3 . Cinco de Mayo is probably the holiday most often celebrated that no one understands.

Literally (根据字面意思) “Fifth of May”, Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican Holiday celebrating the Battle of Puebla, which took place on May 5, 1862. In 1861, France sent a big army to invade Mexico, as they wanted to collect some war debts. The French army was much larger, better trained and equipped than the Mexicans struggling to defend (保卫) the road to Mexico City. The French army reached Puebla, where the Mexicans won a huge victory. The victory was short-lived, as the French army regrouped and continued, and eventually took Mexico City, but the joy of an unlikely victory against France is remembered every May fifth.

Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16, because it was on that day in 1810 that Father Miguel Hidalgo invited his people to take up arms and join him in fighting against Spanish rulers. Independence Day is a much more important holiday in Mexico. For some reason, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more in the United States of America, by Mexicans and Americans alike, than it is in Mexico. One theory for why it is more popular in the USA is that at one time, it was celebrated in all of Mexico and by Mexicans living in former Mexican areas such as Texas and California. It was ignored in Mexico after a while but still celebrated in the north of the border, which never got out of the habit of remembering the famous battle.

In Puebla and in many American cities with large Mexican populations, there are parades, dancing and festivals. Traditional Mexican food is often served or sold. Mariachi (街头音乐) bands fill town squares, and a lot of beers are served. It’s a fun holiday, really more about celebrating the Mexican way of life than about remembering the battle which happened 156 years ago. In the USA, schoolchildren decorate their classrooms and try their hand at cooking some basic Mexican food. All over the world, Mexican restaurants bring in mariachi bands and offer specials for what’s almost certain to be a packed house.

The annual Water Splashing Festival of the Dai ethnic minority falls during the New Year period of the Dai Calendar. It is the most important festival    1     (observe) by the Dai ethnic people of Xishuangbanna Prefecture.

The festival lasts for three days . The first two days'    2    ( activity ) are concentrated on the banks of the Lancang River. On the first day, a grand    3    (celebrate) marks the beginning of the festival.

An outdoor market is set up    4    locals go for New Year shopping . Artists create sand carvings on open space close to the market. A dragon boat race    5     (hold) on Lancang River     6     (ring) out the old year in the afternoon. At night, the banks of the river are    7     (colorful) lit, and locals float river lanterns on the river.

The third day, the climax of the festival, is reserved for water splashing. On that day, the Dai put on their    8     (new) and best clothes , and then assemble at the local temple . Water is regarded by the Dai as a symbol of goodwill among people . Therefore , splashing a fellow human being with water during the Water Splashing Festival ,    9    a close neighbor or a fellow villager , or even a stranger , is    10    expression of the desire for good luck and prosperity to that person.

Beijing Opera,    1    (know) as China's national opera, also called Peking Opera, which originated in the late 18th century, is a combination of music, dance, art and acrobatics (杂技). It is the most influential and representative of all operas in China. It is called Beijing Opera because it is formed in Beijing. Beijing Opera has    2    history of 200 years and its origin can date back to old local operas, especially Anhui Opera,     3    was very popular in northern China in the 18th century. In 1790, the first Anhui Opera performance    4     (hold) in Beijing to celebrate the Emperor's birthday.

Later, some other Anhui Opera troupes (班子)     5     (continue) performing in Beijing. Anhui Opera was easy    6     (move) and good at absorbing the acting styles of other types of operas. Beijing accumulated many local operas,     7     (make) Anhui Opera improve quickly.

    8    the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, after the marriage for 10 years, Beijing Opera finally formed, and became the    9     (big) of all Operas in China. We can    10     (honest) say that Beijing Opera is the most important opera in China.

6 . The Double Seventh Festival, also known as the Qixi Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival. Here is a beautiful story _______ it.

Long，long ago, there was a young man named Niulang(Cowherd), One day, he_______a   beautiful girl- Zhinu( Weaver girl)， the Goddess s seventh daughter. She had just run away from the_______ heaven(天国) to look for fun on Earth. Zhini soon_______Niulang, and they got married without telling the Goddess. Niulang worked in the field and Zhinu wove(织布) at home. They_______a happy life and gave birth to a boy and a girl. Unluckily, the Goddess soon found out the fact and_______ Zhinii to return to heaven. After Zhini left， Niulang was _______upset. With the help of his magic cow,Niulang flew to heaven with his children to look for his wife. The Goddess discovered this and was very_______Taking out her hairpin(发簪), the Goddess created a wide river in the sky to separate(分开) the two_______. From then on, Niulang and Zhini had to live________ on the two sides of the river. However,their true love________ all the magpies(喜鹊) in the world, ________once a year tens of thousands of   magpies would fly up to heaven to make a bridge- the bridge of magpies for the couple to meet each other. At last, the Goddess allowed ________ to meet each   other on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. That's________the Double Seventh Festival started. Today,   it is a great________for Chinese young people to express their love.

8 . The word”Kuitou”in Peking Opera is the technical term for various kinds of hats and headpieces worn by various characters in traditional Chinese opera.More than just meeting the requirements of acting,it also reveals an aspect of traditional Chinese culture.

In traditional Han Chinese culture,people believed that since,one’s whole body was a gift from one’s parents,it was important to avoid anything that might injure it,a principle that showed filial piety(孝道)。Based on this ideology,males were required to let their hair grow long, and wearing hats became a rule of social etiquette(礼仪)in ancient times.

Since ancient Chinese society was divided into various social classes,people in each class wore different styles of clothes,but only the nobility were permitted to wear formal hats for adornment(装饰)。People of lower classes could only wrap their head with a piece of cloth. Anyone under the age of 20 was also not allowed to wear formal hats and could only wear one after the performance of an official capping ceremony to mark their reaching of adulthood.As a result,various types of formal hats in ancient times,in addition to having value as a piece of personal adornment and social etiquette,also revealed the social classes of people and strict social divisions that existed between the nobility and common people.

In ancient times,people attached much importance to the kind of hat they wore.An old saying says,”A man of noble character would rather die than take off his hat.”The saying was based on the story of one of Confucius’s favorite students,Zi Lu,a man who was a brave warrior. Once while fighting in close hand-to-hand combat,his enemy opponent knocked off his hat. When he realized that his hat had been knocked off,Zi Lu placed down his weapon and said to the enemy soldier,”A nobleman can die,but my attire(服装)must be kept orderly.”But the. moment he bent down to pick up his hat,the enemy soldier seized the opportunity and killed him. According to Zi Lu,his proper appearance,which included his hat,represented his dignity(尊严)， and he would rather die than abandon his dignity.

The formal hat culture of the Han Chinese continued up until the Ming Dynasty.Later after the Manchurians entered the Central Plains(满人入关)，common people in society began to wear hats.

10 . When you go to a foreign country, you often enter a new culture. The differences between cultures may make you feel stressed and you often find it difficult to adjust to the new surroundings, which is usually called “culture shock”.

The psychological and physical symptoms of culture shock may appear depending on the individuals. Some often feel anxious while adjusting to a new culture—even more so when the cultural distances are wide.     1     They remain to homesick and feel so sad about being separated from their friends back home that they long to return, especially within the first year.

    2    People adjusting to a new culture often feel lonely because the language barrier makes it hard to create new relationships. Furthermore, having trouble with the native language often makes them unwilling to interact with other people.

    3     You may do some research on the cultural aspects of the new country such as the history, customs, and religious beliefs, rather than on what to see and where to go, so you may get prepared for a culture that is different from yours. Studying the language is also a great way to help bridge the gap between the cultures.     4    

A local club provides the perfect environment to get to know people who have a similar focus, so join one so that you can meet some locals and develop new friendships.     5     There are other travelers who have the same experiences in a foreign country. Talk with them, sharing feelings, tips and insight.