, she lost her hearing and sight. But with the help of her teacher, she overcame her disabilities and went on     6    (earn) a bachelor degree.

Through their lives, a conclusion can be drawn: Although talent, hard work and luck all play     7     important part in their success,     8    (persevere) is the key.     9    (inspire) by their stories, we may get some hints. Don’t complain about the setbacks    10    (harm) you, just keep walking and you will eventually make your dream come true.

Once, I was having dinner in     1     restaurant. I had my dinner interrupted when I heard someone     2     (scream) from another table. A fellow diner at the restaurant was choking on some steak. He was now holding his throat with his face turning red, while his desperate friends     3     (slap) him on the back. I went over     4     (help) the diner to his feet. Then I used the Heimlich manoeuvre. I stood behind him, made a fist with one hand, grabbed my fist with the other hand     5     (tight), and then     6     (push) up and into     7     (he) stomach in one motion. I continued doing this     8     the obstruction was forced out. If he had been a small child, I would have laid him face down on my lap so that he couldn’t collapse. We have a duty to look after one another’s welfare. How could I justify standing by and doing nothing? Recently I was out     9     shape. I always ate more and slept in. I stayed in a hospital ward for two weeks. The doctor suggested that I should get a gym membership and work out at the gym in the     10     (suburb).

People associate deafness, blindness, and other disabilities as weaknesses but that is not often the case, it     1     (certain) wasn’t the case for the famous American author Helen Keller. When she was a child, she was described     2     a “Monster” by her family members. That was because of her bad habits, temper tantrums, and     3     she behaved. However, all of that changed within a year and she transformed fully. She became one of the     4     (great) inspirations that the world has ever seen. She didn’t just change     5    (she) but she changed others.

Helen Keller was born on June 27th, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, America. She was born normal, with normal sight and hearing abilities. All was good until Helen submitted to a rare disease,     6     the doctors referred to as “Scarlet Fever”. She recovered from     7     disease but at the cost of her sight and hearing abilities.

This did not stop her from pursuing the amazing     8    (accomplish) she would achieve. Her teacher, Anne Sullivan helped her and made her get the ability     9    (communicate) properly. Helen graduated from college in 1904 and was the recipient of many awards and honors. She became one of the best humanitarians the world has seen, along with     10    (become) the founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

China has launched six improvement plans to boost a flagship high-quality grain project. The plans,     1     involve green storage, brand promotion, quality tracking, mechanization, emergency supply and food loss     2    (reduce), are expected to ensure sustainable national food security.

The green storage plan     3    (propose) building new high-standard granaries (谷仓) and improving warehouses. A system to measure and control grain conditions should     4    (establish), while the ability to clean grain is expected     5    (improve).

The quality and brand improvement plan said that     6     2025, the supply of high quality food will be more abundant, and the amount of high quality grain will see     7     annual increase of 10 percent. The country will cultivate more grain and oil brands with increasing market competitiveness.

The online and offline grain markets, which include emergency supply     8    (center) and staple kitchens, should be improved to progress from “eating enough” to “eating     9    (health) diet”.

The plan aims to improve quality and safety inspection and monitoring by using big data, the internet of things and other information technologies, further     10    (ensure) authenticity and accuracy.