2024 marks the 940th anniversary (周年纪念) of the birth of Li Qingzhao (1084-1155), one of the best-known female     1     (writer) in Chinese history.     2     (honor) the famous Song Dynasty (960—1279) poetess, the first International Qingzhao Poetry and Arts Festival will be held between June 20 and 27 at the poet’s birthplace, today’s Zhangqiu district of Jinan in Shandong province.

Themed on “What Springs Forth”, the week-long event will take place at the Zhangqiu Mingshui Ancient City, a     3     (new) opened tourist destination where Li’s former residence is located, with dozens of springs gushing (涌出) all year round.

During the festival, famous poets, artists, critics and translators from home     4     abroad will gather at the ancient city to join in a wide variety of activities. With a focus on     5     (fresh), experimentation and futurism, the festival’s organizing committee has designed     6     series of programs for young people. For example, two poetry awards for young poets and university students will     7     (present) after careful selection.

“Regarding the young poet awards, we should use our judging process to discover and reward those     8     have true breakthroughs in concepts, aesthetics, language, and even     9    terms of the relationship between poetry and society,” said the festival’s academic director Jiang Tao.

Meanwhile, international poets and translators will be invited to attend the festival, and translation workshops aimed at     10     (promote) translation between Chinese poetry and poetry of foreign languages will be held during the event.

The Zhenfeng Pagoda, located in Yingjiang Temple, is a renowned landmark in Anqing.     1     (original) named “Wanfo Pagoda”, it was renamed “Zhenfeng” later     2     (promote) literary style. There is a saying     3     before the Ming Dynasty, Anqing had not produced a top scholar, and its literary atmosphere was declining. To fix this, astrologers (占星家) advised     4     (build) the pagoda to retain literary talent. Upon its completion in 1570, the Zhenfeng Pagoda     5     (see) as a revival of literary excellence in the region, producing notable figures such as the father and son prime ministers Zhang Ying and Zhang Tingyu, the distinguished top scholar Zhao Wenkai, the renowned calligraphy master Deng Shiru,     6     the influential Tongcheng School of literature.

Standing at an impressive     7     (high) of 72.74 meters, the pagoda is the second     8     (tall) ancient brick and stone pagoda in China. Designated (任命) as a national key cultural relic protection unit in 2006, the Zhenfeng Pagoda remains a popular destination for tourists     9     visitors can climb 168 steps to the top     10     all-around views of the surrounding landscape.

Kunqu, also known as Kun Opera, is a form of traditional Chinese theater that has a rich history and cultural significance. Originated in the Yuan Dynasty and     1    （gain）great popularity in the Ming Dynasty, Kunqu has been recognized     2     a masterpiece of human cultural heritage by UNESCO, and     3    （refer）to as the “mother” of all Chinese opera often.

Combining songs     4    （perform）in the Suzhou dialect, graceful body movements, martial arts and dance, Kunqu uses     5     variety of movements to express specific emotions. As a highly     6    （influence）form of opera in Chinese culture, particularly in the areas of literature, music, and art, Kunqu has inspired many famous poets, painters, and musicians by its     7    （beautiful）and elegance.

Today, Kunqu remains an     8    （incredible）important part of China’s cultural heritage, and efforts are being made     9    （protect）and promote this traditional art form. Although it may not be as popular as other forms of Chinese theater such as Beijing Opera, Kunqu has a devoted following among those    10     appreciate its unique charm and artistry.

A living heritage is an endless dialogue between the present and the past, and Kunqu is a carrier to pass that legacy on.

Silk was invented in China in 3000 BC. It was well integrated into the Chinese economy during the Han Dynasty,     1     plain silks and products of peasant households were used as the main form of tax paid to the government. Fancy silk clothes were worn by the wealthy     2     symbols of status from the Han Dynasty on.

Women played     3     major role in the production of this vital product. In many households, the laborious task of raising the silkworms (蚕) originally     4    (restrict) to women.

Producing silk is a     5    (relative) lengthy process and demands constant close attention. The worms need a certain degree of     6    (warm) to survive. Sometimes the tiny eggs were sewn into little cotton bags and worn beneath the clothes. When hatched (孵出), they might be placed in shallow baskets or on shelves in the house     7     fed fresh mulberry leaves night and day. When they became cocoons (茧), dipping them into hot water to loosen the tightly woven filaments (细丝) and then     8    (wind) these filaments onto a spool (线轴)     9    (produce) the silk threads woven into cloth were also     10    (woman) work. Today, silk factories still mainly employ women for these tasks.

The Analects of Confucius (《论语》) records the words and deeds of the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius,     1     (write) somewhere between the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period more than 2,000 years ago. It     2     (highlight) the political and moral ideas of Confucius and Confucianism.

Ren is a core concept in the book adopted by Confucius with original meaning of loving others.     3     (represent) a high moral standard, it includes all virtues. Confucius stresses that self-discipline is     4     must for practicing the rules of propriety (礼) and achieving ren.

Society has developed greatly and huge changes     5     (occur) as well after the birth of the Analects of Confucius. Nevertheless, it contains lots of ideas beyond the passage of time, some of     6     are still relevant today. For example, Confucius analyzes the relationship between learning and thinking by saying that learning without thinking leads to confusion while thinking without learning ends in puzzlement. Besides, the Analects of Confucius also     7     (vivid) shows the images of Confucius’s students. Zi Lu is straightforward, Zi Gong is smart, and Yan Hui is mild and capable. Confucius insists on treating students     8     individuals to achieve full potential, which is     9     (consist)with some of the modern educational thoughts.

The Analects of Confucius is a fine example of world literature, and the publication of its     10     (version) in various languages will further enhance cultural exchanges between China and the world.

Besides water, tea is the most popular drink in the world. It is said that tea was invented accidentally by a Chinese ruler,     1     was called Shen Nong. Lu Yu, “the sage of tea (茶圣)”,     2    (write) the first book about tea. It is believed that tea     3     (send) to Korea and Japan during the 6th and 7th centuries. In the 17th century, tea was introduced to Europe. The tea trade from China     4     Western countries took place in the 19th century.

There are many     5     (type) of Chinese tea, such as green tea, white tea, oolong tea, yellow tea, dark tea and black tea, each of which has     6     (it) own different color, scent, and taste. Many provinces have their special types of tea,     7     (actual), such as the West Lake Longjing Tea in Zhejiang Province, the Wuyi Rock Tea in Fujian Province and the Pu’er Tea in Yunnan Province.

It is a     8     (tradition) etiquette (礼节) to serve guests with tea. The gongfu tea is perhaps the most representative tea ceremony in China. The preparation can involve over 10 different tools, containing more than 20 steps.

Do you enjoy     9    (drink) tea? Choose a type of Chinese tea     10     enjoy it with your friends.

Many Asian countries have the tradition of eating noodles at celebration meals．In particular, Chinese people like to eat longevity noodles (long life noodles, or “Changshou Mian”)     1     some special occasions such as “Ren Ri” and their birthdays. Some say this tradition can be traced back to the Han dynasty（206 B.C.-220 A. D.）but others hold that it first     2     (appear) in the Tang Dynasty（618 A. D.—907 A. D.）.

It serves as a long-standing     3     (believe) among Chinese people in different parts of the country, from the North to the South, in villages and in the cities, that eating these noodles is     4     (extreme) auspicious（吉祥的）as the long, thin strands of noodles symbolize     5     long, healthy life. Therefore, it has become an     6     (replaceable) dish at birthday celebrations. Although some people may prefer to cook the noodles at home, it is also a dish commonly     7     (serve) in restaurants.

When     8     (eat) the noodles, one will try not to break the noodles using the chopsticks or teeth, because the longer the noodle is, the longer it suggests the person’s life will be. As a result, the noodles     9     (make) longer than the usual ones. The noodles are usually the last dish to appear on the table as a symbol of good wishes for those     10     came to the dinner．

In Chinese culture, different plants and flowers represent different human personalities. For thousands of years, an art form     1     (relate) to flowers, namely traditional Chinese flower arranging, has been an important and     2     (appeal) part of Chinese culture.

Ancient China saw the beginning of traditional Chinese flower arranging art, during     3     time flower arranging was done without containers. In the Qin and Han dynasties, flowers were arranged in containers. By Song Dynasty, flower arranging art enjoyed high     4     (popular) among ordinary people.     5     society developing greatly over the past years, the art of flower arranging has developed too. In 2008, traditional flower arrangement     6     (include) in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list, protected by the government.

Wang Lianying, a university professor,    7     (apply) herself to traditional Chinese flower arranging for over forty years. Wang and her coworkers traveled to     8     (gallery) across the country to collect information. When choosing flower materials, flower arranging artists try to take their forms and understand their meaning. They not only show the flower’s natural beauty,     9     show its humanistic spirit. They also organized training programs and set up courses at university     10     (arouse) the interest of the younger generation. They hope they will always love flowers and plants, and when arranging them, they will follow their natural shape to create impressive artworks.

A video of college students in northeastern China wearing military style cotton coats to class     1    (go) viral on social media platforms recently.

Down jackets(羽绒服) have been a    2    (necessary) for many Chinese people all the time. To seek more profit in the booming market, many brands have started to move towards high-end development,    3    (result)in a more significant increase in demand for high-quality materials like white goose down. Thus, the price has increased.

With the price of down jackets increasing, college students in China have picked up military coats    4    (defend) themselves from the winter cold. Thanks     5     their low cost and high quality, cotton coats have made a major comeback this winter and stormed college campuses.

The general thinking among students is     6    it isn’t about whether they can afford a down jacket or not, but that cotton coats     7    (simple)provide better quality at a much lower price. The cheapest military style cotton coat costs less than 100 yuan and they have become the most     8    (fashion)winter wear for college students in northern China. A single person wearing one of these coats is noticeable, and a couple might     9    (laugh)at. But when a group wears them, it’s     10    latest fashion.

For many locals in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, the day begins with a hot, steaming bowl of beef noodles. Currently, there are over 1,600 shops     1    (sell) Lanzhou beef noodles in this ancient city on the banks of the Yellow River, with annual sales estimated at more than $58 billion.

The     2    (early) Lanzhou clear-soup beef noodles developed from Chen Weijing’s Lao Tang beef noodles from Henan Province during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty. Then Ma Liuqi from Gansu learned     3     Chen how to make the beef noodles and brought it to Lanzhou. This     4    (follow)by Chen Hesheng, Ma Baozi and others who established the standard of Lanzhou beef noodles and carried it forward.

Lanzhou beef noodles can be classified (分类) into more than 10 types     5    (base) on their thickness, with each type having its own name. The noodle types are determined by the different age groups they are     6    (suit) for. For example, the thinner noodles are ideal for older people as they are easier to chew. Young people have a     7    (prefer) for the thicker and wider noodles.

For over 200 years, this bowl of beef noodles     8    (become) world-famous for its tender meat and tasty soup, as well as its fine noodle texture. Now Gansu Province is considering passing     9     law related to Lanzhou beef noodles,     10     is believed to provide legal protection for the industry to achieve higher quality in production, business operation and services.