In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs     1     (gain) huge popularity in Western universities. More recently the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80     2     (country). These schools teach both Chinese language     3     culture. The main courses of Chinese culture     4     (usual) include Chinese art, history and philosophy. Some social scientists suggest that Westerners     5     (take) advantage of the ancient Chinese     6     (wise) to make up for the drawbacks of Western philosophy. Students in the United States,     7     the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world     8     China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius     9     (understand) their Chinese customers.

Today China attracts the West     10     (much) than ever and it will need more to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.

2 . To give a tip or not? If so, how much? They can be headaches even for the most experienced tourists. This week, the main political parties in the UK have finally come to rescue by passing laws to forbid bars and restaurants taking tips from the customers.

However, not every country in the world takes the matter as seriously as the British, who are believed to have invented the custom in the 17th century — originally as a noble practice of giving small gifts to the so-called “inferior (低等的) classes”. Later, tipping has become a habit widely accepted in the world, although it is influenced by a nation’s culture and values.

A common joke among Americans is that only getting tax return is more confusing than tipping. Tips were imported into the country in the 19th century, when wealthy Americans began travelling to Europe. The custom was originally disapproved in the US. Critics accused tippers of creating a class of people who “begged for favors”. Fast forward to the 21st century and you will still find Americans debating the pros and cons. But tipping is now completely ingrained (根深蒂固的) in the national soul.

Like many Asian countries, China is largely a no-tipping culture for decades it was actually prohibited and considered illegal. To this day, it remains relatively uncommon.

Japan’s complex manner system includes tipping. It is socially acceptable on special occasions such as weddings, but on the other occasions, it can actually make the receiver feel ashamed, if not abused. Even on occasions where tips are expected,the money is expected to be sealed in special envelopes as a sign of gratitude and respect. Otherwise, it will be refused because tips are usually included in the payment for the service.

3 . The concept “China chic”, or guochao, has become popular in recent years. According to relevant data, from January to July 2022, the search volume for “Guochao” as a keyword has increased by 392. 66% year on year. Big Data Report of 2021 Guochao Pride Search from Baidu revealed that the level of interest in guochao has skyrocketed in the past 10 years. Domestic（国内 的）products are in fashion, and domestic consumption has increasingly become an important choice for the new generation of consumers.

China chic mixes unique cultural elements with the latest trends in various industries, which not only satisfies younger consumers' needs for pursuing personality and fashion, but also plays a role in bringing back traditional culture. The rise of China chic is the result of China's rapid economic development and has some cultural motivations behind it. Besides, the continuous improvement of the consumption power of Chinese people is an important reason for the rise of China chic.

Most importantly, cultural confidence is the driving force for the rise of China chic. Five thousand years of Chinese civilization has left us a rich cultural heritage. Guochao is, in many ways, the perfect representative of the new wave of Chinese nationalism. Starting in the fashion industry, this trend shows Chinese consumers' newfound interest in Chinese cultural heritage. The guochao trend is at its strongest among young adults who live in an even more powerful China and thus have a strong feeling of national pride. China's national strength is increasing, and its soft power is also on the rise. Even so, we still have a long way to go to carry forward this China chic. But as it has become a part of people's lives, no doubt there will even be more diverse China chic products showing Chinese charm in the future.

Crosstalk, Xiangsheng in Chinese, is a     1    (tradition) Chinese comedic performing art and one of China's most popular cultural forms. It's     2    (general) believed that crosstalk developed sometime in the Qing Dynasty. After the People's Republic of China     3    (found) in 1949, this art became increasingly popular. Today, it is     4    important part in the CCTV Spring Festival Gala and other countless shows in China.

There are four     5    (skill) in crosstalk: speaking, imitating, teasing and singing. Most of the time, it is performed by two actors-one serves as the leading actor while the other plays a supporting role. However, sometimes it is performed as a monologue (独白)，    6    is completed by one person mainly telling jokes, and at other times it is performed by more than two actors,     7     (call) group performance. Crosstalk is humorous and its language is lively and rich     8    puns (双关语).

Jump into a taxi in Beijing, and chances are that your driver will be listening to a radio broadcast of a crosstalk show. These days, more and more foreigners are becoming interested in     9     (study) the art of crosstalk. Crosstalk is a huge part of Chinese culture and it appears as if it's getting even     10    (big).