Shijing, also The Book of Songs or Shih Ching, is the     1     (early) collection of Chinese poetry. It     2     (make) up of 311 poems dating from the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty to the middle stage of the Spring and Autumn Period. Nowadays, Confucius is generally believed to be the     3     (edit) of the book.

Shijing is rich in content,     4     (describe) love and labour, war and slavery, customs and marriage, ancestor worship and special events. It is called a mirror of social life.

Poems included in Shijing fall into three sections-poems that come from villages belong to Feng; those written to persuade or praise the rulers belong to Ya; those used at religious     5     (ceremony) belong to Song. Ya and Song are flowery and serious in language.     6    , Feng is relatively inspiring and full of passion.

The opening poem of Shijing, “Cooing and Wooing” (《关雌》), is about love,     7     reads:

By riverside are cooing, a pair of turtledoves;

A good young man is wooing, a fair maiden he loves.

It is vivid that the man is longing     8     (win) over the girl.

Shijing enables people to have a better understanding of Chinese civilization and is also     9     beginning of ancient Chinese poetry. Additionally, it is also frequently quoted in other Chinese texts and has always been referred to     10     moral truth and lessons.

I     1     (be) always full of confidence about Hamlet before I saw The Revenge of Prince Zidan — the Peking Opera version of Hamlet. First, the opera brought a     2     (complete) new sound to my Western ears, beginning with an orchestra playing traditional Chinese instruments, one of     3     was an instrument with two strings     4     (call) jinghu. Then, I was surprised when the main characters came on stage. The costumes and masks were     5     (amaze). Although the     6     (perform) sang in Chinese, the music, exaggerated movements and mime helped get the meanings     7     the audience. The voices sounded really unique. So high were some of the female voices     8     I was sure they could break glass! And the stage was really simple.     9     (use) some special techniques, the opera had transformed a small stage into the whole universe. What I liked most was how the characters moved on stage. It was so dazzling and energetic that I wasn’t sure if the characters were performers     10     athletes! Feeling the strong emotions of love, anger, fear and grief in the performance. I could easily recognise the theme of Hamlet.

With a history of more than 2,000 years, the Silk Route dates back to Han dynasty. Through this route, the Chinese highly     1     (qualify) silk made its fame to the western countries. The merchants in different regions     2     (seek) the opportunity of trading Chinese silk     3     they indeed made their fortune along this route.

That route functioned     4     the life blood of international trade at that time. Meanwhile, the Chinese civilization was introduced to the Western countries and vice versa. The Silk Route     5     (consider) as a new chapter recording the friendship between the European and Asian peoples.

Throughout all these years, many great figures have made great     6     (contribute) to the development of the Silk Route. Today, the Silk Route has a poetic name     7     (call) One Belt One Road,    8     (aim) to help those connected regions in culture and economy exchange with a more advanced road. The main cities alongside it are becoming     9     (large) and more important in helping trade and culture exchange. Many countries have gained great benefits along the trading process. All in all, the ancient Silk Road is more like     10     historical textbook for everyone to read and to know about what happened during that ancient time. It has been playing a significant role in the development of the civilizations of China.

Every culture in the world celebrates festivals. Festivals around the world not only have     1     wide range of origins but also have different customs. The harvest festival,     2     takes place after all the crops have been gathered in, can be found in almost every culture. People celebrate it     3     (show) their gratitude to the year’s supply of food. But the     4     (celebrate) vary from country to country.

In ancient Egypt, it     5     (feature) a parade and a great feast with music, dancing, and sports during springtime. During the Mid－Autumn Festival in China, families gather to admire the     6     (shine) moon and enjoy delicious mooncakes.

Customs change with the     7     (develop) of modern society. In China, many big cities     8     (give) up the custom of lighting firecrackers in order to avoid air pollution. Nowadays, businesses take advantage of the celebrations and make festivals commercial. Although some are     9     it, others believe the increase in spending is good for the economy and public happiness.

Festivals reflect people’s wishes, beliefs, faiths and attitudes towards life. If you study festivals     10     (careful), you may be surprised to find that different cultures actually have a lot in common after all.

The animated film Chang An has become a surprise hit, earning     1    impressive 600 million yuan at the box office of the Chinese mainland within just ten days of its release. It has appealed to audiences of all ages, who     2     (enthusiastic) recite poetry alongside the characters on screen, taking them on a fantastic journey. This film not only identifies with the Chinese people but also allows the world     3     (explore) the rich tradition of Tang poetry and the “Chinese Poetry Universe.”

The story centers around the deep friendship between poet Gao Shi and the romantic poet Li Bai offering a brief look into the glorious history of the Tang era,     4    is known for its economic prosperity and cultural advancement. The 48 Tang poems     5     (feature) in the movie present a view of the most excellent poets of that time as well as their political ambitions and ideals. These poems transport audiences     6     sandy deserts to mist­filled regions along the Yangtze River.

Chang An is undoubtedly a masterpiece that shows the unique     7     (characteristic) of Chinese culture to the world. In China, poets and their poems     8     (consider) national treasures. These poems describe not only the historical changes of a dynasty, but also     9     (people) understanding of the world. The film has raised the audiences’     10     (aware) and enhanced their love and belief in Chinese culture.

Studying abroad in Amman, Jordan, was a life changing experience for me. There were so many challenges and cultural norms I     1     (expose) to. I needed to be familiar with new surroundings and cooperate     2     people from different cultural backgrounds. Fortunately, everyone I met there was understanding and welcoming. Prior to     3     (go) abroad, I applied through International Studies Abroad (ISA), and they were enormously helpful.

Studying abroad enabled me to see things from new angles and learn more about cultures around me.     4     the whole, studying abroad can help     5     (strength) your abilities in cross­cultural communication and improve your general competence.

The lantern fair in Zigong, Southwest China’s Sichuan province, boasts a history of more than 1,000 years.     1     (mark) the Year of the Dragon, many of the lanterns show the Chinese sign of the zodiac (生肖), but there are also     2     wide variety of other lantern designs to meet different needs. Visitors     3     prefer traditional lanterns can find lanterns with flowers and birds, and legendary figures, while lanterns with modern patterns such as cultural     4     (trend) and online games are gaining popularity among young people.

In addition to the     5     (elegance) craftsmanship, modern technologies such as 3D printing and artificial intelligence have also been used to make the lanterns     6     (nice) and more vivid. The lantern show is also accepting the concept of environmental protection. A set of lanterns     7     (feature) the famous Chinese statue “Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow” from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) was created by using different kinds of waste materials, including tires and plastics to form its outside decorations.

This year’s show will not come to an end     8     July 31. The sets of lanterns     9     (update) to keep up with other traditional Chinese festivals, such as the Dragon Boat Festival. Visitors can also enjoy folk arts, and Chinese music performances during     10     (they) lantern-viewing tours.