Since the 17th century, tea from China     1     (transport) to Europe via the Overland Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road. Whether it is pure tea     2     scented tea made with flowers and spices, tea from China has captured the hearts of many tea lovers. In Germany, drinking tea is not only an enjoyment of flavor, but also people’s yearning for dietary health and sense of well-being.

One of the most     3     (wide) consumed types of tea in Germany is “herbal (药草的) tea”,     4     dates back to the 10th century. This kind of herbal tea ismade with     5     (vary) herbs of medicinal value, so they have the special effects, such as relaxing the mind, helping with sleep,     6     (relieve) coughs and so on. Nowadays, people in Germany still like herbal tea made from chamomile flowers, fennel seeds, and nettle leaves because of     7     (it) mild medicinal function that benefits people’s health.

Another characteristic type of tea in Germany is “fruit tea”. This type of drink is made with scented dried fruit and tea leaves.     8     (example) of such drinks include wild raspberry tea, tea made with plum and peach.     9     (compare) with herbal tea, fruit tea has a pleasant sweet and sour taste. Its rich fruity aroma makes it particularly tempting. That’s exactly why fruit tea has become immensely popular     10     the local people.

3 . In early February, an old stove with rich vivid images (zaotou painting) took center stage at a village Spring Festival gala in Haiyan county, Zhejiang province.     1     . They feature historical and legendary figures, animals and flowers, which are painted in bright colors and have a way of drawing attention from admiring viewers. Zaotou is a part of a kitchen stove in the shape of a square or rectangle, on which are some images showing the beauty of nature and humanity.

    2    . In ancient time, villagers would hire bricklayers (瓦工) to build a mud stove in their new home and then painted pictures on a day of good fortune.     3    . They whitewashed (粉刷) the mud-made stove with lime-water, sketched out the patterns based on the shape of the stove, applied the final coat of paint and even created a three-dimensional effect.

At first, simple tools had been used to produce such art, including a selection of brushes, rulers, and paint. With people’s aesthetic appreciation growing, watercolors were used, mostly red, yellow and blue, the three auspicious (吉祥的) ones to the Chinese people.     4    . No matter what material is available, the stove painting is always symbolic and harbors good wishes for the owners.

Now many people are devoted to the inheritance and popularization of zaotou painting and more and more support has been received from various sides including local authorities.     5     .

Naturally green, red, yellow, or white, jade (玉) is a special rock. It’s important to Chinese culture largely due to     1     it represents. Here is a brief     2     (introduce) to jade.

Jade     3     (classify) into soft jade and hard jade. One type of hard jade is called feicui in Chinese that is now     4     (valuable) than soft jade in China today. As a pat of Chinese civilization, Chinese jade has been in use for practical and decorative     5     (purpose) since it was found.

Chinese people love jade not only because of its aesthetic (美学的) beauty     6     because it represents social value. In Li Ji, Confucius said that there are 11 virtues, represented in jade: justice, truth, intelligence, etc.

Jade is so firmly established in Chinese culture     7     there are many stories about Jade. Among them the most famous is He Shi Zhi Bi,     8     (tell) the story of Mr. He and how he found a piece of raw jade and tried to give it to two generations of kings, but they didn’t recognize it as priceless and cut off his feet     9     (punish) him for trying to pass off an unworthy stone. Afterwards, the grandson of the first king, Wenwang, had his jeweler cut the stone open and found the raw jade; it was carved into a disc and named     10     Mr. He.

The design and colors of the Beijing Winter Olympic Villages reflect Chinese aesthetics (美学). The city     1     (see) 288 days of good air quality last year, up by 112 days from 2013. In history, Beijing 2022 is the first Games     2     all venues (场地) are powered by clean energy and Beijing is the first city in the world     3     (host) both the Summer and Winter Games. Passenger vehicles used for the Games’ official transport service are powered by renewable energy. The world’s first express train with a studio     4     (power) by 5G tech has been launched. “Green” tops     5     China-proposed concept of hosting “green, inclusive, open and clean” Olympic Winter Games. A number of Olympic high     6     (technology) have been applied for the first time in Beijing to ensure     7     (it) goal of carbon neutrality.

The 2022 Paralympic Winter Games mascot Shucy RhonRhon symbolizes reunion and joy. China’s commitment to engage 300 million people in winter sports has already become a     8     (real). Named “Tongxin”, the medals are designed and inspired     9     Chinese ancient jade concentric circle pendants (同心圆吊坠). A menu of 678 dishes will be served     10     (special) to athletes from diverse cultural backgrounds all around the world.