1 . Armenian musician Astrid Poghosyan ________ great pride in the Chinese name she picked for herself, Ma Xingxing. The given name “Xingxing.” literally meaning ________ is inspired by her Armenian first name, while the surname “Ma” is taken from Ma Chao, a famous ________ from China’s Three Kingdoms Period（220-280 AD）.

Poghosyan always puts all her ________ into the projects in which she is involved, whether they are offline or online events,________she believes that every little effort will help her realize her ________ dreams. “I believe music knows no borders, and that cultural exchanges via music are especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.

Having studied and worked in China for 12 years, Poghosyan has now become a real China hand, versed in the country’s language and culture. Such a multicultural background has ________ helped her good at her current job because she knows how to use the ________ of a multicultural background in her work.

Her ________ for Chinese culture, including Jackie Chan movies and stories of Mulan, helped her ________ the difficult language-learning process. As she gradually ________ herself in the Chinese language and culture, she also started to make Chinese friends and ________ the vibrant city life of Shanghai.

“Since I first came to Shanghai, I have always been ________ by the kindness and friendliness of the people here. Even when I couldn’t speak Chinese, in the first days, everyone I met gave me a big ________, whether they were sanitation workers on the streets or cashiers in convenience stores. Their smiles have made me feel the ________ of the city.” she said.