In traditional Chinese culture, the dragon has long been a symbol of auspiciousness (吉祥), power and mystery.     1     the rich heritages of Chinese history, the dragon totems (图腾) in the Forbidden City are undoubtedly     2     amazing presence.

The Forbidden City, a magnificent architectural complex (建筑群)     3     (recognize) as the treasure of China, was once the royal palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties. It stands as the world’s     4     (large) and most complete existing ancient wooden structure architectural complex. As one of the most important cultural totems in China, the dragon has always been a symbol of good     5     (fortunate). In the Forbidden City, the dragons,     6     leaping between beams (梁), hovering in the sky, or hidden in the details, all tell ancient stories.

In each corner of the Forbidden City, lifelike dragons in various shapes can be seen,    7     (show) not only delicate craftsmanship but also deep historical and cultural significance. And more often, the dragon decorations     8     (refer) to as the guardians of the Forbidden City.

According to photographer Gu Caihua, those dragons carved on the     9     (roof) seem to be guarding the ancient palaces, while those dragons on beam s appear to be telling the historical changes. These dragons are not     10     (simple) decorations; they carry the essence of Chinese culture.

Jingxi Taiping Drum is a traditional form of dancing. With its display of profound cultural elements, it     1     (include) in the first batch (批次) of China’s national intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) items in 2006.

The     2     (early) historical references of this art date back to the Spring and Autumn Period. In the Qing Dynasty, it started to gain     3     (popular) in and around the capital. In ancient times, the drums were played     4     New Year’s Eve at the imperial palace to bring peace. As a result, the performance also became known as the “New Year Drum” by Beijingers. This type of drum dance is     5     (common) seen performed during the last and first month of the lunar year in many local festive activities, thus expressing     6     (people) hope of a peaceful and rich year to come. During a given performance, drummers perform various dance moves while     7     (hold) the drum in their left hands and a mallet (大头锤) in their right hands. Traditional Chinese aesthetic (美学的) concepts are reflected in the drum playing, all of     8     represent distinctive local features.

In the past decades, Beijing has made considerable efforts     9     (protect) this signature folk dance culture. Today, the time-honored folk art of the Jingxi Taiping Drum is being taken up by the young people     10     is presenting its lively artistic charm (魅力) on a global stage.

Confucius and Chinese Philosophy

    1     (bear) in 551 BC, Confucius has made the greatest contribution to Chinese culture in history.     2     he was raised in a poor family, he visited famous scholars and learned a lot. He developed his thoughts into a system of philosophy,    3     (know) as Confucianism, which emphasized (注重) self-cultivation,     4     (harmony) relationships with each other, and showed respect for the elderly. Friends should be honest   to each other.     5     (rule) should make an effort to provide a happy life for people. Meanwhile, he was a great teacher     6     devoted himself to     7     (promote) education for ordinary people. He travelled around to publicize (宣传) his political thinking but failed. But he never gave up. Over the last 2000 years, his philosophy     8     (continue) to influence China as well as     9     rest of the world. He     10     (consider) as the symbol of oriental (东方的) culture as well.

Today, I arrived back in San Francisco and it feels    1    (definite)good to be back in the city again.The city succeeded in     2    （rebuild） itself after the earthquake that     3    （occur） in 1906, and I stayed in the Mission District, enjoying some delicious noodles    4     (mix)with cultures.

In the afternoon, I headed to a local museum that showed the     5    (history) changes in California. I learnt that America got California from Mexico in 1848. In the same year, gold was discovered near San Francisco. Over 300, 000 people came from all over the world to seek     6    (they) fortune. To earn     7    living, many Chinese arrived here and opened up shops and restaurants in Chinatown. Many others worked on farms,     8     (join) the gold rush, or went to build the railway that connected California to the east. The museum showed us how America was built by     9    (immigrate) from different countries and cultures.

In the evening, I went to Chinatown, and ate in a Cantonese restaurant     10    served food on beautiful china plates. Tomorrow evening, I'm going to a jazz bar in the Richmond District.

Social media is one of the fastest-growing industries in today’s world. A study     1     (conduct) by the US Pew Research Çenter showed that 92 percent of teenagers go online daily. The wide spread of social media has     2     (absolute) changed nearly all parts of teenagers’ lives.

“It has changed relationships. High school student Elly Cooper from Illinois said social media often reduces face-to-face     3     (communicate). It makes in-person relationships harder because of people’s attention given to their phones instead     4     their friends,” Cooper said.

Yet, some people believe social media has made it easier     5     (start) relationships with anyone from anywhere. Beth Kaplan from Illinois     6     (meet) her long-distance friend through social media last November. He currently lives in Scotland, but they’re still able to frequently communicate with each other. “I can feel close to someone to     7     I’m talking via social media,” Kaplan said.

Besides, the rise of social media has changed the way teenagers see     8     (they). The 19-year-old Essena O’Neill announced on the social networking service that she was quitting social media because it made her unable to stop     9     (think) about appearing perfect online.

However, Armin Korsos,     10     student from Illinois, takes advantage of the comments he receives over social media to improve his videos on the social networking site.

All over the world millions of people take part in different     1     (kind) of sports, such as surfing, football, running, skipping and so on. As a representative of     2     most popular kinds of sports, Football doesn’t need expensive equipment, which     3     (be) the basis of its popularity. Kids can be seen playing to     4     (they) hearts’ content with a ball     5     (make) of plastic bags. Besides, it is the best way     6     (communicate) with each other and much more than just a sport. Running as a popular sport can not only improve lung function but also help treat asthma,     7     deals with stress and anxiety, making people relaxed and     8     (energy), so it is loved by everybody.

    9     a word, we can benefit a lot from doing exercises. If your friends do not like sports, do persuade him/her into     10     (take) part in it.