During the recent Spring Festival holiday, China witnessed a remarkable increase in domestic     1     (tour), with record-high expenditure (开销) spent     2     domestic travel. Liu Jieyi, an official spokesman, emphasized at a news conference on Sunday that the increase reflects the     3     (significance) consumption potential of the Chinese people, driven by a desire     4     (enhance) their quality of life, and is bound to become a strong driver of economic development. The increase in tourism     5     (occur) with increased demand to visit museums during the holiday, leading to challenges for many     6     (individual) in securing tickets. Museums have become a widely discussed topic,     7     (remarkable) featured during the provincial two sessions in many regions. Last year, statistics from the National Cultural Heritage Administration revealed     8     museums in China welcomed 1.24 billion visits, surpassing (超过) the 2019 pre-pandemic figure of 1.23 billion. “The     9     (popular) of museums has not only recovered to the state before the pandemic, but also surpassed it,” said Pan Shouyong,     10     museum expert at Shanghai University.

When Peng Jingxuan began playing the guzbeng on the streets of France in 2018, she did not expect that the traditional instrument would change her life.

Peng began to study the guzheng when she was 7 years old. In 2017, she went to France to study     1    a master’s degree in musicology. There, Peng     2     (draw) to the various performances by artists playing musical instruments on the streets.     3     she seldom saw Chinese instruments     4     (play) on the streets. So, in the summer of 2018, she took her guzheng and began to perform on the street. She was     5     (surprise) to find that very few people in France knew about the Chinese instrument.

“I wanted to make this instrument known to more people,” Peng said. She began to do street performances to     6     (sharp) her skills.     7     more Peng played on the streets, the greater sense of     8     (responsible) she felt to spread Chinese music and culture.

To make this traditional Chinese instrument better known to people in France, Peng carefully selected and arranged each song. She     9     (choose) to focus on traditional guzheng pieces and a number of pop songs with strong Chinese influences.

“    10     (see) the guzheng go global and get more people to know about it, understand it, and love it, I think, is the biggest wish of Chinese artists playing the traditional musical instrument,” she said.

Cultural tours light up nightlife

During the peak summer travel season, many popular tourist destinations in China have experienced overwhelming crowds, making it     1     (challenge) for tourists to secure tickets.     2     (consequent), cultural venues in many places have recently had their opening hours     3     (extend), allowing people to explore during the evening hours.

As the sun began to set, tourists started their evening explorations with a museum in the ancient city of Xi’ an in Shaanxi Province. “We’ve heard that the art museum has lengthened the opening hours     4     10 pm. So we decided to visit here before     5     (enjoy) the night scene of the Grand Tang Mall when the lights are all on,” said Chen from Chongqing.

In ancient China, when night fell, people would engage in activities     6     they could recite poems, appreciate the moon’s beauty and engage in tea fueled conversations. To meet     7     (people) growing demand for night travel, China develops a night culture and a night tourism economy. In recent years, some places     8     (win) fame for night fairs and performances. Even at 10:30 pm, subways in many cities remain packed with people and the night fairs continue with diners.

Nighttime cultural tours have changed     9     conventional tourism model of traveling during the day and sleeping at night, contributing to increased nighttime spending and boosting the     10     (grow) of entertainment and accommodation.

Born in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province, the 28-year-old Fang Rui works as a     1     (design) in the city after studying overseas.

In May, Fang     2     (organize) a free city walk for around 50 people     3     came from all over the country to experience a deeper connection with Nanjing. The city-walk is now attracting a growing number of     4    (follower) in China, with many young people     5     (take) part.

For tourists as well as locals not     6     (full) familiar with a city’s history and culture, the organized walks are an amazing experience. Walk organizers provide the information and care     7     a city’s cultural heritage (遗产). They also have a better and     8     (deep) understanding of their city. City walks allow people     9    (enjoy) the surroundings.

Fang’s organized walk in May renewed her connection with the city and helped the tour participants better understand its cultural heritage in     10     interesting way.

Featuring sparkling lakes, spectacular waterfalls, and colorful leaves, Jiuzhaigou National Park in Sichuan Province is a picturesque fairyland. The park’s name,     1     means “Nine Village Valley,” originated from the nine Tibetan     2    (village) there. It is located in Jiuzhaigou County of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province. It     3    (list) as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1992. The park is also home     4     3,634 species of plants and animals, including giant pandas and golden snub-nosed monkeys,     5    (win) the good reputation of an “earthly paradise”. The national park covers     6     area of 720 square kilometers and ranges from 1,996 to 4,764 meters above sea level.

In 2017, a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake     7    (strike) Jiuzhaigou, and the scenic area was closed due to damage. After continuous reconstruction and natural     8    (recover), the park reopened to visitors in 2021. After the pandemic, the tourist destination has     9    (full) regained its former charm. Tourism facilities have also been improved     10    (provide) better services to tourists.

Each country has its own unique culture, often represented by symbols, such as foods, arts, and music. When you think of America, what symbols come to your mind first?

Perhaps one of     1     most famous symbols of the US is fast food. Fast-food restaurants became popular when people began driving cars around the country. Many of the earliest fast-food restaurants were drive-ins (免下车餐馆) where people ate     2     their cars while they were parked. However, now drive-throughs have become popular. You can just drive up to a window, pick up the food,    3    then drive away. Americans spend about 10% of     4    (they) income on fast food. No wonder America     5    (call) the “Fast-food Nation”!

Jazz is often considered “America’s music”. It is a music style created in the United States by African American musicians. Jazz music    6    (definite) broke through the color barriers, and has become a key part of American culture. One of the early jazz    7    (performer), Louis Armstrong, helped jazz beyond the United States to the world. Jazz musicians freely make up their own music    8    (express) their own feelings, even while    9    (play) in a group.

There are many other symbols of America, such as the Statue of Liberty, Hollywood, and Broadway. These are but a few symbols     10    show something of American culture.