People send birthday wishes using cards and postcards in many cultures. It is not known when and where the tradition of     1     (send) birthday cards began, however, it is believed     2     it was in England in the early nineteenth century. In those days, people sent birthday cards because they couldn’t wish somebody a happy birthday     3     person.

In 1840, the first postage stamp was issued (发行) in Britain and sending birthday cards became       4     (cheap) and therefore more popular. The development of colour printing processes in the 1930s also helped to increase sales of cards.

Today usually cards are given with    5     present, even when people can send     6     (they) wishes in person. In recent times, e-cards have also become popular: many people are starting to use these instead of traditional cards as they     7    (be) free, environmentally    8     (friend) and arrive more quickly. So will e-cards take the place of paper cards in ten or twenty years? Probably not. For young     9     (child) and old people or for very formal occasions (正式场合) e-cards are not proper and some people     10     (simple) don’t use the Internet.

I’d like to share a story that happened a few days ago but still makes me happy. I lived in    1    (German) at that time of the year. It was cold and the    2     (street) were often wet and everyone liked to get home or to a warm place as quickly as possible.

One evening, I     3     (walk) along the sidewalk when I saw a toy rabbit.     4    (I) first thought was joy, “Oh! Rabbit! Sweet.” Then, trained by small acts of kindness, I wondered     5    I could be of help and who    6    (lose) the rabbit.

Then I remembered that a woman with a carriage had just passed. I picked the rabbit up, called to    7    woman and showed the rabbit to her. She turned around with her sleeping child, checked the carriage, and said    8    a smile, “Thank you so much! You saved my evening!” There was so much joy in her face,     9    (make) me happy still to this day.

And it taught me    10    (be) caring even on the risk of failing.

In the future, we     1    (live) in smart homes that will keep us secure, save us energy, and provide a more comfortable environment. Smart homes will control just    2    everything in our home. They will use integrated     3    (sensor) to go into an energy-efficient mode all by itself when we leave home. In     4    (add), smart homes will be monitoring our health every day. If they find there is something    5    (normal) or you have a critical illness, they will give you a     6    (warn) early on and    7    (potential) save our life.Smart homes will also be able to prevent serious damage from accidents. If they find something wrong they will detect    8    and provide us with the relevant information for us    9    (fix) the problem. In a word, this smart technology is not a fantasy, and it will take some years    10    most new homes begin to use this new technology.

People send birthday wishes using cards and postcards in many cultures. It is not known when and where the tradition of     1     (send) birthday cards began, however, it is believed     2     it was in England in the early nineteenth century. In those days people sent birthday cards because they couldn’t wish somebody     3     happy birthday in person.

In 1840, the first postage stamp was issued (发行) in Britain and sending birthday cards became     4     (cheap) and therefore more popular. The development of colour printing processes in the 1930s also helped to increase sales of cards.

Today usually cards     5     (give) with a present, even when people can send     6     (they) wishes in person. In recent times, e-cards have also become popular: many people are starting to use these instead       7     traditional cards as they are free, environmentally     8     (friend) and arrive more quickly. So will e-cards take the place of paper cards in ten or twenty years? Probably not. For young     9     (child) and old people or for very formal occasions (正式场合) e-cards are not proper and some people     10     (simple) don’t use the Internet.

A comforting cup of tea is an essential part of the day for hundreds of millions of people around the globe. Worldwide, three cups of tea     1     (consume) for every cup of coffee. To fully appreciate the ancient roots of the     2     (herb) drink, a visit to the China National Tea Museum might be     3     order. The institution has a long history.

    4     (locate) in Hangzhou, the museum occupies a parklike setting. Inside, various halls demonstrate the story of tea, its ceremonies (仪式) and its tools. Records of tea drinking date as far back as the tenth century B.C. in China.    5     (original) the leaves were baked into a brick, a part of     6     could be broken off and made into a powder (粉状物). Tea spread into northern China during the Tang Dynasty; by the Song Dynasty it     7     (acquire) a loose-leaf production as well as the ceremonies that made its consumption     8     art form.

The art of tea extended to its fancy     9     (contain), which are on display at the museum. Gracefully rounded kettles date back 5,000 years; tea bowls from the Tang Dynasty have a beautiful simplicity. Today visitors can observe a tea ceremony that might be enough     10     (change) even the most passionate coffee drinker.

Hanfu, or traditional Chinese clothing, has a long history dating back    1    thousands of years. It represents the traditional cultural heritage of the Han ethnic group in China. Hanfu embodies the elegance, grace, and beauty of ancient Chinese civilization. In the last few years it    2    (make) a comeback. It is estimated that by the end of this year, the number of people using hanfu products in China will reach 6.89 million, with total sales    3    (expect) to reach 10.16 billion yuan.

    4    (satisfy) the diverse tastes of today’s youth, sellers are putting fancy decorations on this ancient costume. Certain hanfu has a    5    (color) reflective effect, as shiny decorative powders    6    (stamp) into the cloth. Although the young fans of hanfu generally agree    7    is no need to strictly follow the ancient rules, their opinions differ significantly. Some said they can match hanfu from different dynasties together, or with modern clothing, according to their own    8    (prefer).

But others said clothing with fancy and modern decorations can’t be seen as hanfu at all. Meanwhile, fans disagree on    9    often one should wear the clothing, every day or on special occasions like festivals and weddings. But one thing is for sure, young people have become    10    (increasing) interested in activities to promote and display the traditional Chinese culture.

Ancient Chinese civilisation has continued all the way through into modern times, despite the many ups and downs in its history. One of the main factors     1     (be) the Chinese writing system.

    2     (date) back several thousand years to the use of longgu，written Chinese was a picture­based language. At that time, people carved some     3     (symbol) on animal bones and shells. By the Shang Dynasty，it had been already a     4     (high) developed system. Later, there was a time     5     the Chinese people were divided geographically，leading to many varieties of dialects and characters.Chinese writing system was fixed from Qin Dynasty, when Emperor Qinshihuang united the seven major states into one unified country.

The writing system is not only of great     6     (important) in uniting the Chinese people and culture, but also an important means     7     which China’s present is connected with its past. Today, we can read the classic works which     8     (write) by Chinese in ancient times. Now, Chinese calligraphy, as     9     art form, has become an important part of Chinese culture.

With China playing a greater role in global affairs, an increasing number of international students are beginning to learn Chinese     10     (appreciate) China’s culture and history.