The art of paper-cutting in China may date back to the second century, since paper    1    (invent)by Cai Lun in the Eastern Han Dynasty in China. As paper became more affordable, paper0cutting became one of the most important    2    (type) of Chinese folk art. Later,    3     different regions adopting their own cultural styles, this art form spread to other parts of the world.    4     (usual), the artworks are made of red paper, as red is associated with    5    (happy) in Chinese culture, but other colors are also used.

With    6    (it) long history, paper-cutting,    7    originated in China, has been very popular among the ordinary Chinese people. People put up papercuts on walls, windows and doors at wedding ceremonies or festivals     8    (strengthen) the cheerful atmosphere.

Chinese papercuts are rich in content. The auspicious（吉祥的）designs symbolize good luck and the avoidance of evil. The child, lotus and bat designs suggest a family with    9    large number of children and grandchildren. Birds, livestock, fruit, fish and worms are also familiar objects    10    (accept) by Chinese farmers. In a word, papercuts used in different occasions have different meanings.

Last Thursday, I invited Alan to my house to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival. While we were wait for a big lunch, both Alan and I felt hungry. After having the big lunch, we felt full of energetic. In the afternoon, my mother taught Alan and me to make mooncakes, which made us especially exciting. We listened my mother carefully and made the mooncakes with great patience. At the last, we made some beautiful mooncakes. In the evening, we ate the mooncakes made by themselves and enjoyed my father’s stories about the festival. Late, Alan told me that he would never forget the day where we celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival together. He hoped that he could spent many other traditional Chinese festival in my house.

The Double Ninth Festival     1     (celebrate) on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. It is also known     2     the Senior Citizens’ Festival. The festival     3     (base) on the theory of Yin and Yang, the two opposing principles in nature. The ancients believed that all natural     4     (phenomenon) could be explained by this theory. Numbers are related to this theory. Even numbers belong to Yin and odd numbers to Yang. The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is a day     5     the two Yang numbers meet. So it is called Chongyang.

    6     (appreciate) chrysanthemum (菊花) and drinking chrysanthemum wine have always been a tradition during the Double Ninth Festival. Chrysanthemums are regarded as a kind of flower     7    (have) the function of an antitoxin (抗毒素) and can drive the evil away.

As nine is pronounced “jiu” meaning long in Chinese, so people use the word jiu     8    (express)the meaning of longevity with a person’s life. In the year of 1989, the Double Ninth Festival was designated as Senior’s Day — a day to respect the elderly. Members of a family also     9     (company) their elders to have a     10     (relax) day in a natural setting while wishing health and happiness upon them.

5 . I moved to the Spanish capital, Madrid, nearly two months ago. I am here for a year teaching English in a secondary school as a language assistant. Before I arrived I thought I would be able to adapt to Spanish culture very easily, but my previous expectations have been very different from the reality of Spanish life.

Firstly, I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to adapt to the Spanish day and the timings of meals. Spanish “midday” is at 14:00, meaning lunch is never before then. My expectation was that I would be eating lunch at 12:00 to 13:00, but most days it’s 15:30 before I eat lunch. Can I really still call this lunch?! The same applies to dinner or tea. In the UK, dinner is between 18:00 and 19:00, but now the dinner time is 21:30. The thing I didn’t realize is that this affects the Spanish sleeping routine. Eating dinner so late of course means that Spaniards /ˈspænɪəd/ go to bed so much later. It is such a British thing to go to bed at 22:00!

Queuing (排队等候) /kjuiŋ/ politely is also something that is very British. I only realized it when I arrived in Spain. I took it for granted that queuing patiently is as the normal thing as in Britain or countries like China, Japan and America. But this definitely isn’t the case in Spain. If there’s a free table in a restaurant, you can quickly take it, even if there are other people who have been waiting longer than you.

Finally, the reality of the Spanish diet is very different from my expectations. Food products that are so normal in the UK aren’t nearly as popular here.

In the USA, when you pass by someone you know, a nod is acceptable, and you usually shake hands with someone you first meet. But in Latin countries, a firm handshake    1    (consider) rude. In my home country, Mauritius, when people meet, they usually kiss each other    2     the cheeks. This is also common in France,    3     the act is called faire la bise. However, this is not     4    universal rule.

Chinese New Year is a     1     (celebrate) marking the end of the winter season and the beginning of spring. This is why decorating with plants, fruits and flowers     2     (carry) special significance. They represent the earth       3     (come) back to life and best wishes for new beginnings.

Developed by Confucius during the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucianism is a philosophical and ethical system, which has become an     1    (influence) part. Today, mottos from Confucianism are frequently used by foreign officials in their speeches or talks. People around   the globe can   have   access     2    Confucianism in Confucius Institutes and   Chinese     Culture   Centers     abroad.   Up     to   now,   China     3     (open) about 500 Confucius Institutes in 140 countries and regions, introducing China by opening training classes, building libraries, and holding cultural activities.

The history of the Lantern Festival could be traced back to the Han Dynasty, and the celebrations were gradually enriched, expanded and settled in succeeding dynasties. But from the very beginning, lanterns was an indispensable part of the day. Long before the electrical lights     1     (invent), the streets in ancient Chinese cities were illuminated by various colorful lanterns.     2     (dress) in their most beautiful clothes, the ancient Chinese would swarm the streets, where dancers and musicians would gather as fireworks were lit and lanterns displayed.