Sunzi was a general, military strategist and thinker in the Spring and Autumn period, a time of constant warfare. His ingenious military strategies were recorded in a book     1    (entitle) Sunzi Bingfa. Written more than 2,000 years ago, this masterpiece is the world’s earliest existing book on military strategies and still remains     2    (value) to us today.

In his book, Sunzi attached great importance     3     war, believing it was vital to a country, which would determine the rise and fall of the country as well as the life and death of its people. Meanwhile, Sunzi also argued leaders should think twice    4     starting a war, because war was costly and would result in loss of life and destruction of resources. Apart from these general guidelines on war, Sunzi put forward specific strategies for     5     (win) a war. For example, he argued that in order to win victories in war, people should know    6     (they) and their enemies well. Carrying out surprise attacks and making good use of such natural conditions     7     climate also played an important role in defeating enemies. Sunzi’s ideal of military strategy, however, was making enemies surrender without     8     (actual) fighting a war.

These military strategies are the fruits of ancient Chinese wisdom, with a far-reaching influence on China and the rest of the world,     9     goes beyond the military world to other areas like business and politics. Today, Sunzi Bingfa     10     (study) in military academies and business schools around the world, and it continues to guide us in various aspects of our lives.

You might have heard of Cantonese opera, but have you heard of Nanyin —Fujian’s traditional opera? Traditional Nanyin is performed by five people,     1     (compose) of one singer and four instrumentalists. The musicians play the dongxiao, nana, erxian, and sanxian. In 2009, Nanyin     2     (add) to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

    3     (wander) the streets of Quanzhou, a historical port city, one will often hear slow, soft and pleasant melodies (曲调) coming from a newsstand on a street corner, a grocery store in a marketplace     4     a residential house with its door open.

That’s the sound of Nanyin,     5     ancient music style of Minnan, or southern Fujian Province,     6     can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. One of the country’s oldest music styles, Nanyin (literally meaning “music of the south”) came into being and developed as the culture of central China spread to Quanzhou and integrated     7     local arts.     8     its melody was often associated with royal court music, it gradually changed to become part of local folk life, and was passed down from generation to generation. Nanyin became“the sounds of hometown and motherland” in the minds of many overseas Chinese who left Quanzhou.

It’s common for its fans     9     (collect) Nanyin albums, organize regional associations of Nanyin enthusiasts, hold salon (沙龙) and set up musical theaters. In Quanzhou alone, there are about 500 music associations devoted to Nanyin’s soft sounds, and more than a dozen festivals and competitions are held     10    (annual) both at home and abroad.

For the past 13 years, Martin Burrows has been working as a long-distance truck driver. Spending up to five nights a week on the road can be a lonely business,     1     (leave) him with plenty of time to notice his surroundings. “I kept seeing more rubbish everywhere and it was getting on my nerves. I decided I had to do something about it,” he says. One day, he stopped his vehicle,     2     (take) out a trash bag and started picking up the garbage. The satisfaction after clearing a small area was     3     (extreme) remarkable.

Before his time on the road, Burrows spent over two decades in the military     4     a vehicle driver. His service saw him stationed throughout Europe and also on tours in Afghanistan. After returning to civilian life, he was diagnosed with PTSD and had to experience situations     5     his mental health suffered a lot in 2017. His     6     (contribute) in fund-raising for Help for Heroes led him     7     (meet) a man who used model-building as a distraction from PTSD. Burrows realized that his act of roadside cleanup had a similar calming effect on his mental well-being.

By 2019, Burrows     8     (begin) using his free time on the road to regularly clean up garbage. Some     9     (passer-by) encouraged him to set up a Facebook group, which he called Truckers Cleaning Up Britain. Since truckers are so often on the move, the Facebook page acts as     10     means of raising awareness rather than a platform for organizing cleanups. Burrows expressed his intention to continue the cleanup efforts as long as his physical condition allowed, as he still found joy in the process.

Yue opera, originating in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province,     1    (refer)to as “the Eastern Opera” or “the Oriental Opera” and up to now, Yue opera     2    (gain)recognition at home and abroad.

Yue opera combines various art forms, making it a comprehensive and     3    (high)entertaining stage performance.     4    (accompany)by traditional Chinese musical instruments, the singing in Yue opera is very melodious(悠扬的). Adaptations of ancient Chinese literature, historical events, folk tales, and contemporary plays are included in Yue opera,     5     stories often revolve(围绕)around themes of love and loyalty. They describe their characters in great     6    (deep). The performers’ facial expressions and body language bring the characters to life. The costumes in Yue opera are known     7     their attention to detail. The makeup is equally elaborate(精致的),     8    (enhance)the character’s features and emotions.

With     9     rich history, Yue opera has a strong cultural significance in China. It is well received and holds a special place in the hearts of the people. In recent years, efforts have been made to promote Yue opera internationally, showcasing its unique charm and preserving its traditions for future     10    (generation).

The Richfield Museum of Fine Art is presenting a new exhibition, aiming     1     (display) the artistic genius of ancient China.

The highlight of the exhibition     2     (be) the painting Clearing After Snow on a Mountain Pass, one of the great works of Tang Yin. Born during the Ming Dynasty, Tang gained     3     (recognize) as one of the greatest artists China has ever known. This painting, showing high mountains, trees, and houses covered in snow, was made     4     extraordinary skill. Though over 500 years old, it looks as fresh and full of life as     5     day it was created.

Also, there are many fine     6     (example) of Tang Dynasty sculptures and most of them are of Buddhist origin. As Buddhism entered China and expanded, trade along the Silk Road boomed. Chinese sculpture thus found itself     7     (high) influenced by Buddhist art brought from India and Central Asia through the Silk Road. Initially these works of exceptional beauty and quality     8     (intend) to spread Buddhism.     9     (look) at the faces of the figures in these sculptures, one sees the faces of the past. History is brought to life.

This is just a small taste of     10     is in store in the exhibition, which will transport us across time and space with its amazing collection of works.

“Life is for living”, according to the well-used expression: What we choose to do is up to us. That may not be     1    (complete) true, but there is no harm in dreaming about what we’d like to achieve in our life. Many of us write a list of things we’d like to do     2     we leave this world—often     3    (refer) to as a bucket list.

Bucket lists have been called “the greatest     4    (hit) of your life”. Some of us may choose to write one to fill our life with exciting and new experiences. This is something the BBC radio program “All in the Mind” has been looking at. It heard from a blogger called Annette White,     5     said she made a promise to live her bucket list which “continuously pushes the comfort zone to its limits and beyond it.”

Creating a bucket list certainly     6    (give) us hope, but some people have argued it can be used as a coping strategy to try to control something uncontrollable. Psychologist Linda Blair told the BBC that she is not really     7     favor of bucket lists, because your chance to be spontaneous (顺其自然的)     8    (take) away. A list can encourage people     9    (follow) other people’s idea of perfection. But why not at least dream of what we would like to do? Why not reach for the stars?     10     we want to plan it or just see what happens, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, so maybe we should live for today.