Zhang Xuehua is     1     artist of paper cutting, who works attentively in her workshop in Ma’anshan city, east China’s Anhui Province. As she turns the paper, her scissors fly and a paper-cut work is “born”.

    2     (normal), paper cutting craftsmen first draw patterns on paper and then cut them into outlines, but Zhang has a special     3    (capable) to cut without sketching (画素描) patterns ahead of time. She can turn a piece of paper the size of a handkerchief     4     a lifelike paper cutting work in less than one minute. Her works show a mixture of paper cutting styles in northern and southern China.

Zhang     5    (learn) the craft from her grandmother. “In the beginning, I was not able to cut well, but in time I could create little frogs, butterflies, flowers and other works,” Zhang said. “Paper cutting created countless beautiful childhood     6    (memory) for me. ”

The walls of Zhang’s studio are covered with work, large and small, with subjects     7    (range) from the twelve zodiac signs to daily items. The work Zhang remains proudest of is the Folk Girl series,     8     now sits in the National Art Museum of China’s permanent collection.     9    (carry) forward the traditional craft of paper cutting, Zhang often offers paper cutting classes for free at residential communities, schools and museums, well     10    (recognize) by young people who want to understand the living heritage.

As the temperature continues to drop, the golden autumn seems to be coming to an end, indicating the     1    (arrive) of the Cold Dew period. Cold Dew, known as “Hanlu” in Chinese,    2     (fall) on October 8 and ends on October 23 this year.

During Cold Dew, temperatures drop     3    (significant) and the sun cannot reach the deep waters thoroughly. Therefore, fish swim in shallow waters,     4    the water temperature is relatively high, making Cold Dew the best season to cast a net or throw a line.

Chrysanthemums (菊花) are the symbolic flower of Cold Dew.     5    (prevent) autumn dryness, many regions in China have the custom of drinking chrysanthemum wine. In ancient times, drinking wine made with chrysanthemums    6    (think) to allow people long-lasting youth.

Other traditions to mark the season include hiking and climbing. With maple (枫树) leaves     7     (turn) red, the splendour of color welcomes nature lovers. On the day of the Double Ninth Festival, which often is around Cold Dew, people often climb hills with cornels (茱萸),    8     kind of plant. This custom, dating    9    the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220), aims to drive bad things away.

Cold Dew allows us to say goodbye to golden autumn with delicate design, and also gives us a chance to know     10     (much) about the culture behind the solar terms.

Hotpot has a long history of over 1,000 years in China. It used to     1     (favor) only in winter, but recently hotpot has been appearing on tables all year round.

    2     the delicious flavor, there are two other important reasons for the Chinese to like hotpot. First, it is a great way     3    (socialize) — people gather around the pot, chatting, eating, drinking     4     having fun. Second, hotpot is a healthy meal. Boiling is better than frying, with bone nutrients     5     (release) into the soup. In addition, eating hot pot can warm the body in winter, and increase perspiration (排汗) to help cool the body in summer. Some seasonings (作料) used in hotpots can help relieve some minor     6    (illness) like colds, blocked sinuses and headaches.

Chongqi ng Hotpot is the staple dish of the city. Hotpot restaurants in Chongqi ng are everywhere — if you look up on the street you are in, chances are that you     7    (stand) exactly near a hotpot restaurant.

    8    (usual), the taste of food can reflect the attitude and ‘status of life there. As a    9     (symbol) food in Chongqing, it reflects that people there have the sense of integrity and embrace the diversified culture. Almost everything     10     is eatable can be cooked in hotpot, so eating hotpot is a must when you come to Chongqing!

With its long history and prosperous culture, China is rich in cultural heritage, including historical villages, time-honored brands and, critically, ancient sites.

Last December, the National Cultural Heritage Administration announced    1    (it) fourth list of national-level archaeological parks. Nineteen were added to the list,    2    was initially launched in 2010, bringing the total number to 55.

“Archaeological parks can help enrich cultural knowledge by    3    (display) both the sites and their artifacts,” said He Yun’ao, a professor at the Department of Archaeology and Cultural Relics at Nanjing University.

“The 19 parks are all doing well in terms of management and operation, archaeological studies and protection efforts, and their displays of cultural artifacts and explanations,” the list said. “They each    4    (protect) and explored in ways suited to local conditions, and stand out among their counterparts for their special situations and innovations.”

    5    particular, the Erlitou Archaeological Site Park in Yanshi District, Luoyang City, Henan Province,    6     (attract) a lot of attention since the National Cultural Heritage Administration announced new findings at the site last September. It is    7     (wide) believed to have been the capital toward the end of the Xia Dynasty, the first dynasty in traditional Chinese historiography(编史). Erlitou is among the parks added to the fourth list.

The site plays    8    essential role in the study of early China and the culture of the Xia Dynasty. The latest studies suggest the people of the era built a grid(网格) city, with intersecting roads creating square divisions used for residential, commercial and other    9    (purpose). The roads provide important clues for studying the Xia economic system, their socioeconomic development and crafts, as well as ceremonies     10    (perform) during the period.

On an early August morning, craftsman Zhang Xi drove his car quickly along a winding mountain road in Longquan, Zhejiang province,    1    (hope) to reach his destination—a century-old kiln (窑) —as soon as possible,    2    hundreds of pieces of pottery (陶器) that had been given their final celadon glaze (青釉) were finally ready.

The 51-year-old craftsman     3     (use) the old kiln, which is located on a mountain near Xitou village, for many years. Every time he removes his     4     (create) from the kiln, seeing them in their finished celadon color remains as exciting and nerve-jangling as ever.

“It’s like opening blind boxes. The same formula of glaze     5     (apply) to different vases can look     6     (total) different on each one,” says Zhang.

Their colors usually fall in the spectrum (色谱) between lavender gray and plum green. However, sometimes they end up being brown or yellow. All these colors depend on temperature changes during the two-day firing,     7     process described by local craftsmen     8     “a song of clay and fire”. The     9    (tradition) firing technique of Longquan celadon pottery, which dates back further than 1,600 years,     10    (include) on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List in 2009.

The official mascots (吉祥物) of the 19^th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 — three sporty robots    1    (name) Congcong, Lianlian, and Chenchen —    2     (introduce) to the public at a digital launch ceremony in Hangzhou, China    3    April 3, 2020. Each represents a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the host city.

The robot Congcong represents the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City. Its name comes from the Cong jade pendant (玉琮) — a classic relic unearthed from the Ruins    4    dates back around 5000 years. The robot Lianlian represents West Lake and its name means the endless lotus (莲花)     5     (leaf) on West Lake. The robot Chenchen represents the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and it takes its name from the Gongchen Bridge, a landmark structure on    6    Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal. They stand for not only the joy of sports but the peak of     7     (culture) and economic development.

Raja Randhir Singh, the acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia, said    8    the mascots showed the smart intelligence of the modern world     9    the energy of the future. “The mascots are rich in content, combining Chinese culture, the characteristics of the city of Hangzhou, and the spirit of the Asian Games and the Asian continent.” Together, they are calling out to Asia and the world, inviting everyone    10     (meet) in Hangzhou for the Asian Games 2022.

Chinese fans seem to have special meanings in Chinese culture. I’ve     1    (receive) a number of them as gifts from my Chinese friends. The fans are very pretty. You may have noticed that almost all female figures in     2     (tradition) Chinese paintings carry a silk fan. In the movies of     3    1930s and 1940s, fans are a very visible article for Shanghai women.     4    (usual) the structure of the fans is made of sand wood and the faces are made of silk or paper. Because the fans always have sweet smell, women     5     use them appear even more attractive. Fans are probably one of the most appropriate     6    (expression) of noble female.

Men also use fans. But these fans are quite often much     7    (big). Men’s fans often use valuable materials for that structure and the faces are always     8    (paint) with plants or landscapes. As a result     9    open-door policy, fans have become popular again not for people to use at home,     10     as a gift for foreigners. I heard westerners appreciate these gifts. As fans are small, inexpensive and typically Chinese, many people like to use them as gifts from the overseas trips.