A Destination to Treasure

With the popularity of various online platforms, more and more people would like to share what they saw and what they did in life and travel. Long, a video blogger, is an example.

One of the videos featured on Long Yan's account on the short-video platform Douyin is a tour through the     1     natural landscape and folk customs of Guizhou Province. Long has produced more than 170 such videos,     2     the unique charm of destinations in the southwest of the country. In his view, Guizhou's natural and cultural landscape,       3    mountains, lakes and rivers, diverse ethnic customs and deep, profound history deserve to be better-known by online audiences.

Over the past three years, Long's video content has undergone noticeable changes.He originally focused on natural scenery but has been increasingly     4     in deeper exploration of humanity and cultural heritage.

Since December, Long launched his own project, aiming to     5     100 examples of intangible cultural heritage across the country in three years. To do his part, Long has     6     stories about inheritors of intangible cultural heritage and helped more people witness their commitment to their    7    . Long was exposed to a variety of fascinating examples of intangible cultural heritage. “It occurred to me that landscape scenery has a better chance of continuing to exist than human cultural forms do," he says. “That heritage would disappear quickly if not recorded and broadcast.” His first intangible cultural heritage video was about the     8     leaf-vein embroidery technique practiced in Tongren city,Guizhou.

Long has been     9     by Douyin as a “rural guardian" contributing to village development, and has delivered six videos on intangible cultural heritage so far. He has already seen positive results from his initial work. Many of his young followers have shown     10     for experiencing what he has posted. "They really enjoy intangible cultural heritage, and are rooting for the revival of traditional culture, as well as the establishment of national self-confidence," he says.

In the center of Rome stands the Pantheon (万神庙) --- a temple dedicated to all gods. A mere 6,611 kilometers away, China has its own “pantheon” --- the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Northwest China’s Gansu province.

Mogao is a complex of caves cut out of the side of a sandstone and rock cliff that     1     (stretch) almost two kilometres beside a dry riverbed in the Gobi Desert.

Having been a key outpost on the ancient Silk Road for centuries, the city of Dunhuang provided shelter for tired traders along the route east to west or vice versa. And it is     2     its location that the Mogao Caves can also be called a pantheon. It is not just Buddhist art that decorates its walls. There are Taoist artworks, traditional Chinese mythological characters,     3     influences from Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

When I experienced the Mogao Caves and Dunhuang for the first time, the mighty weight of history was perceivable: the artworks awe-inspiring and the stories     4     (tell) beautifully.

For many, the feeling one gets when dipping their toes in the ocean or breathing crisp mountain air is a unique experience tied to the landscape. So     5     the unique feeling one experiences when in the desert.

Golden dunes stretch out into the distance, going up and down like the sea in a storm. Sand is whipped up by the wind and carried,     6     (spread) the desert’s influence further and further, The desert is one harsh and amazing environment. It has been months     7     my visit and I still have sand in my shoes.

It is remarkable that many of the artworks of Mogao exist today considering the relentless power of the desert and the climate     8     they were made in.

But here is     9     humans step in once more. Work, in turn, is relentlessly being carried out to preserve and protect the treasures of Mogao. Stakeholders such as the Dunhuang Academy, and others, work tirelessly to ensure     10     remains there today remains there for future generations, too.

4 . LONDON (Reuters) — Quiet place — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth is preparing to have her swans counted.

Buckingham Palace has announced that the annual Swan Upping, a tradition dating back to the 12th century which involves a census (审查) of the swan population on the River Thames, will be conducted by the Queen’s official Swan Marker from July 20 to 24.

“With the assistance of the Queen’s Swan Warden, Professor Christopher Perrins of the University of Oxford, the swans and young cygnets (小天鹅) are also assessed for any signs of injury or disease,” Buckingham Palace said in announcing the count.

The process involves the Swan Marker, David Barber, rowing up the Thames for five days with the Swan Warden in traditional skiffs while wearing special scarlet uniforms and counting, weighing and measuring swans and cygnets.

It may seem odd, but it is very important to the Queen. According to custom, Britain’s sovereign owns all unmarked, mute swans in open water, but the Queen now exercises the right only on stretches of the Thames and its nearby tributaries.

In medieval times, the Swan Marker would not only travel up the river counting the swans, but would catch as many as possible as they were sought after for banquets and feasts.

This year, the Swan Marker and the Swan Warden are particularly keen to discover how much damage is being caused to swans and cygnets by attacks from dogs and from discarded fishing tackle (渔具).

It is also an important year because Queen Elizabeth has decided to join her team of Swan Uppers for part of the census. She will follow them up the river and visit a local school project on the whole subject of swans, cygnets and the Thames.

“Education and conservation are essential to the role of Swan Upping and the involvement of school children is always a rewarding experience,” Buckingham Palace said.

Medieval (中世纪的) manners

While I was growing up, “keep your elbows (肘) off the table” was a common remark at dinner time. But, as I learned in our recent podcast episode with medieval historian and author Cybulskie, such remarks have a long history —     1     (date) all the way back to the Middle Ages.

In the medieval period, manners proved more important than today and     2     (prize) particularly by social climbers, because a firm grasp of manners was a way of standing out from the crowd: “It showed you were worldly and educated, and ready to hang out with the most important people of the day.”

But what would have ingratiated (讨好) you with a medieval host, and what kinds of social faux pas (失礼) would have ensured     3     you were never invited back? Practising good hygiene was key, particularly when it came to the dinner table. In this era, dining was a much     4     (intimate) experience, according to Cybulskie, than it is today. When sharing a meal with a dining partner, you would also be sharing cups and plates.

“Don’t blow your nose at the table, or wipe your face on the tablecloth,” Cybulskie advised. As well as listing some behaviour     5     (avoid), Cybulskie shared tips on how to be an attentive dining partner. “You would want to give the best portions of food to your partner at the table,” she said, “and make sure they were comfortable and well taken care of.”

Such social codes were set out in handbooks at the time, one of     6    , The Book of the Civilised Man, written in the early 14th century, was aimed at boys and young men — and, with advice     7     (tailor) to this audience, warned its young readers against “making bodily function jokes at the table”.

Social conventions extended     8     the dining hall. When visiting someone’s house, for instance, it was considered fashionable to wash your hands on arrival,     9     that you didn’t bring dirt inside. Though this is one custom that is in line with us in the 21st century, others feel decidedly medieval: one book asks readers “to make sure you     10     (get) down from your horse before entering someone’s house”.

7 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

One of the British royal traditions is that the king or queen can     1     ownership of any unmarked mute swan in open water in Britain. For many years, this tradition was     2     with Queen Elizabeth II. Every summer, the swans on the River Thames would be counted for Her Majesty. Now, with Britain having King Charles III on the throne, this centuries-old tradition known as the Swan Upping will continue to be     3     over five days during the third week of every July.

Several years ago, when I was living in London, I went along to     4     the tradition for myself. It was a completely enjoyable experience. School kids and elderly watchers gathered ahead of the day’s launch in Marlow (马洛，一个英国城镇) to meet the Royal Swan Marker — Queen Elizabeth II’s     5     in her absence — David Barber, and other Swan Uppers, or catchers.

The Uppers themselves are a mix of old boys and younger men-all dressed in uniforms. They paddle their way upriver in a fleet of wooden boats, shiny with gold detailing. Flags flutter behind them in the     6    .

The small fleet is     7     by an armada (舰队) of watchers. A boatload of journalists is there for the     8    . Hug e passenger boats cruise alongside, trying to get a view of each catch.

Not long after, the traditional call goes out: “All up!” it’s the first catch of the day. The Uppers carefully     9     their boats around the birds, moving closer, before catching and tying them. The young swans are taken ashore and     10    , measured and recorded with rings attached to their legs. And the adult swans are checked against the records. Then the young birds are released with their family, unharmed.

8 . In recent days, a netizen left a comment on the official website of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, urging the relevant authorities to issue a statement to encourage residents to not be influenced by superstition and continue with their marriage plans as usual during the Year of the Dragon.

The Social Affairs Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs promptly responded, stating that they would pay attention to this issue. The department explained that there is a year in the lunar calendar that does not have the beginning of spring solar term (节气), which occurs approximately once every two to three years.

The Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month each year. However, its date on the Gregorian calendar (公历) varies from year to year. Start of Spring, which is the first of the 24 solar terms, is considered the official beginning of spring.

Why did the ancients think that “no spring year” was not suitable for marriage? As the weather warms up and spring arrives, the earth awakes from its winter hibernation. The rain falls, the thunder surges, and everything in the world comes alive once again. At such a good time, they usually associated the beginning of spring with fertility. If spring does not come, reproduction will not be prosperous. “No spring” means “no child”, and getting married is the most taboo. Superstitions about this time of year often focus on avoiding marriage or other important events because it is believed to be unlucky.

The Social Affairs Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs emphasized that these superstitions, which mean false beliefs without scientific evidence, should not have the final say about people's decisions about their marriages or other important life events. They encouraged residents to continue with their plans as usual during this period and not be influenced by superstition.

The department also reminded the public that marriage is a personal decision that should be based on love, mutual respect, and consideration for each other’s future. They emphasized that the government will continue to provide support and assistance to ensure that all citizens can enjoy a stable and happy life.

In ancient China, the coming-of-age ceremony was a ritual in which a person would come to be declared and accepted as an adult by their own clan (宗族) and the wider society. That is to say, they would start taking on ________ responsibilities and would thus be ________ to inherit power and titles.

This ritual first came to be practiced by the nobles of the Zhou dynasty before later ________ to civilian population. In ancient China, the most common age in which this ritual was conducted was 20 for men and 15 for women. But throughout history it was ________ to conduct this ritual anywhere between the ages of 10 and 20.

The coming-of-age ceremony was key to Confucian rites (仪式，礼节) and was part of the “four rites” of life, which also included ________, mourning (治丧) rites, and sacrificial (祭祀) rituals.

At the ceremony, respected elders would put a special cap, or “Guan (冠)” on a young man’s head and tie up the hair of a young woman using a hair ornament named “Ji”. The young adults would be dressed up in the relevant robes and accessories (装饰品) of their gender. One would keep this new look as a grown-up.

The soon-to-be adult would then be ________ a courtesy name (表字) during the ritual. Afterwards, other people would ________ this person by their courtesy name to show them respect. Only one’s elder relatives could call them by their birth names.

In the end, the young adults would take up a cup of wine, pour some of the wine on the ground in ________ of both heaven and earth, and then take a sip of the rest of it. After doing this, they would then take a bite of rice. All this was ________ to symbolize the beginning of their adult life complete with all of its ups and downs.

The ceremony wouldn’t be over just yet. The young adults would kneel on the ground listening to their parents’ ________. After having shown ________ to the guests once again, they could finally stand next to their parents as real adults.

The age-old ritual was ________ during the Qing dynasty. The past few decades, ________, have seen a revival in the ceremonial celebration of one’s coming of age.

Despite changes in the styles and details, the essence of the coming-of-age ceremony remains ________: the celebration of the opening of a new chapter in one’s life. With this new beginning comes a (n) ________ of one’s responsibility to become a decent and respected contributor to society.