The history of siheyuan (courtyard house) in Beijing can be traced back to more than 800 years ago     1     Beijing established its status as the capital city. As a kind of traditional Chinese relic, siheyuan represents the     2     (capital) architectural style.

Siheyuan is a closed rectangular space with a courtyard in the center. It     3     (surround) by four houses: the main room, the opposite room, an eastern-wing house and a western-wing house. The housing arrangement is     4     (total) based on the rules of hierarchical system, which aims to keep the order of the family members’ status. The principal house facing the south is inhabited by the head of the family, and his or her     5     (old) son lives in the eastern-wing house, which is believed to be superior     6     the western- wing house. Usually, the opposite house is given to servants and other members. Undoubtedly, siheyuan is a mirror of Chinese culture,     7     (reflect) the sense of belonging in the mind of Chinese people. All the gates are printed red,     8     symbol of luck in China.

Indeed,     9     (know) more about Chinese culture and traditions, visiting siheyuan     10     (be) a smart choice for you. Staying in a siheyuan, learning how to make dumplings and enjoying a local Chinese life, you will get an unforgettable experience here.

Bacolod, the     1     (five) largest city of the Philippines, is called the City of Smiles. It reflects the locals’ positive attitude towards daily life. Tourists from all over the world     2     (welcome) by local people. Bacolod, one of the cities with the best quality of life in the Philippines, has fresh air and wonderful urban greenery space.

MassKara Festival appeared     3     the first time in the early 1980s. And it takes place in October every year. There are various celebrations , such as street performances, mask-making     4     (compete) and parades.

During the festival, people     5     (put) on masks and colorful folk costumes spill into the streets, which     6     (transform) narrow streets into a sea of joy. If you pay a little attention, you will find that expressions on people’s masks are the same: smiling. Besides, there will be     7     number of other activities in the city. Restaurants will also prepare special food and good wine to entertain guests from far away.

    8     Bacolod lacks representative tourist attractions, it is     9     (good) worth visiting because of the wide and clean streets, fantastic markets and     10     (afford) housing prices.

4 . This year’s holiday photos will have an undoubtedly pandemic feel:     1    . Santa is hosting drive-through events, attaching face shields to his hat and trading with disposable gloves rather than his white cloth ones to protect himself —and others.

“    2    ,” said Mark Brenneman, 70, who has been playing the role of Santa for nearly five decades. “They want hope. They want normal.”

Bass Pro Shops began offering free photos with Santa during the 2008 recession, when the country was in need of a collective pick-me-up.    3    . Now the outdoors retailer is hoping to re-create some of that magic, even if Old Saint Nick is stuck behind a shield and elves are pulling double duty as “Santa’s sanitization squad.”

The SoNo collection, a mall in Norwalk, Conn., is offering virtual visits this year for $25. But for those who would like to see Santa in the flesh, he’ll be greeting shoppers from inside an acrylic snow globe on the third floor.

“    4    —the Spanish flu, the bubonic plague — and I just couldn’t bring myself to tell my kids that he was afraid of covid-19,” said Kathryn Burgess, a photographer who designed the snow globe and spent $10,000 producing it. “    5    .”

Her acrylic barriers, which she sells for as much as $4,000, are being used by nearly 50 malls, schools and hospitals this holiday season.