1 . Every year, Earth Day is celebrated on April 22, and people all around the world celebrate this day by taking part in environmental awareness activities and working towards raising awareness about important issues that our planet Earth is currently facing, like global warming and pollution.

Before the 1970s, there were almost no environmental laws and industries were allowed to dump their industrial waste and fumes anywhere in the world. A US Senator by the name of Gaylord Nelson was concerned about the growing levels of pollution. So in the spring of 1970, Senator Nelson created Earth Day as a way to promote awareness about these issues in the US. His plan was successful, as 20 million Americans started a demonstration (示威游行) for Earth Day around the world. As a result, the US government started an agency called the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Over the next few years, the movement spread across the world and Earth Day became internationally recognized.

The theme of Earth Day 2021 is “restore our Earth”. The focus of this year’s theme is restoring Earth’s natural processes and ecosystems. Apart from that, the goal of this year’s Earth Day is to focus on taking green technologies and innovative (创新的) actions to restore the Earth’s natural ecosystem. More than stopping pollution and global warming, this year’s Earth Day focuses on reversing the damage caused to the Earth.

Despite strict environmental laws in many countries across the world, problems such as global warming, air pollution and climate change continue to threaten our planet. Many scientists around the world are warning us about the already irreversible problems that have been created by microplastics, oil spills and depletion (消耗) of the ozone layer. If the human race continues on the same path as before, the extinction of the human race is not too far off in the future. Earth Day seeks to help raise people’s awareness around the world about these issues and bring positive changes, so future generations stand a chance of living a safer life.

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. The Spring Equinox (春分),     1     the fourth term of the year, starts on March 20 and ends on April this year.

The Spring Equinox signals the equal     2     (long) of the day and night time. The day of the Spring Equinox is     3     the sun is directly above the equator. After the equinox, the sun moves northwards, resulting in     4     (gradual) longer day time in the Northern Hemisphere and longer night in the Southern Hemisphere.

Standing an egg upright is a popular game across the country during the Spring Equinox. It is an old custom that     5     (date) back to 4,000 years ago. People     6     (practice) this tradition to celebrate the coming of spring since ancient times. It is believed that if someone can make the egg stand, he will have good luck in the future.

The Spring Equinox is     7     good time to fly kites. In ancient times, people did not have good medical resources. So     8     (pray) for good health, they wrote their medical issues on a paper kite. When the kite     9     (fly) in the air, people would cut off the string to let the paper kite float away,     10     (symbolize) the flying away of diseases.

May 21st this year marks the first International Tea Day,     1     was named officially by the United Nations on November 27th, 2019. To celebrate     2     festival, a number of events took place at the Chinese Businessman Museum in Beijing on Thursday.

The chairman of the China Culture Promotion Society     3     (address) the opening ceremony. “As a main promoter of the International Tea Day, the birthplace of tea and the     4     (large) tea-producing country, China has a     5     (responsible) to work with other countries to promote the healthy development of the tea industry. It can help to build a community with a     6     (share) future for mankind,” he said.

The “First International Tea Day Tea Road Cooperative Initiative” calls for people to promote international cooperation     7     cultural exchanges. A four-year tea promotion — Tea Road Cooperative Plan — was also issued (发布) in accordance with (根据) the initiative.

To strengthen the connection with young people, the event included a number of     8     (activity) on social media,     9     (invite) twenty-nine tea professionals from around the world to have thirty-six hours of uninterrupted live broadcasts.

The Chinese Ancient Tea Museum was officially unveiled (揭幕) at the ceremony, opening     10     (it) first exhibition: The Avenue of Truth — A Special Exhibition of Pu’er Tea.

9 . It’s a race against time, as generations of cultural heritage conservators at the Dunhuang Academy make a great effort to protect the artistic charm of the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, despite erosion (侵蚀) by sand and wind.

The team is devoted to protecting the 45,000 square meters of murals (壁画) and more than 2,400 painted sculptures of the 735 caves of the site, the construction of which spans about a thousand years, from the 4th century to the 14th century. The cultural relics are the product of the cultural exchanges that took place over centuries on the ancient Silk Road. “Our work, repairing murals and painted sculptures, is to better preserve the caves, which promotes the great Dunhuang spirit of inclusiveness to the world and inspires modern people,” says Su Bomin, director of the Dunhuang Academy.

Commonly seen “diseases” affecting the murals include cracking and flaking, as well as erosion that is caused by changes in temperature and humidity of the caves, and the deposition of salts. To restore a mural requires an all-rounder. Restorers should know painting, master the skills of a mason and have some knowledge of chemistry and physics, to be able to recognize the problems and their corresponding causes and deliver a solution. They must also select proper materials and tools, and conduct experiments, before formally carrying out the restoration and evaluating the effect afterward.

The restoration should respect the original work and aim to maintain the status quo of the murals rather than repainting them. When the restorers find some parts of murals missing or fading away, they never repaint them to create a “perfect” appearance in restoration. “Cultural relics are witnesses of history,” explains Su. “When you pursue the so-called intact (完好无损的) look for artistic reasons, you will lose their key meaning.”

Cave conservation is about continuously solving problems. “It needs a long-term research to better preserve the caves, over a much wider time span that goes beyond our lifetimes,” Su says. But at least, they can keep the current look of the murals for as long as possible.

10 . Rich, heavy food is a major part of the end of the year holidays in the United States. People in the U.S. celebrate Thanksgiving on the third Thursday of November. People around the world celebrate Christmas on December 25. Both holidays involve (包含) traditions of cooking very large meals. The food at these meals usually has lots of sugar, salt, and butter in it. Turkey and pie are some of the most common foods in these holidays.

Terri Price has hosted a holiday party on the last Saturday before every Christmas for 30 years. It started when her children were very, very small. She has been preparing many of the dishes for most of the 30 years.

But over time, some traditions do change. The Neveldines are a family who hope to be healthier by changing what they eat. Mick Fury, the Neveldine’s oldest child, said this change is important during the holidays and the rest of the year, too.

Mick and his wife, Michelle, try to eat only organic food. Organic food is any plant or animal food product made without the use of unnatural chemicals or processes. But, Mick is not the only Neveldine who changed their diet. Felicia Neveldine, Mick’s sister, decided nine years ago to become a vegan. A vegan is a person who does not eat or use animal products of any kind.

Felicia became a vegan because of her concern for the treatment of animals and the environmental effects of animal farming. She said that her change in diet also improved her health.

Choosing these special diets means the Neveldines choose their foods carefully. Mick grows a garden behind his house where he gets fresh vegetables.

Holiday traditions may not change, but the way these traditions happen just might.