Liu Dai’e is known as     1     national inheritor of Tujia brocade weaving (土家织锦). She completed dozens of orders for her products bearing unique cultural     2     (element) of the Tujia ethnic group in time for the last Spring Festival. Born and raised in a village in Hunan province, Liu has introduced a new technique     3     the traditional craft (手艺) over the past two years,     4     was named as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.

In the Tujia language, the local brocade is known as xilankapu, which translates as “flower-patterned cover”. Made by skilled weavers and     5     (involve) more than 10 processes, Tujia brocade weaving     6     (feature) over 200 classic designs.

Liu Dai’e was named a national inheritor of the craft in 2007, Liu said, “Handwork is involved throughout the process, and     7     (produce) designs that are more delicate than others, I use one line, instead of two.” After launching her business, Liu became     8     (complete) aware of the popularity of products featuring traditional designs.

“Many of my customers like to wear these scarves,     9     send them to their families and friends as gifts,” said Liu. “We need to create high-quality, high-end products not only to preserve the craft but to enhance     10     (confident) in ethnic culture and achieve social and economic benefits,” she added.

Tradition has never lost    1     (it) shine. Although China has achieved the greatest urbanization (城市化) in history, Chinese people’s physical and    2     (emotion) connections to traditions are strong and everywhere. These traditions    3     (become) a precious and unique part of Chinese culture over centuries.

In the past Spring Festival holidays, Chinese people have felt a festive atmosphere both in big cities    4    in the countryside.

The Ming Tombs in Beijing staged a live show inspired by the Ming Dynasty silk painting Ming Emperor Xianzong Enjoying the Lantern Festival, attracting hundreds of visitors. Dozens of    5     (actor) wearing Ming Dynasty clothing staged a sitcom (情景喜剧) style play, performing scenes including the emperor lighting lanterns and other ancient activities usually    6     (hold) during the Lantern Festival. One worker said that it aimed    7     (help) people experience how the Lantern Festival was celebrated and further understand Ming culture.

In addition to turning the ancient painting into a sitcom, many other folk arts also became a major draw,    8     (particular) for young people. One young woman Hou traveled all the way from Beijing to Jiexi County, South China’s Guangdong Province, during the holiday to watch a performance of the Yingge Dance,    9    is one of the most representative (有代表性的) folk arts in Chaozhou and Shantou, Guangdong Province.

Many people were deeply moved as traditional cultures could    10     (preserve) until now.

Hongbao is commonly seen across China. But what are these little red     1    (envelope) stuffed with money really for, and what do they mean? Hongbao is a gift of money in a red envelope. They are given on some important occasions, such as Chinese New Year, birthdays, and weddings in China as a way     2     (send) good wishes. The color red symbolizes energy, joy, and good luck in Chinese culture. Traditionally, red envelopes     3     (decorate) with beautiful Chinese calligraphy and symbols.     4    (actual), the important meaning of red envelopes is the red paper, not the money inside. Wrapping lucky money in red envelopes is expected to bring more     5     (happy) and blessings to the receivers. When it comes to receiving the hongbao, remember to always receive your hongbao with both hands. It is     6     (polite) to accept a red envelope with just one hand. When you receive a red envelope, you should express thanks     7     greet the giver with a pleasing phrase. Finally, never open your red envelope in front of the person     8     just gave it to you. You should do it     9     private or when you get home. In recent years, it     10     (become) popular to send electronic hongbao via WeChat as a greeting. Sending digital red envelopes has become a new way to greet friends or relatives that cannot physically be reached during the Chinese New Year period.

Frances Wood, a well-known British historian, working on the study of Chinese culture, has said Chinese civilisation is one of the most fascinating and lasting     1     (civilisation) in the world and that not only does China have a rich, ancient history, but the country is also dynamic in terms of changing over time. “The continuity of Chinese civilisation is     2     (fantastic) important,” Wood emphasizes.

Some rules     3     (use) by the Chinese today originate from as far back as the Qin Dynasty. Take the example of the measurement rule at the entrance of metro stations in China, which decides     4     a child should buy a ticket or not according to his or her     5     (high) .

Wood studied Chinese at Cambridge University in     6     late 20th century, before traveling extensively in China while studying at Peking University. After graduating from London University with a master’s degree in Chinese architecture, she     7     (join) the British Library in 1977 and served as the librarian of the Chinese collections for more than 30 years until she retired in 2013.

As a person with the duty of being in charge     8     the objects in the library, one of her main aims was     9     (purchase) plenty of books in Chinese about China, covering various subjects including humanities and literature. “It was a wonderful and     10     (reward) job,” she says.

7 . Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday in the US. Some other countries have their own versions of Thanksgiving.

Brazil

Legend has it that Joaquim Nabuco, Brazil’s first ambassador (大使) to the US, enjoyed the American holiday so much that he persuaded his government to set up a similar day of thanks. Dia de Acao de Gracas is also celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday of November to give thanks for the fall harvest. The Brazilian holiday ends with a colorful and noisy carnival(狂欢节) and parade.

Japan

Japan’s version of the holiday, called “Kinro Kansha no Hi” or Labor Thanksgiving Day, is observed on November 23. It originated from an ancient rice harvest festival called Niiname-sai. Later, the holiday’s purpose was to celebrate the rights of workers. Today, Labor Thanksgiving Day is mainly observed with small acts of community service. Children often mark the occasion by handing out thank-you notes to firefighters, police officers, and other frontline workers.

Canada

Thanksgiving in Canada is a low-key affair with no big parades or retail sales. The holiday mainly focuses on families and friends getting together for a meal. While many parts of the country get the day off, it is an optional (可选择的) holiday in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador. As a result, the celebrations often take place the weekend before the holiday.

Ghana

Ghana celebrates its version of Thanksgiving in August or September. As the story goes, the Ga settlers arrived in Ghana in the 16th century after facing lots of hardships during their travels across Africa. They celebrated their first harvest in Ghana with a feast, and a tradition was born. Before the festival, there is a month-long ban on noise, especially drumming. Similar to Thanksgiving, Homowo is a festival of food.

A city’s name can often indicate its status in a nation’s history. Nanjing, meaning “southern capital city” literally in Chinese, could claim such an influential     1     (identify) in history.

The city, now capital of East China’s Jiangsu Province, was once     2     (global) considered to have     3     urban history of 2,500 years, a new archaeological research rewrites that. It was founded more than 3,100 years ago when an ancient city named Changgan was recently excavated (发掘).

“    4     (date) from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, archaeologists found that the city’s walls were protected by trenches,     5    is a universally acknowledged indicator of a defensive system     6     (adopt) by ancient cities,” says Chen Dahai, head of the archaeological excavation team. “In the history of the ancient system, trenches     7     (appear) before the walls were constructed. They were built around the living area     8     (prevent) floods and defend against enemies,” he added.

The latest archaeological findings may reshape the city’s history, with     9     (it) appearance tracing back to more than 3,100 years ago. Wang Wei, director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Archaeology Department, recognizes the discovery     10     a remarkable archaeological finding in tracing the Nanjing’s origins.