When I was a little boy, the dinner on the eve of Spring Festival was what I looked forward to most. It was not only for the delicious food, but for     1     (我们全家团聚的重要时刻, 定语从句).     2     (无论他们离家多么远), they would just return in time for it. I would run around the house, listening     3     (merry) to the adults chatting about their year. I would     4     (高兴地放烟花),     5     (用灯笼装饰房子) and put up couplets on the door. In the evening,     6     (我们一般围坐在桌边),     7     (享受各种食物) and gathering together again.     8     (坦率地说), the simple, homemade dishes tasted more delicious than anything     9     (cook) by a top chef.

Of all the t    1     festivals, the harvest festival can be found in almost every c    2    . This important a    3     festival takes place after all the crops have been gathered in. People celebrate to show that they are g    4     for the year’s supply of food. In a    5     Egypt, the harvest festival was celebrated during the springtime — the Egyptian harvest season. It f    6     a parade and a great feast with music, dancing, and sports. Today, in some European countries, people d    7     churches and town halls with flowers and fruit, and get together to celebrate over a m    8    . During the Mid- Autumn Festival in China, families gather to a    9     the shining moon and enjoy d    10     mooncakes.

By the Shang Dynasty (around L600-1046BCE), these s    1     had become a well-developed writing system. Over the years, the system developed into different f    2    , as it was a time when people were d    3     geographically, leading to many v    4     of dialects and characters. This, however, c    5     under Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE).

Emperor Qinshihuang united the seven m    6    states into one unified country where the Chinese writing system began to develop in one d    7    . That writing system was of great importance in uniting the Chinese people and c    8    . Even today, no matter where Chinese people live or what dialect they s    9    they can all still c    10     in writing.

Of all the t    1     festivals, the harvest festival can be found in almost every c    2    . This important agricultural festival t    3     place after all the crops have been gathered in. People celebrate to show that they are g    4     for the year’s s    5     of food. In ancient Egypt, the harvest festival was celebrated during the springtime- the Egyptian harvest s    6    . It featured a p    7     and a great feast with music, dancing, and s    8    . Today, in some European countries, people decorate churches and town halls with flowers and fruit, and get together to celebrate over a m    9    . During the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, f    10     gather to admire the shining moon and enjoy delicious mooncakes.

Trade and     1     have often formed the foundation of mankind’s greatest achievements. To complete the great map of the world was a strong p    2     for the people of early civilisations. Marco Polo’s tales     3     European explorers to search for sea routes from west to east. H    4    merchants and explorers from the East set sail from east to west many years before Columbus first did.

In a     5    times, silk from China found its way overland to India, the Middle East, and Rome, along what became known as the Silk Road. A trading route across the sea was also e    6    along the coasts of the Indian Ocean, centred around Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Here, merchants from China and many other places met to n    7    trade deals, which also led to more a    8     each other’s cultures. Over the centuries, f    9     trading, allowed more exploration of the regions to the west of China, as r    10     in Du Huan’s Record of My Travels in the eighth century.

Celebrated all around the world, festivals have a wide range of o    1    , such as the seasons of the year, religions, famous f    2    , and important events. Of all the traditional festivals, the harvest festival can be found in almost every culture. This important agricultural festival takes place after all the crops have been   g    3     in. People celebrate to show that they are g    4     for the year’s supply of food. The harvest festival in ancient Egypt f    5     a parade and a great feast with music, dancing and sports. Customs play a s    6     role in festivals, but sometimes they can change over time. For example, lighting fireworks is one of the t    7     traditions in Chinese Spring Festival to drive away the evil spirits and celebrate the new year. Recently, to avoid air pollution, it is banned in many big cities. Moreover, with many online shopping websites and social media apps boosting, festivals are celebrated more and more c    8     leading to people's different ideas about it. Festivals are an important part of society. They reflect people's wishes, b    9    , faiths, and attitudes to life. They are o    10     that we need to relax and enjoy life, and forget about our work for a little while.

In the USA, the Amish-a Christian group-are famous because they drive     1     instead of cars, do not use TVs or refrigerators, and do not have personal telephones. Many people assume the Amish must have     2     reasons for their many rules, but this is not true. In truth, whenever a new technology is introduced, the Amish meet and discuss its advantages and disadvantages. They then vote on whether they will accept it. The Amish       3     cars because they like having       4     communities where everyone lives close together. They have no TVs or refrigerators because their homes do not have electricity-they do not think it is necessary and     5     dealing with strangers, such as the people who work at the electric company.