Most of my friends have never been to China. I have been lucky enough to make at least thirteen trips there, some on business, others for     1     (please). When in China, I had the opportunity to eat in a lot of different restaurants,     2     (range) from the large and fancy to the small and pedestrian.     3     I really miss, and can’t get here in Canada is the Chinese street food.

Years ago, while working in Beijing, my route to the office took me through a hutong and I always passed a man making food on a cutting board. The man had a large bowl of white dough from which he would break off a piece that he rolled into a ball a little     4     (large) than a golf ball. He then flattened into a “waffle” about ten centimeters across and went on     5    (cook) on the hot top of an oil barrel,     6     (constant) turning the “waffle”over. An egg, sometimes two, would be spread over this together with     7     (chop) onions and some sort of spices. The whole thing     8    (serve)in a paper wrapper. I would take two of these, brew a cup of coffee and have     9     absolutely delicious breakfast.

Unfortunately, I don’t think I will ever again have the privilege of travelling to China     10    the street food treats will have to live on only in my memory.

Yungang Grottoes(石窟 )in Datong, Shanxi province, are a world cultural heritage site that    1    (date) back to more than 1,500 years ago. In Yungang's 45 big grottoes and more than 200 small grottoes, there are about 59,000 figures of the Buddha,     2     are a priceless treasure of human culture.

    3     because of the effects of climate change and     4     (nature) disasters, the grottoes face damage year by year. Thanks to     5     (advance) digital technology, researchers are busy “duplicating” (复制) the Yungang Grottoes in an attempt to preserve the precious cultural relics. Employing 3D laser scanning technology, the researchers     6     (digital) record the shapes, colors and other fine details of the grottoes and later reproduce them using 3D printing technology.

The new technology could enable more people    7    (access) the cultural relics despite the distance.     8     June, 2020 the researchers successfully “copied and pasted” cave No. 12 of the Yungang Grottoes for an     9     (exhibit) in Hangzhou, in what is the world's first mobile 3D-printed 1: 1 “copy” of a grotto.

The Yungang researchers' attempt is a good example of technology helping to preserve cultural relics: It     10     (hope) that the new digitalized technologies will facilitate(促进) the “rebirth” of the cultural legacy, and bring them to more places worldwide.

7 . While some customs like setting off fireworks and counting down the last few seconds seem universal, many countries have their own unique New Year’s Eve traditions.

Denmark: Break plates

A Danish tradition is to throw plates and dishes against friend’s and neighbor’s front doors. It’s a bit of a popularity contest as the bigger the pile of broken china is the next morning, the more friends and good luck you’ll have in the coming year.

Germany: Pouring lead

In Germany, people melt small pieces of lead in a spoon over a candle, then pour the liquid into cold water. The shapes from the lead pouring are supposed to reveal what the year ahead will bring. If the lead forms a ball, luck will roll one’s way, while the shape of a crown means wealth; a cross means death and a star will bring happiness.

Spain: Twelve grapes of luck

In Spain, one New Year’s tradition is to eat 12 grapes, one for each month of the coming year, to secure prosperity (繁荣). You need to eat one grape with each bell strike at midnight. The tradition dates from 1909 when farmers in Alicante came up with this idea to sell more grapes after an exceptional harvest.

Philippines: Round food, round clothes, round everything

In the Philippines, the start of the new year is all about the money. The locals believe that surrounding themselves with round things (to represent coins) will bring money or fortune. As a result, clothes with dots are worn and round food is eaten.

8 . The practice of drinking tea has a long history in China. According to a popular story. tea was discovered by Shennong in 2737 BC when a leaf from a nearby shrub（灌木）fell into the water Shennong was boiling. Tea is deeply woven into the history and culture of China.

The Chinese have a saying: “Firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea are the seven necessities to begin a day.” Though tea is the last on the list, we still can see its importance in daily life. A simple meal in Chinese is Cu Cha Dan Fan, which shows even a simple meal is finished with tea.

For the Chinese, tea drinking and tasting are not parallel. Tea drinking can help keep up one’s spirit while tea tasting has cultural meaning. Tea and tea sets should match the breeze, the bright moon, bamboo and so on. All these show the goal of Chinese culture: the harmonious（和谐的）unity of human beings with nature.

Similarly, tea-drinking habits differ in different parts of China. Generally. flowering tea is popular in northern China; green tea is preferred in eastern China, and black tea is fit for people in Fujian and Guangdong. Green tea is the most popular type of tea drunk in China. Green tea usually loses its flavor（味道）within a year while the flavor of black tea can remain for several years. As a result, black tea has long been traded worldwide. It still accounts for over ninety percent of all tea sold in the West. At present, tea is commonly seen in Chinese restaurants and grocery shops worldwide.

My roommate’s family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted the invitation, and I’m excited about going, but I’m a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I’m a little worried about making mistakes.

Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late? At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I’m thankful for their kindness?

Yours,

Knowing Nothing

It’s a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it.

You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don’t get there early. If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.

Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don’t know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don’t be shy about asking the person next to you; it’s better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous.

If you like the food, say so. Of course, you’ll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness. It’s also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after.

Yours,

Betty

10 . Halloween is a great time in the lives of both children and adults. However，even the best Halloween can be ruined by trees filled with toilet paper and egg residues(残渣) that won’t wash off. How can you keep your home safe on Halloween？There are some measures you can take.

Make it known that you’re at home. Pranksters are less likely to play a trick if they know someone is at home. You may want to close the glass on your screen door and open your front door so that you can see everyone moving around outside. This also allows pranksters to see that you’re at home.

Turn on the lights inside your home and outside. Having all the lights on lets pranksters know that you’re not only at home，but you’re awake. If a prankster knows you’re awake，he’ll be more likely to skip your house and head for another one. Even if you need to get in bed early，keep all the lights on except in your bedroom. Pranksters aren’t going to know which room is your bedroom.

Ask the police to patrol the area. It’s a policeman’s job to keep citizens safe，especially on Halloween. In some cities the crime rate can increase fast on October 31.A polite call to your local police station should get you the service you need. Above all，no pranksters are going to throw eggs at your house when the policemen are patrolling the area.

Set up a neighborhood watch. One of the best ways to keep your home safe on Halloween is to get the neighbors involved. No one wants his trees covered with toilet paper. Ask your neighbors to keep their eyes open and to follow the same steps you’ve taken to help keep your home safe. If the entire neighborhood is lit up，pranksters are less likely to stop by