There are many folk stories in China. A more generally     1     (accept) legend goes that humans were created by a goddess named Nüwa,     2     had a human head but the body of a snake. As she traveled     3     earth, Nüwa began to feel lonely. So she took some yellow earth,     4     (mix) it with water and formed a human. This new person immediately began dancing about and shouting in     5     (happy). Nüwa was pleased so she continued to form other people     6     the world was full of humans.

Later, GongGong, the god of water, and Zhu Rong, the god of fire, had a great fight,     7     (create) a mess in the heavens and on the earth. In the end, Gong Gong lost. He was so angry that he hit his head     8     Buzhou Mountain, which was holding up the sky, and the mountain fell. As the sky began to fall, all the planets and the stars started to move to the northwest, leaving a hole in the sky. Worried that her humans would be killed, Nuwa took stones of five different colors, melted them and then used them to cover up the hole in the sky.     9     (keep) the sky from falling, she put a turtle’s leg at each corner to hold it up. In this way, humans     10     (save).

Anyone visiting Tibet and exploring its culture would visit the temples to view the colorful and educational Tibetan Thangka (唐卡) paintings. They are traditionally painted on either cotton or silk, with     1     (loose) woven cotton being the most common. The paintings usually show religious scenes, as indicated by their name, Thangka,     2     (mean) “recorded message” in Tibetan.

The Tibetan Thangka is     3     art form that originated in Nepal and was brought to Tibet later. The Thangka paintings were developed over the centuries from the early murals (壁画) that can be seen in     4     is titled “Library Caves”, such as the Ajanta Caves in India and the Mogao Caves in China.

The Mogao Caves were previously a storage place of many Tibetan paintings on cloth, including the earliest surviving Thangka dated to be from around 780-848 AD     5     the region was under Tibetan rule. Historians note that between the 14th and 15th century, Tibetan paintings     6     (integrate) many elements from the Chinese murals.

The Thangka painting is not a flat creation but consists of a painted picture panel, over which a fabric is mounted, and then over which     7     (lay) a cover, usually silk. It is the nature of     8     (delicate) that makes Thangkas prefer dry places     9     (prevent) the quality of the silk from being affected by wetness. When they are not in use, they remain rolled up, with coverings on the back and front to protect the painting.     10     (keep) in this way helps Thangkas last for a very long time.

Recently the 19th China International Cartoon and Animation Festival was held in Hangzhou Zhejiang Province. At that time, as a major exhibition for animation, it     1     (emphasize) combining traditional Chinese culture into the medium. This idea has been shared, by the industry insiders and will     2     (sure) help promote the development of Chinese animation.

Over the past decade, Chinese animation has made great progress and some works have won     3     (recognize) in the international market. The most     4     (impress) film is Nezha, based on a Chinese legend about a heavenly god who wipes out monsters. Actually, in 1979, the film Nezha Conquers the Dragon King was first shown. In the old version, Nezha’s image originated     5     Chinese operas and folk paintings, while in the new version, the design of Nezha has a breakthrough by showing a naughty image. However, something in common between them is traditional Chinese culture,     6     has been a remarkable source of the creation for Chinese animated works.

The film has become a hit. It shows that combining traditional Chinese culture with modern ideas san work as an effective way     7     (succeed) in the making of Chinese animated works.

Chinese animation has made a leap forward in terms of technique. In the film, Deep Sea     8     (release) in early 2023, advanced technologies were used to make     9     look like a traditional “ink wash painting”. This animated film was nominated (提名) at the 73rd Berlin Film Festival — the first original Chinese 3D animation to achieve such     10     honor. It helped make Chinese animation known to the world together with traditional culture.

When we think of the Silk Road, the first thing that appears in people’s minds is trade. However, trade isn’t just limited to goods     1     includes culture.

Since ancient times, strong connections between the Chinese and the Turkish people     2     (build) by cultural exchange along the Silk Road. Some historians believe Karagoz, Turkish traditional shadow puppetry (皮影) , drew     3     (inspire) from Chinese shadow puppetry art. Karagoz originally     4     (find) its place in Bursa, a city in northwestern Turkey, and it first rose to popularity in the 16th century.

Karagoz is a dramatic form of storytelling     5     shadows are projected onto a white screen, with a multitasking performer     6     (sing) the tunes and words of the story and the lead puppeteer controlling the movement of the puppets. The performances     7     (main) center around social events and public criticism, whose primary objective is     8     (educate) people via entertainment.

The tradition’s popularity in Turkey is credited     9     people’s sense of nostalgia (怀旧) . Historically, Karagoz performances served as     10     educational tool for people of all classes. As society progresses, there is often a tendency to reconnect with the past.

You can be happy even when you’re suffering from illness, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore the aspects of your health     1     are in your control. Exercise and sleep are particularly important when it comes     2     happiness.

Making exercise a regular habit isn’t just good for the body. It also has a     3     (power) effect on mental well-being. People who exercise regularly are happier across the board. Plus, they’re also less stressed, anxious, and     4     (depress).

It doesn’t really matter     5     kind of exercise you do, so long as you do it regularly. For the best results, aim for an hour of exercise at least five days a week. If you find something you enjoy, you’ll be more likely     6     (stick) to it. So don’t think you’re limited to     7     (go) to the gym. Find something that suits your lifestyle and preferences. If you’re having trouble thinking of activities you enjoy, think back to when you     8     (be) a kid. What sports or games did you like to play?

Also, getting quality sleep every night directly     9     (affect) your happiness, and emotional stability during the day. When you re lacking sleep, you’re much easier to stress. It’s harder to be productive, think creatively, and make wise     10     (decide). The average person needs at least 7.5 - 9 hours each night.

My Thrilling Getaway

To escape the hustle and bustle of London, my family began     1     remarkable staycation to explore unfamiliar shores of Plymouth in South Devon.

After a scenic drive that left us in awe, we found     2     (our) standing on Mount Batten beach. The vision before us was breathtaking—rocky pools and rough sand, all surrounded by green hills. Walking along the charming pathway, we immersed (沉浸) ourselves in the expansive ocean views and the dynamic atmosphere. That evening, warmth filling the air, we gathered around a crackling bonfire, sharing     3     (heart) laughter with fellow beachgoers.

Eager to explore more of Plymouth’s charm, we set out for West Hoe Park the next day,     4     provided a spacious play area for children, equipped with plentiful     5     (delight). Our children were totally attracted and we had a hard time     6     (tear) them away.

Afterwards, we walked     7     (leisure) along Hoe Promenade towards Hoe Park. Despite the crowds, we enjoyed a peaceful walk, greatly     8     (enhance) by the iconic Smeaton’s Tower lighthouse. Undoubtedly, the highlight of our journey was Bovisand Beach. Our children were in their element, building sandcastles and playing in the water, relaxed     9     joyous.

Plymouth     10     (cast) its spell on us and left us with memories that would stay with us for a lifetime.

Hope Justman, in 81-year-old American, has just completed her 24th trip along the shudao,     1     ancient road system in Sichuan province that dates back to two thousand years ago.

Running for around 1,000 kilometers, the shudao     2    (wind) through mountains and crosses streams, connecting Sichuan province with the northern Guanzhong Plain, which was once the heartland of ancient China.

Justman’s     3    (connect) to the ancient road system dates back to her college days. As part of a course on Chinese literature and art, she     4    (visit) an exhibition in Boston,     5    a painting captured her attention.

In 1997,after reading almost every English travel book, finally she found the shudao     6    the help of local guides. Since then, she has hiked more than 400 km of it.

Justman created a website to share her     7    (photo) of the ancient road network. In2015, a friend shot a documentary about the shudao and uploaded it to YouTube,     8    (earn) the attention of like-minded people, some of whom asked to join the American on her walks.

Last month, she took some of those friends to the Cuiyunlang section of the shudao,     9    (line) by ancient cypress trees with an average age of 1,050 years, the oldest tree being     10    (approximate) 2,300 years old. She and her friends planted two cypress trees, and promised to meet again there next year.