First Chinese lanterns, invented in the Eastern Han Dynasty,     1    (use) as lamps and for the worship of the Buddha. Over time, Lantern became     2    (wide) known by common people, especially during the time of festivals. In the Tang Dynasty, lanterns were made in order to celebrate people’s peaceful life and present China     3     a powerful country. The materials for making a lantern, generally     4    (consist) of two parts, are very simple. Historically, bamboo, wood or wire was used for the frame. The shade was made from delicate paper or silk. Lanterns were often decorated with Chinese calligraphy, painting and paper cutting, thus making the lanterns more appealing and     5    (impress).

    6     the earliest Chinese Lanterns were created for practical use in the house, they eventually became a kind of decorations,     7     were mainly used on festivals. It has become a tradition that the streets both in big cities and small towns are filled with red lanterns during festivals.

The lantern Festival is one of the best days     8    (admire) Chinese Lanterns in action. During the festival, wandering on the streets, we will be attracted by colorful lanterns in all sizes and shapes and they make a great     9    (contribute) to the delightful atmosphere.     10    (view) as the end to a series of New Year celebrations, the festival is also celebrated with the release of floating and flying lanterns.

The Winter Solstice Festival (冬至) is one of the most important     1     (festival) celebrated by the Chinese on or around December 22. As early as 2,500 years ago, China determined the point of the Winter Solstice by     2     (observe) movements of the sun with a sundial (日晷).

The Winter Solstice became a festival during the Han Dynasty. The Han people     3     (regard) the Winter Solstice as a “Winter Festival”, so officials would organize activities. On this day, both officials and common people would have     4     rest. In the Tang and Song dynasties, the Winter Solstice was a day to offer sacrifices (供奉)     5     Heaven and ancestors. The Qing Dynasty even had the record that “the Winter Solstice is as formal as the Spring Festival,” showing the great     6     (important) attached to this day.

The Chinese often celebrate the Winter Solstice Festival together with     7     (they) families.     8     people eat generally depends on where they come from. In some parts of North China, people     9     (traditional) eat dumplings on this day, while in parts of South China, the whole family will get together to have a meal     10     (make) of red-bean and sticky rice to drive away bad things.

The annual Water Splashing Festival of the Dai ethnic minority falls during the New Year period of the Dai Calendar. It is the most important festival    1     (observe) by the Dai ethnic people of Xishuangbanna Prefecture.

The festival lasts for three days . The first two days'    2    ( activity ) are concentrated on the banks of the Lancang River. On the first day, a grand    3    (celebrate) marks the beginning of the festival.

An outdoor market is set up    4    locals go for New Year shopping . Artists create sand carvings on open space close to the market. A dragon boat race    5     (hold) on Lancang River     6     (ring) out the old year in the afternoon. At night, the banks of the river are    7     (colorful) lit, and locals float river lanterns on the river.

The third day, the climax of the festival, is reserved for water splashing. On that day, the Dai put on their    8     (new) and best clothes , and then assemble at the local temple . Water is regarded by the Dai as a symbol of goodwill among people . Therefore , splashing a fellow human being with water during the Water Splashing Festival ,    9    a close neighbor or a fellow villager , or even a stranger , is    10    expression of the desire for good luck and prosperity to that person.

November 11 this year marks the eleventh "Double Eleven" online shopping festival that     1     (start) by E-commerce giant Alibaba in 2009. Hidden behind the large-scale individual     2     (consume), here is one question: Do the Double Eleven discounts really help you to save money?

Double eleven offers various discounts and customers' eyes are full of     3     (advertisement), which costs customers     4     great deal of patience in front of their computers to go through every price combination to work out which one is more     5     (benefit) than the rest. After the shopping madness ends,     6     customers just find is that they don't     7     (true) need these bargains. “I still remember that last year my friends and colleagues kept talking about what things were cheap.     8     (expose) to the atmosphere, I couldn't help     9     (shop) around online. Those goods arrived later, but I was     10     a loss as to how to use them. I suddenly realized the reason why I bought these things was that I was only attracted by the prices” a customer said.

Beijing Opera,    1    (know) as China's national opera, also called Peking Opera, which originated in the late 18th century, is a combination of music, dance, art and acrobatics (杂技). It is the most influential and representative of all operas in China. It is called Beijing Opera because it is formed in Beijing. Beijing Opera has    2    history of 200 years and its origin can date back to old local operas, especially Anhui Opera,     3    was very popular in northern China in the 18th century. In 1790, the first Anhui Opera performance    4     (hold) in Beijing to celebrate the Emperor's birthday.

Later, some other Anhui Opera troupes (班子)     5     (continue) performing in Beijing. Anhui Opera was easy    6     (move) and good at absorbing the acting styles of other types of operas. Beijing accumulated many local operas,     7     (make) Anhui Opera improve quickly.

    8    the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, after the marriage for 10 years, Beijing Opera finally formed, and became the    9     (big) of all Operas in China. We can    10     (honest) say that Beijing Opera is the most important opera in China.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is one of the great herbal systems of the world, which    1    （date) back to the third century BC. Yet throughout    2    (it) history it has continually developed in response to changing clinical conditions, and has been developed by research into every aspect of usage. Chinese herbal medicines are very safe when instructed    3    （correct). Over thousands of years, experienced doctors have compiled (编译）detailed information about the prescription and placed great emphasis on the protection of the patient. Allergic type reactions are rare, and will result    4    no lasting damage if    5    (treat) is stopped as soon as undesired symptoms appear. The primary difference between Chinese and Western medicine can be described as Chinese treats the Yang and Western treats the Yin. Everything in the universe can be described in terms of Yin    6    Yang. It's found that when    7    (apply) to medicine in general, Western medicine acts upon the Yin of the body, the substance (物质）of the body, the actual cells and chemicals. Traditional Chinese Medicine works more on the energy    8    motivates those cells. It's widely recognized that Traditional Chinese Medicine helps created a    9    (healthy) world. Today, it is not unusual    10    （see) Traditional Chinese Medicine being used around the world.

In China, the history of people planting and using bamboo dates back to as far as 7, 000 years ago. As early as the Shang Dynasty, bamboo was used for food, clothing, housing, transportation, musical instruments and even weapons. Since then it     1     (use) in many aspects of people’s daily lives.

The     2     (apply) of bamboo in science and technology is thrilling. In 51 BC, Li Bing, in Sichuan,     3     (lead) the local people in building the Dujiang Weirs, the first irrigation (灌溉) network in the world, in     4     bamboo played an important role. The world’s oldest water pipe was also made of bamboo. During the Han Dynasty, the people in Sichuan     5     (success) sank a 1600-metre-deep well with thick bamboo ropes. This technology did not spread to Europe     6     the 19th century, and it was by using the technology     7     the Americans drilled the first oil well in Pennsylvania in 1859.

In Chinese culture, bamboo is well-known as     8     of the “four gentlemen” in plants. To many distinguished men, bamboo is a symbol of goodness and honesty. It is always closely     9     (connect) with people of positive spirits. Bamboo culture always plays a positive role in encouraging people to hold on when     10     (face) tough situations.

Paper cutting was recognized as our national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. According to experts, paper cutting conveys the culture shared between China     1     foreign countries to wish for family reunions and maintain links with loved ones, alive or dead.

In the movie Coco, for instance, the 12­year­old Miguel and his family dance and sing to celebrate a     2    (tradition) festival in Mexico, when colorful paper cuttings are hung on the street. Chinese people also cut images of small figures     3     (commemorate) their family who have passed away. The difference is that most Chinese paper cuttings are red, while those in other countries     4    (be) often made in many other colors.

The fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen liked to cut     5    (character), such as princesses, out of paper while     6    (tell) stories to children. In China, female friends and family members used to chat and make paper cuttings together.

“    7     the patterns and colors may be different, paper cuttings share the same function of maintaining emotional ties among people,” says Yang Huizi,     8     art teacher at Beijing Union University.

Yang     9    (study) and performed the art for over a decade. Besides routine university courses, she also organizes nonprofit paper cutting activities     10     are open to the public in Beijing to promote basic knowledge of paper cutting.