Shu embroidery (蜀绣) enjoys a long history in China. As early as the Han Dynasty, Shu embroidery was already famous, enjoying a high reputation as “    1     treasure of Sichuan”. During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, a     2     (relative) peaceful society and large demand provided     3     (advance) conditions for the rapid development of the Shu embroidery industry. Shu embroidery experienced its peak development in the Song Dynasty,     4     (rank) first in both production and     5     (excellent). In the mid-Qing Dynasty, the Shu embroidery industry was formed.     6     the People’s Republic of China was founded, Shu embroidery factories were set up and the craft entered a new period of development.

Shu embroidery     7     (form) its own unique characteristics, since it originated among the common people in the west of Sichuan Province. Shu embroidery has strong expression and artistic effect,     8     features are said as “fine and smooth needlework, simple and elegant colors, graceful and easy lines and the traditional Chinese paintings style”. Altogether, there are 122     9     (approach) in 12 categories for weaving. The embroidery took locally-produced colorful satin (缎子) and threads     10     its materials.

Have you ever had this kind of childhood memory: a family sits together casually during a holiday, drinking and tasting tea after lunch or dinner? This has been a     1     (day) activity for Chinese people throughout the history.

After being spread to different parts of the world, tea has received top-level global recognition     2     a shared cultural treasure of mankind. “The     3     (practice) of greeting guests with tea are shared among multiple ethnic groups. They provide     4     sense of identity and continuity for communities, groups and individuals     5     (concern),” states a document from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to UNESCO.

This explanation can be fully manifested by weilu zhucha, which     6     (mean) boiling tea at a stove, a social tea activity going viral among the young generation of Chinese people. By the end of November, 2022, videos recording or introducing this activity     7     (play) 1.14 billion times, and related posts had attracted 11.58 million views on social media platforms, reported CCTV.

Weilu zhucha might be a replacement in the cold seasons for the camping craze.     8     (sit) around with friends and families with a stove, some tea, fruit and refreshments on the table, people may chat, view the surrounding scenery,     9     be immersed in traditional Chinese culture by boiling tea together in person. “    10     appeals to me most is its warm atmosphere when boiling tea.” an Internet user commented on Sina Weibo.

World Computer Literacy Day is observed annually on December 2nd. It was     1     (original) launched in 2001 by an Indian company called N.I.I.T to celebrate its     2     (twenty) anniversary. NIIT is an abbreviation(缩写) for National Institute of Information Technology. The company     3     (establish) in 1981 by Rajendra Singh Pawar     4     Vijay K. Thadani, two alumni (校友) of the Indian Institute of Technology (I IT) in Delhi. World Computer     5     (form) the majority of computer users in the world. As a result, N.I.I.T took up the cause     6     (educate) more women and children by equipping them     7     computer literacy skills. Since its inception in 1981, the company has been spread to over 30 countries of the world. Through Computer Literacy Day, NIIT aims to address the digital divide     8     affects millions across the world and make computers more     9     (access) to everyone. Among its other goals are to celebrate computers and their role in people’s lives, improve IT education, and raise awareness of the importance of improving digital literacy in undeserved     10     (community) worldwide.

Nowruz, also known as the Iranian New Year or the Persian New Year, is a holiday     1     (wide) celebrated in Asian countries like Iran. The holiday is believed to have been celebrated since 555 BC. But it was not until 2010 that the United Nations General Assembly officially     2     (recognize) it as a holiday.

Being     3     holiday marking the first day of spring and the renewal of nature, Nowruz usually falls around March 20th on the Gregorian calendar. As with most     4     (holiday), it comes with its own set of traditions. They include the “Haft Sin” table,     5     is made up of seven symbolic items starting with the Farsi letter “S”, all representing a     6     (vary) of hopes for the new year, including health, wealth and prosperity. People also welcome the new year     7     sparkling (闪亮的) homes and new clothes. They visit friends and neighbors and share meals and host parties. Communities come together     8     (celebrate) the beginning of spring and do so in hopes they will be surrounded by healthy and clean surroundings in the new year.

Nowruz plays a significant role in     9     (strengthen) the ties among peoples. Its traditions reflect the ancient and     10     (culture) customs of the civilizations of the East and West, and they’ve influenced those civilizations through the interchange of human values for thousands of years.

The Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er, Yunnan Province, gained World Heritage Site status on the 45th Session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on September 17, 2023.

As UNESCO World Heritage Committee noted, “This land-use system,     1     (create) by ancestors of Blang and Dai peoples, permits the complementary (互补的) use of     2     (nature) resources in the mountainous environment of Jingmai Mountain     3     acts as an exceptional example of a human interaction in a challenging environment.”

Li Qun, head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, said in Riyadh that China will strengthen efforts     4     (manage) the heritage site and guide local communities to join     5     the protection of the old tea forests. “We’ll also advance international exchange and     6     (cooperate), and take more responsibilities in the World Heritage circle,” he said.

Chen Yaohua, director of World Heritage Research Center of Peking University who     7     (lead)studies of the site in the past 12 years, said that the practice on Jingmai Mountain is quite unique in the environment     8     large-scaled terraced (梯田形的) tea plantations play     9     leading role in today’s world.

According to his research, about 10% of tea trees on the mountain are at least 100 years old, and the     10     (old) ones are over 300.

Xiaoxue (Noel) is an exchange student, now studying international relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University. Since Xiaoxue showed great interest in Chinese martial arts (武术), she decided to try Chinese wrestling (摔跤) after     1     classmate introduced her to it.

She had never learned Chinese martial arts before she came to China,     2     she had learned a little bit of Taekwondo   (跆拳道) in her country. At first, she     3     (think) it would be similar because they’re both martial arts. But then she found that Taekwondo and Chinese martial arts have     4     (they) own uniqueness. And she also found that Taekwondo usually uses the feet     5     (fight), but in Chinese martial arts, they use force from the hands to attack.

According to her, she feels very happy and very     6     (relax) after she learned to wrestle. She’s also happy that she can learn new skills every day. She says friendliness is the     7     (big) feeling she has had about China and Chinese people since she came to China.

When she was not familiar     8     China, many of her Chinese friends helped her to get used to the life here. She also took part in many exchange     9     (activity) to feel the culture and traditions of China. Now she tries to share the culture of her country with everyone. She     10     (believe) it is a good chance to improve understanding between the two countries.