The Duan inkstone, one of the four most famous inkstones in China,     1     (originate) in the mountains by the Duanxi River in Guangdong Province. Since the Tang Dynasty, it has been the     2     (center) region for Duan inkstone production and even today, most of the villagers still earn their living by making inkstones.

Throughout hundreds of years, villagers have developed     3     scientific production system. The process involves stone selection, material screening, shape designing, carving, and wooden box matching, among     4     stone selection and carving are the two most important steps.

Purple     5     color, Duan inkstones are glossy and as smooth as silk. They enjoy a great reputation as they never crack even when     6     (place) in low temperatures. It is a long and laborious process to handpick flawless Duan stones. Miners dig in tunnels less than one meter high at the riverside, and using tools such as dynamite (炸药)     7     (forbid).

Carving involves good conception, and highlights the fine shape of the stones     8     carving skills. In addition to natural designs, flying dragons, flowers and birds, figures, mountains and waters are common     9     (image) carved on the stones. The matching boxes are also carefully chosen and are often made of purple sandalwood and rosewood. The Duan inkstone has various styles, and new-style products are designed one after another     10     (meet) increased export demands.

With some free time during the holiday, I thought it was time to achieve one of my China     1     (dream): visiting Harbin!

That afternoon of     2     first day was time to see the fabled (传奇的) snow and ice world of Harbin. This frozen amusement park just blew me away. The giant ice statues, all illuminated (发光的)     3     the inside, were simply magical to explore; and various attractions and games, such as sledding, made the trip all the more worthwhile.

Although busy, the park was still definitely manageable, and     4     was nice to see so many families who must have traveled from far and wide all having fun. My only regret was wearing only two pairs of socks and not three, as     5     the sun went down the temperatures quickly dropped as well.

On my second day, my tour took us to the old city center. While     6     (walk) down the pedestrian (步行的) Central Street, I found architectural influences from both the present and the past     7     (be) on full display, showing an amazing mix of cultures. In some ways, it reminded me of walking down Nanjing Road in Shanghai — just a lot     8     (cold)! The freezing temperatures didn't stop visitors from enjoying the local ice cream, however.

The magic of this icy city     9     (stick) with me since and I can't wait until next winter     10     (visit) again.

One of the most famous Chinese     1     (painting) in the world is the Qingming Shang He Tu by Zhang Zeduan,     2     court painter (宫廷画师) for the emperor during the Northern Song Dynasty.

The art-work captures the     3     (day) life of people from the Song period at the capital, Bianjing, today’s Kaifeng in Henan. Its theme is not to show the holiday’s ceremonial aspects, such as tomb sweeping and prayers (祈祷), but     4     (celebrate) the festive, spirit and prosperous (繁荣) street scene at the Qingming Festival.

The entire piece     5     (finish) in the handscroll format (手卷格式) at that time and the content reveals the lifestyle of all levels of society from rich     6     poor as well as different economic activities. The original painting,     7     measures 24.8 by 528 cm, is now in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing.

This long handscroll has three major sections: the right section is the rural area. A country path broadens into a road     8     we can see it eventually joins with the city streets. In the middle, there are businessmen of all kinds,     9     (sell) grain, musical instruments, paintings, medicine and so on. The left half is the urban area where economic activities, such as people loading things onto the boat, shops, and even a tax office,     10     (be) clear enough to be seen.

We all know the characteristic     1     (feature) of a giraffe : long neck, hornlike head protuberances, spotted coat. Well, not always. A giraffe     2     (miss) spots was recently photographed     3     the first time in the wild. The unprecedented sighting, at a private game reserve in Namibia,     4     (occur) just weeks after another animal with similar coloring was born at a Tennessee zoo. No data suggest that a solid-brown coat is appearing more     5     (frequent) than in the past, but it's a surprising coincidence, says Sara Ferguson, a wildlife veterinarian and     6     (conserve) health coordinator at the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. The last     7     (report) all -brown giraffe sighting was in 1972, at a Tokyo zoo.

Genetic mutations are the likely cause,     8     the animals don't seem to be at a disadvantage, says Derek Lee,     9     biologist at Penn State University who co-authored a 2018 study     10     found some aspects of giraffe markings are passed down from mother to calf. Are the all - brown giraffes truly spotless ? Technically, Lee says, they're " one-spot- all - over giraffes."

Music in its many forms is a powerful force. For centuries, people all over the world have created or listened to music in its     1     (variety) forms. The power of music can     2     (feel) from the beating of drums to the ringing of bells, from the sound of a piano to the clapping of hands and stamping of feet.

In many cultures, music making     3     (happen) with story telling. In some cultures it has been used     4    (help) treat illnesses. Today, music therapy (疗法) is a way of helping people with disabilities. For some people who have trouble     5     (communicate) in words, music can be the bridge     6     helps them express themselves more     7     (free).

The power of music is this―it will touch all our lives in some way. It could be we a e interested in the popular music of today and the classical music of yesterday, or have a fascination with creating wonderful instruments. It could be we join     8     band or an orchestra, become a street musician or     9     (compose), or we could simply be listeners.

Although the music today may be different     10     what the next generation will listen to, it will always be part of our world.