China has always been famous    1    being a “State of Etiquette（礼仪）”.According to historical documents, as early as 2,600 years ago, this nation has already established a thorough set of dining etiquette.

A famous Russian writer, Anton Chekhov, once invited a Chinese man    2    （have）a drink in a bar.Chekhov said, “Before drinking, he held the cup with his hands and presented to me and the bar owner and waiters,     3    （say）'qing（please）'.This is the custom of China.They are not like us to finish it in one drink,     4    to prefer to drink by taking a small amount at    5    time.With every sip（一小口）, he    6    （eat）some food.Afterwards, he handed me some Chinese    7    （coin）to show gratitude.This is a rather interestingly polite nationality...” This was the most valuable opinion of a Chinese person    8    was given by a foreigner two centuries ago.Chinese traditional dinner procedures used to be long and dealt with    9    （serious）; the    10    （important）the occasion was, the more complex the procedures were.

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.

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.

8 . Football is a popular sport with fans all over the world. There is, however, an indoor version of the game     1     (know) as “table football”. It was invented in 1921 and people     2     (get) great pleasure from it since then. The game is played on a special table. Players control their “team” by turning sticks, to which the “players” are attached. As in real football,     3     (point) will be awarded when putting the ball in the other players’ goal. Table football requires using hands and eyes together excellently, which is really exciting.

Hanfu is one of the traditional types of Chinese clothing. The term “Hanfu”,     1     (create) in recent years by Internet users, describes the Han people’s clothing during the Han Dynasty. But it     2     (ban) at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty.

When people talk about Hanfu, it usually means a long robe (长袍)     3     loose sleeves and a belt at the waist. The materials for making the clothes were     4     (careful) chosen, such as damask silk, cotton and so on.

Hanfu     5     (be) a symbol of traditional Chinese culture. It also has a far-reaching influence on the clothing in other neighboring Asian     6     (country), such as the Japanese kimono (和服) and the Korean Hanbok. Having been out of fashion for more than 400 years, Hanfu is reconstructed by many Chinese people as part of a trend that     7     public should be proud of their Chinese culture. Many supporters believe that wearing Hanfu brings them a strong sense of     8     (nation) identity.

Many universities in China have a Hanfu Society     9     members wear Hanfu to celebrate traditional Chinese festivals, and they use that opportunity     10     (introduce) their Hanfu to others.

Recently there has been a lot of discussion in     1     (you) newspaper about preserving the past. Everyone is talking about     2     important it is to spend time and money preserving historical buildings and     3     (site).

Well, I have one question. What about all the people     4     (live) in the world who have no food     5     (eat) and no place to live? They are     6     (important) than ancient civilizations that have disappeared. The money that has been given to researchers     7    explore ruins of the past could be better spent on helping poor people all around     8       world. What will the world come to when the past     9     (matter) more than the present? We should pay more attention     10     the problems that we have today and what kind of solutions we are going to find.

Best wishes!

Michael