2 . There are many classical cultures in China. All of them have a very long history. Here we introduce four of them.

	Chinese Handwriting Chinese handwriting is a special art to Asian cultures. Brush handwriting is much loved around the world. Wang Xizhi is very famous for his handwriting. He made a great difference to the development of Chinese handwriting.
	Chinese Folk Music Chinese folk music has a long history. It is connected with Chinese ancient stories. One of the classics, Shijing, includes some folk songs in 15 different areas from the West Zhou Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period. Traditional Chinese musical instruments include guqin, guzheng, pipa, erhu, xiao and so on.
	Chinese Painting Chinese painting is one of the oldest traditional painting forms in the world. Most of the Chinese paintings in ancient China were done on paper or silk. Traditional Chinese painting includes mountains and water, figures (人物), flowers and birds. The paintings show different features during the different historical periods.
	Weiqi Weiqi, called “yi” in ancient China, is a smart board game between two players with a history of over 3, 000 years. The game can be treated as the beginning of all ancient chess games. It was introduced to Korea about 2, 000 years ago and was popular among the higher classes.

According to the traditional Chinese calendar (日历), for every 19 years there will be seven leap months. “Leap month”     1    (refer) to a repetitive month. Rather     2    (interesting), there are two Februarys in 2023.

There are     3     variety of traditions and customs during leap month in China. They are quite     4    (fascinate) for you to explore. In some parts of East China’s Shandong province, the married daughters send toads (蟾蜍) and fish     5    (make) of dough (面团) to their parents.     6    (live) near Wuyi Mountain in East China’s Fujian province, the local people have the tradition of drinking tea at leap month, and only women     7    (allow) to take part. The daughters who are married usually buy pig’s feet and thin noodles for their parents,     8     is unique for people in Southeast China’s Taiwan province. Various historical and cultural factors have contributed     9     the diverse customs. Do they successfully arouse your     10    (curious)? The leap February has arrived. Are you prepared with your gifts?

The traditional Chinese craft of turning thick bamboo into delicate slices achieves fame on overseas short video platform TikTok, receiving more than 10 million     1     (view) and hundreds of thousands of likes. The skilled bamboo craftsmen are recording the daily detailed production process of their handicrafts on social media,     2     are regarded as a “    3     (mystery) Chinese power” in the eyes of foreign netizens.

Anne,     4     TikTok talent from Omaha, USA, filmed a reaction video to the artistry and posted     5     online. While witnessing the process of bamboo gradually turning into bamboo silk and pot brushes, she couldn’t contain her     6     (surprise) expression. “A real craftsman,” she said in the video.

    7     fancy tools, these bamboo craftsmen make amazing works of art     8     (simple) using their own bare hands. Pan Yunfeng, 51, from Lin’an, Zhejiang, started learning bamboo weaving at an early age and by now with over 5 million followers on Douyin, he     9     (become) a genuine influencer for netizens home and abroad.

Bamboo weaving art,     10     (originate) from the Warring States Period 2,000 years ago, has become an essential part of Chinese traditional culture. Now, the popularity of bamboo art on TikTok has opened a window for foreign netizens to better understand Chinese culture.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Originating in ancient China, the Chinese knot is a decorative art form,     1     involves tying silk strings into various patterns. It is believed to have been created during the Tang and Song dynasties. Throughout history, Chinese knots have played     2     significant role in traditional Chinese ceremonies and celebrations, symbolizing good luck and harmony.

Chinese knots come in     3     (vary) shapes and forms, each carrying its unique symbolism. Some popular designs include the “Double Coin Knot” representing wealth and success, the “Button Knot” symbolizing unity and friendship, and the “Good Luck Knot” signifying blessings and good fortune. These knots can be further decorated with beads, tassels or other decorations     4     (enhance) their beauty.

Chinese knots hold great significance in Chinese culture and are often used for decorative     5     (purpose) or as accessories (饰品). They can be seen on traditional clothing, handbags, home decorations, and even used as bookmarks. During festive occasions     6     Chinese New Year or weddings, these knots are     7     (common) used as decorations to create an auspicious (吉祥的) and joyful atmosphere.

In recent years, the art of Chinese knots     8     (gain) international recognition, with enthusiasts and collectors     9     (appreciate) its beauty and cultural value. Workshops and exhibitions     10     (hold) worldwide, allowing people to learn about this unique form of art and even try their hand at making their own Chinese knots.

8 . The 3D animated movie Tea Pets was released in China on July 21 and fired people’s enthusiasm in learning more about the increasingly popular tea pets-porcelain (陶瓷的)figures placed on tea trays. The followings are some typical tea pets with various forms and shapes.

Pi Xiu

Tea pets in the form of Pi Xiu -a mythical animal similar to a Chinese unicorn - are very popular among businessmen. In traditional Chinese culture, Pi Xiu, the ninth son of a dragon, can bring fortune to people. It only takes money as food and never lets it out. Moreover, it is believed that pi xiu can protect a house from evil spirits.

Three-legged toad

In Chinese myths, three-legged toads spit money from their mouth and help the poor. Thus, it has been considered a lucky animal for a long time in Chinese culture. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter series, this little toad might be a good reminder of Hogwarts and magic.

Little foot with a spider

In the shape of a little fat foot with a spider on it, this tea pet might look strange to non-Chinese speakers. In the Chinese language, spider is zhi zhu and foot zu. When the two pronunciations are combined, it would be a homophone (同音字)for “satisfied” in Chinese. It is designed to remind people of having a satisfied attitude towards life and being grateful for every little gain.

The best way to raise a tea pet is to brush it with the fresh tea you are drinking. Only use one kind of tea to pour on a tea pet, rather than many kinds. Oolong, such as Tie Guanyin, and green tea are better choices to raise a tea pet apart from Pu’er tea.

9 . Living in a different country can be a culture shock for many people, so make sure you know about the food, customs and culture of the place you are planning on moving to.     1    . Here is some of my experience of moving from Spain to the UK.

    2    

The first thing that I did when I got out of the airport was to cross the road, but I looked the wrong way! In the UK the cars drive on the lefthand side of the road whereas in Spain they drive on the right. I almost got run over because I was still thinking I was in Spain. You have to be very careful when you move to another place.

Drink water

    3    . In the UK the filtering (过滤) of the water means that you can drink straight from the tap. On my first night back I forgot that I could drink water from the taps and spent the night wishing I had a bottle of water. When I woke up, I realized how silly I had been.

Time is different

If we are going for a proper night out at the weekend in Spain we might not meet until 10 or 11 pm at night or even later sometimes. This means we might not actually get home until 5 or 6 o’clock the following morning.     4    !

Greet everyone with a kiss

In the UK most men use a handshake to greet other men.     5    . Women may be greeted with a handshake, a hug or a kiss on the cheek, depending on the situation. In Spain, among my friends, everyone is greeted with a kiss on both cheeks and maybe a quick hug.