I have never liked my English name. My parents didn’t know that Cindy was short for Cynthia, or that Cindy Brady was the Cindy of the moment. They     1    (choose) it because it sounds like my Chinese name, Shin-tzer.

My name isn’t full of flowers like most Chinese girls’ names. My grandfather wanted me to have     2     (strong) of character, not mere physical beauty. “Cindy” seems colourless by comparison. It’s just a couple of syllables that sound good together.

I grew up     3     (speak) English and eating with a fork. Yet the customs about names are extremely     4     (tradition), down to our use of an ancient naming poem.

Most Chinese names are ones of a kind, a coupling of two words out of thousands of possibilities expressing     5     family’s hopes for the child. It was March when my brother and his wife     6     (expect) their second boy.The emails began to fly as we conferred about the baby’s Chinese name. My brother’s wife is a Korean, so the name had to sound good     7     Korean, too. One thing was certain—his name would contain the word “shi”, or “world”,     8     can also mean “generation”. We are on the     9     (six) word of a couplet that my family has used to name its     10     (son) for generations.

__________the uncertainty about its medical basis, acupuncture has become a popular form of treatment. As ________unique contribution of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture spread__________ many other Asian countries, such as Japan, as early as the 6th century. It was introduced__________ the West around the 16th century. In 2010, acupuncture was __________(include)in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Today, acupuncture is __________(recognize) as a symbol of traditional Chinese culture and has come into widespread use around the world. The World Health Organization recommends acupuncture __________a good treatment for over 100 medical problems. __________ doubts about its safety have gradually disappeared, interest continues to grow.

How acupuncture actually works is not clearly understood. For example, there are different theories __________(try) to explain how it eases pain, but no agreement has been reached. One theory explaining this phenomenon suggests that acupuncture blocks pain signals __________ reaching the brain. Another theory relates acupuncture __________ the production of a substance in the body __________ can reduce pain.

①Over the years, acupuncture __________ (use)to treat a wide variety of health problems, __________ (include) severe pains, blood pressure issues, stomach discomfort, sports injuries and weight problems. And it has been used to treat more than just physical problems——acupuncturists have discovered that the treatment helps with mental problems like depression and anxiety too. Acupuncture has also been applied __________ treat people who abuse alcohol, tobacco or drugs.

According to the results of the check-up, the acupuncturist then selects certain points on the body called acupuncture points. Needles are pushed into the skin at these points __________ that a health problem can be treated. ①Up to now, more than 360 acupuncture points __________(identity), each linked to a different part of the body. Sometimes the needles are pushed into points near the body part affected by a disease, and sometimes into points that are not so close to it.

So what happens during a visit to the acupuncture clinic? First the acupuncturist examines the patient, __________ (look) at the patient’s skin and tongue, __________ (listen) to the sound of his or her voice and breathing, and __________ (smell) his or her breath. Then the acupuncturist asks some questions about the patient’s condition and feels his or her pulse. This is a particularly important step according __________ the energy theory behind acupuncture. The acupuncturist can check the pulse in three positions on each wrist, and every one of them is connected __________ a major body organ. By checking all the positions, the acupuncturist can find out __________ energy channel does not have enough energy.

__________acupuncture developed, the simple bian stones were replaced by stone needles. Eventually, metal needles began to appear and took the place of stone needles. These solid needles are made of different metals, such as gold and silver. Some acupuncturists today still use gold and silver needles, but the majority have now switched __________ stainless steel ones. In addition __________the changes in material the shapes of the needles have also changed over time. __________(origin), there were nine different kinds of needles, with __________(vary) in shape. ①Nowadays, the fine sharp needles that measure usually between 15 and 75 millimetres in __________(long) are still used, while most of the others have been replaced by more complex medical instruments.

One of the most famous Chinese medical treatments is __________ art of “magic needles”, or Chinese acupuncture. It was developed long ago, perhaps as early as 2000 BCE. ①There is evidence that acupuncture dates back to the Stone Age, _________ stone tools   __________ (call) bian were used to press areas of the body.