Today’s festivals have a wide     1     of origins, including the seasons of the year, famous     2    , important events, and religions. The     3     festival is one of the most popular festivals and is celebrated in many cultures. Customs play a     4     role in festivals,   but they can change over time. For example, many Chinese cities no longer allow     5     during the Spring Festival, as they can increase air pollution. These days, festivals are becoming more     6    , with people spending more money on gifts. Festivals    7     people’s wishes, beliefs, faiths, and attitudes towards life. People are     8     to spend time with family, and to relax and enjoy life.

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.

Festivals are celebrated all around the world. They have a wide range of     1    , such as the seasons of the year,     2    , famous figures, and important events. Every festival has its different customs and     3     charms. However, no matter how different they may seem, all over the world, the spirit of sharing joy, gratitude, love, or peace is common in all festivals.

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.

Festivals are an important part of society. They reflect people’s wishes, beliefs, faiths and    1    . They are    2     allow us to relax and enjoy life, and forget about our work for a little while. They help us understand where we came from, who we are, and     3    . And if you study festivals carefully, you may be surprised to find that     4     actually have a lot in common after all.

First of all, there’s the golden rule of the Internet: If you see or read something that makes you feel uncomfortable,     1     immediately. Don’t     2     or click on anything. Second,     3    . Don’t     4     your address or phone number. Someone might use the information to steal your identity. Identity theft is a common and serious problem. Third, be polite. Being online is no excuse for being rude, and you don’t want to     5     for a troll or cyberbully.

There is so much more to learn about the interesting history and culture of the United Kingdom. Studying the history of the country will make your visit     6    . The capital city London is a great place to start, as it is an     7     that has a history dating     8     back to Roman times. There are countless historic sites to explore, and lots of museums with ancient relics from all over the UK. The UK is     9     of history and modern culture, with both new and old traditions. If you     10    , you will be surprised to find that you can see both its past and its present.

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.