The Yinxu Museum opens in Anyang, Henan province, to display the brilliance of the 3,000-year-old Shang civilization.

Nearly 4,000 unearthed cultural relics are displayed in the museum. More than three quarters of these have never been     1     (public) exhibited before. The 23 vehicles unearthed from Yinxu are the     2     (highlight) in the new galleries. Also on display     3     (be) Shang relics collected from across the rest of present-day China.

The Yinxu Ruins,     4     (list) as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, hosted a later period Shang capital city. The site also produced rich findings of 3,300-year-old bones,     5     (reveal) the oldest-known established writing system of Chinese characters,     6     are extraordinary and serve as a vital link in the development of the Chinese nation.

Many key breakthroughs     7     (make) in recent years at the Yinxu site and its surrounding areas. For example,     8     urban road system and the remains of an artificial lake in the royal temple area were found.

These discoveries further displayed a grand picture of a capital city     9     carried forward the project of tracking the origins of the Chinese civilization. Through the exhibits, the public can comprehensively understand the achievements made by the Shang Dynasty in terms     10     politics, economy, agriculture, military affairs, among others.

The Guangdong Lion Dance, a national tradition popular in Foshan and Guangzhou, is a typical Southern Lion Dance.

Lion dancing    1     (date) back thousands of years, to the Tang Dynasty, and a legend about the emperor having a dream    2    a lion saved his life. And later it    3     (introduce) to the south by migrants from the north. The Guangdong Lion Dance developed into    4     (it) modern form during the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644). In Chinese tradition, people regard the lion as    5    symbol of braveness and strength, which can drive away evil and protect humans and livestock. Lion dancing    6     (main) focuses on the performance of the lion dance, attaching much attention to movements    7    scratching an itch (抓痒), shaking the mane (鬃毛) and licking (舔) the hair.

The Guangdong Lion Dance, a    8     (combine) of martial arts, dance and music, is popular not only in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, but also among overseas Chinese in Southeast Asian countries,    9     (make) it a cultural bridge for overseas Chinese keeping in touch with their national roots. It is considered to be a tradition with far-reaching cultural value. Lunar New Year is the perfect time    10     (share) and celebrate that culture and heritage.

Harbin is the capital of Heilongjiang province. Harbin is now a large and open city,     1     (influence) deeply by Russia, Europe, and Japan in     2     (it) culture, architecture, and lifestyle. Harbin is one of the most popular destinations for winter tours,    3    (host) the world’s biggest ice and snow festival.

Harbin     4     (become) world-famous for having the largest ice and snow festival. The opening ceremony is held     5     January 5 every year. Lasting for more than two months, Harbin Ice and Snow international festival is also     6     longest snow festival in the world.     7     (near) all the ice for the festival is cut from the Songhua River in Harbin.

The most popular place is the Harbin Ice and Snow World,     8     is like a frozen Disneyland, and you can see the big ice and snow castles, carto on sculptures and enjoy the biggest     9     (vary) of snow sports and activities in the world.

There are also ice and snow sculptures exhibitions on Sun Island and an ice lantern show in Zhaolin Park.

Harbin has long been a popular winter destination for snow tourism and skiing experiences. If you are skiing lovers, Yabuli Ski Resort and Jihua Ski Resort     10     (recommend).

As a distinctive visual art symbol of China, Chinese paper cutting, has been around for centuries. With     1     (simple) a piece of paper and a pair of scissors, diverse patterns ranging from portraits to animal zodiacs     2     (create) with delicate designs.

Due to their     3     (culture) value and low cost, Chinese paper cut-outs are popular ornaments used to decorate windows and mirrors. When light shines through the negative spaces of the cut-outs,     4     elegant pattern is formed indoors.     5     (refer) to as ‘window flowers’, the pretty cut-outs decorating windows are significant in Chinese traditional culture.

The oldest     6     (survive) paper cut-out is a symmetrical (对称的) circle from the 6th century found in Xinjiang, China. The art of Chinese paper cutting is believed     7     (originate) in China even before the invention of paper by Cai Lun in 105 CE. There have been documentaries     8     record the Chinese using other thin materials such as leaves, silk, and leather to carve hollowed patterns. It was found that during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC), people had already cut tree leaves into various art forms     9     given them out as presents. They created paper-cuts to depict beautiful things, worship, and express good     10     (wish) .

No structure is as symbolically significant or     1     (cultural) important to China as the Great Wall. Architectural     2     (engineer)are part of a huge project to repair this centuries-old structure.

Jiankou     3     (believe) to be one of the most rugged stretches of the relic. Some of the most dangerous work includes laborers hanging from towering heights. With ropes tied around     4     (they) waists, repair workers spread cement on the wall’s steep sides, while others hold the ropes for support.     5     (survive) a fall from the steep sides would be unlikely. A laborer explains     6     he risks his life to make repairs to the ancient structure, saying that it is an honor to be part of such a great cause, and it is very     7     (meaning) to do so.

Getting supplies to this part of the wall is also a demanding effort. Because the path is so steep, donkeys and mules must be used to transport bricks,     8     can weigh as much as 150 kg each. The repair team goes to great lengths     9     (keep) the principle of minimal intervention. “We have to stick     10     the original format, the original material and the original craftsmanship, so that we can better preserve the historical and cultural values, ” said Cheng Yongmao, the engineer leading Jiankou’s restoration work.

The Peasants (II)

At noon they hoe up weeds;

Their sweat drips on the soil.

Who knows the rice that feeds

Is the fruit of hard toil!

Food is a necessity for survival. But do you know how much work goes into producing it? The poem The Peasants (II),     1     (write) by Li Shen, a Tang Dynasty poet, shows     2     (we) the hardship of the peasants.

The first two lines describe a common scene     3     peasants are working their lands at noon with the sun     4     (hang) high in the sky, sweat dripping. In the last two lines, the poet     5     (direct) points out that the rice we eat is the fruit of peasants’ hard work.

Simple as the poem is in its language, it is profound in the theme, reminding people     6     the significance of treasuring food. According to the FAO, an estimated 1.3 billion tons of food, or one-third of     7     total food produced for human consumption, is wasted globally each year. Therefore, it’s highly suggested that every grain of rice     8     (value). In China, we have adopted a law on food waste     9     (offer) legal backing to the country’s efforts which not only safeguard food security     10     promote the traditional virtue of thrift (节俭) as well.

Next time you want to throw away food, please think twice.

Yangko, a rural Chinese folk dance with a history     1     (date) back thousands of years, originates from farming life in ancient times. The dance relates to sacrifices to the farmland god when people prayed for a good harvest. As time passed, the     2     (origin) dance developed, taking in various artistic forms and skills, including opera, acrobatics and martial arts, and eventually turned into the type of Yangko     3     is seen today.

    4     (preserve) this Chinese folk culture, it was included in the inaugural(首批的)items of national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. It is     5     (common) performed in northern China during festivals, especially for Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival. Performances or competitions     6     (organize) in towns and villages to express people’s joy and their hope for a better life.

Yangko employs drumming, Suona, dancing and singing. Content is based     7     folk stories and legends. Costumes are richly-colored and opera-styled, enabling     8     (character) to be easily identified. During a performance, the actors will dance and sing, following lively rhythms. Highly. skilled and interesting acts such as stilt(高跷)walking     9     carrying a wedding sedan chair(花轿)are also included. As a part of traditional Chinese culture, Yangko     10     (concentrate) the group consciousness of the Chinese people, and has outstanding historical and cultural value.

2024 is the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese calendar and it is the first time that the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)    1     (include) the term “Chinese dragon” in its dictionary. The Chinese dragon has two definitions in the OED, with the first one about its physical image and the second one on its figurative and allusive (典故的) nature.

Emperors in ancient dynasties were dressed in a Dragon Robe, a traditional silk-woven costume with dragon designs,     2     (symbolize) imperial power and authority. Jade Seals (玉玺), often     3     (carve) with dragons, also symbolize the authority of the emperor.

Contrary     4     the Western dragon, the image of the Chinese dragon, despite undergoing constant changes, has represented various’ positive     5     (quality) including prosperity, authority, strength and good fortune.

In ancient Chinese belief, dragons     6     (associate) with the control of the weather, particularly rain. The dragon’s ability to bring rain was seen as crucial for agriculture, which made it     7     positive symbol for the fertility of the land.

With the rising China Chic trend and the country’s booming cultural creative industry, the Chinese dragon in folktale is now     8     (common) seen in creative products such as tear-off calendars, dolls, dragon-themed jewelry as well as the “dragon blind boxes”     9     appeal to young consumers.

Whether it is through the hands of a national-level intangible (非物质) cultural heritage inheritor     10     the hands of a Generation Z “blind box” designer, the Chinese dragon carries forward the Chinese cultural spirit.