1 . There once lived a monster named Nian, who lived deep in the sea and climbed up to eat cattle and ______ people.

Then, one New Year’s Eve, the villagers were in a great ______ to run away. Some were closing windows and locking doors, some were ______ and others were driving cattle and sheep. There came a beggar (乞丐), saying “I’ll drive away the ______ .”

Around ______ Nian rushed into the village. He found the grandmother’s house was bright with red paper ______ on the doors. The monster gave a loud cry, looked ______ for a moment and went to the door. There suddenly came the sounds of explosions (爆炸). Shaking all over, the monster dared not take a step ______ . It turned out that the colour ______ flames and explosions were what Nian feared the most. The monster ran away quickly in the darkness. All the villagers felt ______ and came back to thank the beggar.

To ______ such good luck, the villagers put on their ______ clothes and hats and went to their relatives and friends to send their ______ and congratulations. These ______   have been passed down through the generations, which is the ______ of the Spring Festival.

If you have the chance to go back to ancient China and ask     1     educated man what his biggest dream was. He would tell you that he wants to become a zhuang yuan, a title     2    (give) to the scholar     3     came first in the highest imperial examination.

In ancient China, it was not that     4    (ease) to be an official. You have to take exams first. The exams are very difficult and have many     5    (procedure). The outcome has to be confirmed by the Emperor     6    (he). The number one scholar with the best score in the imperial exam is called zhuang yuan. Once you     7    (select) as zhuang yuan you will be appreciated by the Emperor and appear in a parade downtown     8     a red robe and a tall, strong horse. Zhuang yuan is referred to the elite scholars. Now the imperial competitive examination     9    (cancel) for many years.

However, people still like to call     10    (good) person in their field a zhuang yuan. An old saying goes that there are 360 trades and every trade has his master, or zhuang yuan.

6 . The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), located in the West Kowloon Cultural District of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was established on June 22 and is scheduled to open to the public on July 2. More than 40,000 tickets were sold or reserved within eight hours on the first day of public sale, and all free visits on Wednesdays in July were fully booked.

The HKPM, not only adds to cultural atmosphere in the city, but also provides a new site for local residents and visitors to learn about the development of Chinese civilization and culture. More than 900 pieces of treasures from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing will be put on display at the opening exhibitions. From paintings to ancient architectures, the exhibits span the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, covering all categories of the collection of the Palace Museum, including 166 pieces of first-class cultural relics of the country. This will be the largest and highest-level cultural heritage exhibitions of the Palace Museum outside of the mainland since its establishment in 1925.

Prepare work for the exhibitions began in 2018, with the Palace Museum fielding a team of leading experts and scholars, associated with the manage team of the HKPM.

“It is a great thing to display the pieces of cultural relics in Hong Kong, which reflects the central government’s support to the development of Hong Kong’s cultural projects,” said Ng, adding that the exhibits from the Palace Museum will present a cultural feast to Hong Kong residents by telling them about the motherland’s long history and splendid culture.

“Promoting traditional Chinese culture is one of our important tasks,” said Betty Fung, chief executive officer of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. She said the HKPM will actively push ahead with the publicity of the motherland’s culture and history after its opening, enhancing Hong Kong residents’ cultural confidence in the country, especially among youths.

Fung said that the HKPM will actively enhance cooperation with international museums, telling the world the stories of China, including the stories of Hong Kong.

Valentine’s Day in China

It is really difficult to know the exact time     1     western Valentine’s Day was introduced into China. However, western Valentine’s Day is     2     (wide) celebrated in urban areas where there are a lot of commercial (商业的) events, especially in big cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Valentine’s Day is not so popular in small cities,     3     (town) and the countryside.

So far, Chinese people     4     (accept) the tradition westerners on celebrating Valentine’s Day, such as     5     (exchange) gifts, having a romantic dinner, watching a movie in the evening or even making a marriage registration if Valentine’s Day falls on a workday.

On this day, larger amounts of chocolate will be on sale in supermarkets,     6     compared with the ordinary days, cinemas will be much     7     (busy) and the price of flowers and restaurants and hotels can be a lot higher. Many restaurants will have special menus, especially those in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. If you want to have a smooth     8     (celebrate) on Valentine’s Day, remember     9     (make) reservations (预定) as far in advance as you can.

Chinese people have also made some changes to the western way of celebrating Valentine’s Day. For some couples, the husband may prepare a rich dinner or buy a beautiful dress     10     his wife on this day to show his appreciation.