1 . The “Double Seven Festival” is a traditional Chinese festival. It has a longer history than the ______ of Valentine’s Day in the West.

The origin of this festival is related to a cowboy and a weaving girl, whose love story has become a part of the Chinese culture. ______ there are many different versions of the story, the most popular one begins with a poor cowboy. Living with his elder and ______ brother, who treated him badly, the cowboy looked after an old cow every day. Though life was tough and boring, he put up with it in silence, without complaining.

Unluckily, even such a hard life didn’t last long. His brother got rid of him and all he got was the old cow. Although they couldn’t talk to each other, they ______ on each other for company. One day, miracle happened. The old cow started talking and told him that there would be seven fairies coming down to the Earth to ______ in a pond. All he should do was to ______ the dress of one of the fairies. Then that fairy would be his wife. ______ but excited, the cowboy followed the cow’s advice.

Every day the cowboy went to work ______ the fairy wove cloth at home. However, their ______ life came to an end when the Heavenly Goddess learned about it. She took the weaving girl away and drew a line in the sky that turned into the Milky Way, which ______ the cowboy meeting her wife. Due to the strong reaction from the young ______, the Goddess finally allowed them to see each other only once a year. The day was on the seventh day of the seventh month. That is ______ the Double Seven Festival came into being.

Although the love story doesn’t end up with a happy ending, it is to be told from one ______ to another. It reminds people to cherish every moment ______ with their loved ones and not to regret until we ______ them.

2 . Specialists(专家) say that it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. “Culture shock(文化冲击)” is the _______ these specialists use when talking about the _______ that people have in a _______ environment. “There are three stages of culture shock”, say the specialists. In the first stage, the new comers like their new environment. Then, when the _______ experience dies, they begin to _______ the city, the country, the people, and everything else. In the last stage, the new comers begin to adapt to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life _______ .

There are some obvious factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The _______ may be different. The public service systems—the telephone, the post office, or the transportation—may be difficult to _______. The most simple things seem to be big problems. The language may be _______ .

Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. ________ culture shock surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who ________ had any difficulties in their home countries and were ________ in their community(集体). Coming to a new ________ these people find they do not have the same established positions. They find ________ without a role, almost without an identity(身份). They have to ________ a new self-image.

Culture shock gives rise to a feeling of disorientation(迷失方向). This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people feel like staying ________ all the time. They want to ________ themselves from the strange environment, and create an escape inside their room for a(n) ________ of safety. This escape does ________ the problem of culture shock in the short term, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and ________ experience—these are the long-term solutions to the problem of culture shock.

4 . Wang Dewen, known as “Grandpa Amu” online, is a 63-year-old man. He has skills beyond the _______ of ordinary people and creates woodwork with nothing _______ a single piece of wood. He has brilliant traditional carpentry (木工) skills, _______ first-time viewers online with his woodwork.

The Chinese carpenter has been _______ Lu Ban in modern times. His most _______ video — making a wooden arch bridge, has spread quickly on overseas social platforms, _______ more than 42 million views! Grandpa Amu _______ ancient Chinese mortise and tenon (榫卯) structures in his work, a technique _______ used in traditional Chinese architecture and furniture. The entire _______ of building the arch bridge involves no nails or glue. A man ________ under the video, “A block of wood is ________ into a great work of art. You’re not a carpenter; you’re an ________.”

He has become a real ________ on overseas social platforms — so far attracting millions of fans overseas.____________, Grandpa Amu insists that he is not an Internet celebrity but just an ________ farmer. He has used his extraordinary skills mostly to ________ his young grandson, making all kinds of toys. He is also trying to________ unique Chinese techniques to the world. “We ________ the idea of making the videos because we are ________ to bring our priceless culture to others and make these ancient Chinese technique come to people’s ________,” said Grandpa Amu’s daughter-in-law.

5 . Father’s Day

Father’s Day is a fairly new celebration in the British calendar compared with Mother’s Day, which has been a very popular and well celebrated festival in the UK for a very long time.

Father’s Day was first celebrated by Americans ___ it was inspired by the actions of a man named William Smart. He was a veteran of the US Civil War and his wife ___ away giving birth to their sixth child. He ___ six children alone without remarrying, which was undoubtedly ___ back in those days.

His daughter, Sonora Dodd, ___ when she was an adult what her father had sacrificed for his ___ . It was in the early 1900s and she was actually ___one day, listening to a sermon(讲经) on ____. She thought there should ___ be a Father’s Day celebration.

And so the ___ was born, on the third Sunday every June, close to the anniversary of Sonora’s father’s death. Britain took the idea of Father’s Day from the American celebration and it has been celebrated ___ since the 1970s.

Father’s Day is never quite such a big commercial event ___ Mother’s Day is, probably because it hasn’t been in ___ for so long. But what do British people do for Father’s Day? Well, most people would buy their fathers a card. The card would probably have nice message in it ___ what a great Dad their father is. Some people do buy presents as well.

____gifts for Dads are probably ties, chocolates or socks because there are things that Dads can ___ use even if they don’t want them. In the run-up to Father’s Day, or indeed Mother’s Day, there will be advertisements on TV giving ___ ideas of CDs or gadgets(小玩意) we can buy. Card shops will be full of mugs or pens and similar goods with “ World’s Greatest Dad” ___ on them.

Some families ___ do things together to celebrate Father’s Day like going for a meal. As a special treat, British people might give their Dad a bit of a rest, ___ him a cup of tea, or even wash his car and mow the lawn to make him feel really appreciated.

6 . America is a fast-paced society, which may seem very troubling to foreign visitors. One’s first _____ is likely to be that everyone is in a rush. City people always seem to be ______ and are very impatient if they are delayed even for a brief moment.

______, this may seem unfriendly to you. _____, drivers will rush you; storekeepers will be in a hurry as they _____ you; people will push you _____ walking along the street. You will ____ brief conversations with people when you shop or dine there as people seem to be on the go.

Do not ____ that because Americans are in such a hurry they are ______. To them, that is just part of their _____ of life. Americans who live in cities often think that everyone is _____ in a hurry to get things done so they naturally ____ others to behave similarly. _____, when they discover that you are a stranger, most Americans become quite kind and will take great _____ to help you. Many of them first came to the city _____ strangers and they remember how frightening a new city can be. If you need help, _____ a friendly-looking person and say, “I am a stranger here. Can you help me?”

Most people will stop, ____ you, and help you find your way. But you must let them know that you need help. Otherwise they are _____ to pass you by, not noticing that you are new the city and ____ help. If, occasionally, you find someone too rushed to give you help, don’t be _____; just ask someone else. Most Americans enjoy helping a stranger.

7 . A trip across the Pacific will guarantee you a different experience with a tipping culture you’ve never come across in China.

In the US, giving a little _______ money to service workers on top of your bill is a common _______.

Though US national law _______that businesses pay workers at least $7.25 (45 yuan) per hour, employees receiving tips—often waiters and waitresses—are the exceptions. They _______ only receive $2.13 an hour, and tips _______the difference. As the Wall Street Journal put it, “The American system of tipping holds the promise of great _______ for waiting staff.”

So how should you tip if you are in the US?

_______you pay tips as a percentage of the bill. Offering an extra 15 percent of the _______to the waiter or waitress in a restaurant and to the delivery man or woman is customary and _______. You can offer more for great service and less for ________ service.

Yet there is an________. For take-out food, you don’t have to ________tips for the sellers. Tipsare not expected at fast food restaurants, cafés or ice cream shops either, though a tip jar ________be right by the cash register (收银机). Don’t feel obligated to throw some money in, remembering that it doesn’t hurt. Those workers do not __________on tips.

Other service workers also receive tips. For taxi drivers, 15 percent is the norm (标准), ________if they help with your bags. The same goes for tour guides.

Today, you can even pay tips on a credit card. When receiving a copy of the bill to sign, you

________thinking about when to tip and how much you should tip causes a big ________for many Chinese people, it’s important to________in mind that as long as you show respect and use your reasoning, things will be just ________.

8 . China is known as a country of etiquette (礼节) and ceremonies. Here is an interesting story that shows this. Once upon a time, a man _______ on a long trip to visit his friend and took a swan as a gift. But the swan _______ from its cage on the way and when he tried to _______ it, he got hold of nothing but a _______. Instead of returning home, he continued his _______ taking the swan feather with him. When his friend received this _______ gift, he was deeply moved. And the _______ “The gift is nothing much, but it’s the thought that counts.” was _______ far and wide.

Chinese used to _______ one hand in the other in front of the chest as a salute. This ________ has a history of more than 2,000 years but nowadays it is ________ used except on the Spring Festival. And shaking hands is more popular and ________ on formal occasions. Bowing was often used by people in a ________ position such as subordinates (下属), students, and attendants. ________ at present Chinese youngsters tend to simply nod as a greeting.

It is common social practice to ________ the junior to the senior, or the familiar to the unfamiliar. When you start a talk _______ a stranger, topics such as weather, food, or ________are a good choice to break the ice. With a ________ a chat about current affairs, sports, the stock market or his job usually goes______. Similar to Western customs, you should be ____________ in asking a woman private questions. However, talking about her job or family life will never put you into danger.