Singapore’s tradition of eating out in places called hawker centers has been recognized by the United Nations for its cultural importance so far.

A hawker is a person who sells food or goods by shouting at passers-by on the street. Hawkers are     1     special part of Singaporean culture. Open-air eating areas     2     hawkers sell    3     (they) goods are very popular in Singapore. On Wednesday, the United Nations’ cultural agency, UNESCO, added the city’s “hawker culture” to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Singapore    4     (apply) to have hawker culture added to the list about two years ago.

Because it has been recognized, Singapore must provide a report every six years to UNESCO. The report must     5     (specific) show measures that the city-state has taken     6     (save) and support its hawker culture. “These centers serve     7    ‘community dining rooms’ where people from diverse backgrounds gather and share the experience of     8     (chat) over breakfast, lunch and dinner, “UNESCO said.

However, Singapore’s hawker culture does face difficulties. The average age of hawkers    9     (be) 60 years old. Younger Singaporeans now want to work in offices. They are     10     (little) interested in working in small restaurants.

The Huangmei Opera piece On Sun Mountain was presented by the Anqing Huangmei Opera Art Theater at the China Grand Theater of Pingju Opera in Beijing on Dec 4, 2023.

The story takes place on Sun Mountain,     1     the story of Li Anben, a telegraph operator in a small town at the foot of the mountain, unfolds. Initially     2    (describe) as greedy and lazy, as the plot     3    (progress), Li undergoes a remarkable transformation. Moved by the selflessness of the New Fourth Army soldiers, who sacrifice their lives     4    (save) his mother from Japanese invaders (侵略者), Li evolves. In the end, he joins the New Fourth Army     5     becomes a courageous soldier.

This Huangmei Opera adaptation     6    (skillful) introduces audiences to the beautiful tunes, elegant dance movements, and singing style that characterize the     7    (tradition) art form. The performance brings a fresh perspective (视角) to the stage, bringing viewers into a heartwarming tale of     8    (brave) and sacrifice, winning waves of applause. With this production, the Anqing Huangmei Opera Art Theater continues to ensure the vitality (生命力) of the treasured cultural heritage.

It is one of Anhui’s finest     9    (play). Now, Anhui Province is organizing a tour of the excellent programs in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou and some other cities, which runs     10     November, 2023 to January, 2024.

Qingdao International Beer Festival has become a major event in the beautiful city. The first festival took place in 1991. It is now held once a year from the end of July to the end of August,     1     (last) for about one month. Qingdao is the     2     (large) beer production base in China and the festival provides a great chance     3     (show) the city’s unique characteristics. With     4     history of over 30 years, Qingdao International Beer Festival is a nationally     5     (recognize) event, and combines together tourism, culture and sports. As one of the most important     6     (festival) of China, it has a worldwide reputation and attracts millions of people to take part every year. More than 100 brands (品牌) from all over the world     7     (join) in the event over the past 16 years successfully. Every year daily performances     8     (give) at Beer Town’s Center Theatre, where colorful fountains, hi-tech laser shows and dramatic audio effects excite audiences. Whether walking on the roads, shopping in the local stores     9     even catching a ride in a taxi, you will constantly hear people talking about the festival.     10     (obvious), after 16 years of development, the festival has become part of local people’s daily lives.

Lockdown Love

The cost of a typical Saudi wedding is enough to prevent the most passionate lover. Even a simple party involves renting an impressive ballroom. Then there are the cheerleaders and musicians. Men and women gather in separate halls,     1     (double) some of the prices. Altogether it might cost 200,000 riyals ($53,000). Often, many of these marriages end in divorce. Those that don’t     2     (burden) with debt.

Therefore, many couples have welcomed these     3    (restrict) that have come with Covid-19. In 2020, Saudi Arabia limited gatherings to 50 people or     4     (few), so couples could downsize their weddings     5     losing face. They chose some     6     (share) halls over ballrooms. Smaller crowds ate smaller cakes. All in all     7     Saudi couple might have spent 90% less on their weddings. Though the Covid-19 recedes (退去), some still express concern over the health of in-laws. “A girl always dreams of a five-star marriage, but Covid-19 has made us more     8     (practice),” says Bayan Zahran, a lawyer in Jeddah. Some couples are opting for a simple party,     9     places little pressure on either side. They,     10    , must still deal with pressure from their family and peers.

Delicate strokes(笔画), carved onto wood, with ultimate precision. This is woodblock printing,     1     ancient printing technique that has promoted human civilization.

Certain people are believed    2     (bring) Buddhism into China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907),when there was a strong need to produce a large number of Buddhist scriptures(经文)，and copying by hand could not meet the     3     (rise) demand. Ancient Chinese craftsmen thus came up with a novel way to create printed works massively. Hence came the    4     (origin) version of woodblock printing.

Traditional woodblock printing can be divided into four major steps: writing, engraving, printing, and binding. With each step then sub-divided into several procedures,     5     takes roughly 30 steps to produce a woodblock print. Characters and images    6     (carve) to produce raised areas or lines, which calls for skilled hands.

The Buddhist scripture Diamond Sutra, the “earliest dated printed book”, can only be seen in the British Library,     7     a lot of Chinese treasures are stored. It is just one example of ancient works of art that not only tells the    8     (wise) of our ancestors, but also is a witness    9     the pursuit of beauty by Chinese craftsmen throughout centuries.

The invention of writing gave life to great thoughts,    10     it was the invention of printing that made knowledge a shareable fruit for all humankind.