An exhibition titled Symbiosis of the Chinese Zodiac (生肖) opened at the Tocumen International Airport in Panama on Dec 19 and would run until Jan 20.

Sally Huang,     1     Chinese Panamanian artist and a doctor of art from Beijing Normal University, presented thirteen paintings,     2     combined the freehand brushstrokes of traditional Chinese paintings with the beautiful colors of Latin America, and presented the zodiac animals. Also there were some sculptures (雕刻品) of zodiac animals     3     display, which were created by Chinese artist Zhang Yong, graduating from the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

The exhibition     4     (include) in the project Painting Our Canals (运河), which was sponsored by the Beijing Culture and Arts Fund this year. The Beijing Culture and Arts Fund is a nonprofit fund     5     (found) by the Beijing Bureau of Culture and Tourism to provide support in the three major fields of stage art, cultural exchange     6     the cultivation (培养) of art talents.

The lead institution applying for the project was Beijing Normal University,     7    (feature) a series of events themed on the canal culture in both China and Panama, also inviting artists from both countries     8     (attend) the exhibition as well as hosting academic forums.

The opening ceremony was joined by representatives from both countries, such as the Chinese ambassador to Panama and the vice-minister of culture in Panama.

The ambassador expressed some     9     (message) congratulating the artists in his speech, while emphasizing that China and Panama should work together to promote     10     (globe) peace and development.

Paper-making is a reflection of ancient Chinese wisdom,     1     (regard) as one of the Four Great Inventions of China. Among various types of paper in China, Xuan paper, traditionally handmade in Xuancheng, Anhui province, is famous for its close association    2    Chinese calligraphy and ink paintings.

The     3    (early) mention of Xuan paper is in On Famous Paintings Through History, a book by a scholar from the Tang Dynasty. It listed many characteristics of Xuan paper, like its stability, its durability and its    4    (resist) to insects. Yet     5    positioned it as an ideal medium for calligraphy and painting is its capacity to display various ink shades. Such are the features of the Xuan paper    6    it has gained favor among artists and calligraphers across generations.

With the growing popularity of Xuan paper in recent years, the industry has expanded     7    (dramatic) in Anhui. Last year, large quantities of Xuan paper, to be precise, about 500 metric tons,     8    (produce) in Xuancheng,     9     engaged more than 30, 000 local people in the industry. Currently, the local government is building a Xuan paper cultural park and a Xuan paper town    10     (develop) cultural tourism.

The “Chuanbei Big Puppet (木偶) Show” in Nanchong, Sichuan Province,     1     (list) as an item of national intangible cultural heritage since 2006. And     2     makes this traditional performance so special is the use of life-sized puppets.

The art dates back over 300 years, and 82-year-old Li Siyuan is a     3     (recognize) master of his trade.

You can’t     4     (simple) rely on your hands to perform the big puppet show. Footwork is needed as well. The puppets, through the control of puppeteers, can dress up, light     5     candle, and even perform magical face-changing shows. Each puppet is at least 1.8 meters tall, and weighs over 20 kilograms.     6     takes skill and effort to really control them well.

“The traditional puppet, along with the ability     7     (control) it, is fast becoming a rarity in China. So,     8     (pass) this dying cultural heritage from one generation     9     the next is becoming a real challenge,” noted Li.

The good news is that the big puppet show in Nanchong is slowly gaining     10     (accept) and popularity among younger generations. Masters like Li Siyuan hope this age-old art and tradition can thrive in the modern era.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention (《世界遗产公约》), Beijing held    1     event titled “The Next 50 Years: World Heritage Where Challenges and Development Coexist”, during which experts discussed how    2       (make) the sites more accessible and sustainable for future generations.

Since joining the World Heritage Convention in 1985, the number of world heritage sites in China    3     (grow) to 56, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Grand Canal,    4     (allow) the nation to rank second in the world. And over the past decade, China has added 15 new world heritage sites, six of    5     have been included in the relevant lists of intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产).

Chinese experts said that the 56 listed world heritage sites reflect the country’s    6     (abundance) heritage and that China’s cultural heritage achievements over the past 10 years can be seen in many aspects.

For example, in 2013, the Tianshan Mountains    7     (list) on the World Heritage List. The beauty of Tianshan lies    8     its snow-capped mountains and glacier-capped peaks. It is really an outstanding example of a mountain ecosystem with a    9     (diverse) of landform features and ecosystems.

Experts said that the world heritage application is just a means to perform better protection. We should behave more    10     (responsible) to conserve the heritage of all humanity.

9 . Grandparents' Day is a warm holiday that allows children and adults an opportunity to show their appreciation for their Grandparents. Grandparents' Day and the weeks just before it are the time when children all over the country start thinking about what to get their Grandmothers and Grandfathers as presents for Grandparents' Day. Of course，giving presents is just one way of celebrating Grandparents' Day，but how to give gifts requires planning.

Choosing presents for Grandparents' Day can be a very difficult task. Because Grandparents' Day and holidays of its kind are meant to honor some of the most important people in our lives，the task of choosing presents that will be appropriate can be challenging. It can be very difficult to even consider the question of what kind of gift could show a Grandparent how much we love them and care for them.  Especially for those children who do not have much money，finding the right Grandparents' Day present at the right price is a very difficult task.

One solution to the difficulty of what to buy as a present for Grandparents' Day is not to buy anything at all. Rather than buying a material item that is almost sure to be short of expressing the depth and sincerity(诚心诚意) of your feelings for your Grandmother or Grandfather，consider another kind of choice entirely. One way that you can show a Grandparent that you really care is to make them something. A handmade gift can go a long way towards expressing your love on Grandparents' Day. Of course，there are also a lot more other ways to celebrate Grandparents' Day than by just giving presents to your parents.

10 . Some people take their holiday decoration very seriously. And some take it to the next level. The Griffith family in Kenova, West Virginia, is in this camp. They put on a display that shows they’re just filled with Halloween spirit.

Each year, this family displays 3,000 pumpkins (南瓜) in front of their home for the Halloween season. Yes, you read that right. Ric Griffith puts out one jack-o’ -lantern (南瓜灯) for every person who lives in Kenova.

Of course, he doesn’t do it all on his own. He has a lot of help from his family, and also from members of the community who are super-proud of what has become quite the tourist attraction over the years. More than 30,000 people stop by to see the amazing display, which includes jack‑o’ ‑lanterns cut to look like the faces of famous people, animals, cartoon characters, and other creative designs. It’s certainly a must-see as part of the area’s Ceredo-Kenova Autumnfest.

To fit in all 3,000 pumpkins, Griffith and his helpers spread them across the home’s garden and front porch (门廊), as well as on the roof!

Griffith began the tradition back in 1978 with just five pumpkins and, many years later, it’s much bigger and better. People can’t help but come to the area, walking along the sidewalk outside the house to get that perfect Halloween experience.

“Locals take great pride in it, and then there are people from around the country who plan fall trips and include it in their trips so they can see it,” said Tyson Compton, president of the Cabell‑Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s really something.”

“It’s become a tradition for many people in our area, and it feels good to keep that going,” Griffith said.