Studying abroad in Amman, Jordan, was a life changing experience for me. There were so many challenges and cultural norms I had to adapt     1    , and I needed to learn how     2     (behave) in new surroundings and cooperate     3     people from different cultural backgrounds. Fortunately, everyone I met there was understanding and welcoming. I applied through International Studies Abroad (ISA), and they were incredibly helpful and made the process less     4     (depress) and overwhelming. Studying abroad let me see things from new     5     (angle) and learn more about cultures around me. I hope everyone     6     (grasp) the opportunity to pursue further studies abroad and to gain     7     understanding of different cultures, too. I believe studying abroad can help you     8     (strength) your abilities in cross­cultural communication and improve your general     9     (competent).

Studying abroad in Amman, Jordan, was a life changing experience for me. There were so many challenges and cultural norms I     1     (expose) to. I needed to be familiar with new surroundings and cooperate     2     people from different cultural backgrounds. Fortunately, everyone I met there was understanding and welcoming. Prior to     3     (go) abroad, I applied through International Studies Abroad (ISA), and they were enormously helpful.

Studying abroad enabled me to see things from new angles and learn more about cultures around me.     4     the whole, studying abroad can help     5     (strength) your abilities in cross­cultural communication and improve your general competence.

The Chinese began to accept Western medicine as early as the beginning of 20th century,     1    Chinese medicine is still in doubt among Western people. To them, Chinese medicine, like ancient China, is mysterious and beyond     2     (believe).

Chinese medicines, most of them     3     (be) originally natural herbs, are made through having these materials simmered, roasted, or fried without having specific standards. This is the main reason for     4    they’re not recognized internationally. Chinese medicines usually appear in     5     form of pills, tablets and most commonly herb teas. They are used     6     account of their power in aid of recovery and they tend to produce long­term effects. They might be     7     (slow) in curing the patient of the disease, but they have less serious side effects even if     8     (take) frequently, for each medicinal herb is prescribed (开处方) for the benefit of the patient, causing no harm to the liver or the kidneys.

It is obvious that no matter how strange they may seem to Westerners, Chinese medicines     9     (use) for thousands of years and prove to be extremely effective. It’s up to us     10     (promote) the precious heritage.

6 . Chinese people love food made of flour. In the hands of skilled artisans (手艺人), flour is made into lovely models of people or animals to be enjoyed and played with, which brings a unique kind of pleasure. This art form is called dough figurine (面塑). Among the various art styles of dough figurines, Beijing’s Dough Figurine Lang is a unique folk art, which is filled with the rich history and customs of the capital city. In 2008, it was included in the list of national intangible (非物质的) cultural heritage.

It was created by Lang Shao’an. Most of the dough figurines are animals and characters from legends, historical stories, and local operas. The finished product is either put at the end of a thin stick or on a table for display. Some are mostly for children to eat or play with, with simple forms and vivid decorations, while some are fine pieces of artwork for display only. For this reason, during the making process they are often mixed with additives (添加剂) to better preserve the finished products.

Lang Jiaziyu, born in 1995, is the third-generation inheritor (继承人) of Dough Figurine Lang. When he was 15, he created Beijing Olympic Mascot (吉祥物) shaped dough figurines which were highly praised. He looks a bit more fashionable than other folk artisans. In his skilled hands, pop culture icons (偶像) are popular with young people.

Like most of the other intangible cultural heritage handicrafts in China, Dough Figurine Lang does not get as much attention from the public. Few young people are willing to take the time to master a skill that does not make money, which has led to a decline in the number of those who are devoted to the handicraft. Good handicrafts need the devotion of artisans from one generation to another.

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

China, the hometown of tea, owns a profound tea culture. Since ancient times, Chinese people have been planting, picking, making and drinking tea. Tea producers have developed six     1     (category) of tea: green tea, yellow tea, dark tea, white tea, oolong tea and black tea.

Tea is     2     must in Chinese people’s daily life. Boiled tea     3     (serve) at homes, teahouses, restaurants or other places and used     4     an important medium for communication. In China, traditional tea processing techniques are so     5     (close) associated with the geographical location and natural environment     6     they are distributed (分布) in certain areas.     7     tea-related customs originated in China, they influenced the rest of the world through the ancient Silk Road and trade routes. In recent years, Chinese tea     8     (receive) top-level global recognition as a shared cultural treasure of mankind. There are over 40 colleges     9     majors in tea science or tea culture are set up,     10     (result) in over 3000 graduates specializing in tea production and art every year.

Many pieces of beautiful pottery (陶器) were discovered in Luoyang,Henan Province,     1     there were a few tombs of the Tang Dynasty, when a railway was in the process of     2     (construct) in 1899. The pieces of pottery were either in yellow, green and white colours or in yellow, green and brown colours. Because they were found from tombs of the Tang Dynasty, they were called “Tang tricoloured glazed pottery”.

The production of glassy pottery in China     3    (date) back to ancient times.The coloured glaze was usually not applied     4     the head of a pottery figure. After the base was baked, a few touches of Chinese ink     5    (paint) to represent the eyes, eyebrows and beards. The facial expression and the inner world of a small statue were portrayed (刻画) most     6    (vivid).

There are a great     7    (various) of Tang tricoloured glazed pottery pieces.With unique shapes,they had the rich flavour of life,     8    (cover) almost every field of life related to the dead, from models of architecture to plates,bowls and from small statues of the heavenly kings with     9     bad temper to those of beautiful noble ladies. They showed the     10    (colour) social life and the splendid culture of the Tang Dynasty.