Mamianqun, also known as “Horse-faced Skirt”, is     1     kind of traditional Chinese dress. Actually, the name “Mamianqun” has nothing to do with the animal. There is a theory that the “skirt doors” of Mamianqun     2     (close) look like “Ma Mian”, a kind of structure used for defense on the ancient city walls, so the skirt got the name “Mamianqun”. But this is still a question to be verified.

Mamianqun, dating back     3     the Song Dynasty, had become the most typical style for women by the Ming and Qing dynasties. It became prominent due to     4     (it) use by nobility and the rich as a status symbol. The style of Mamianqun     5     (go) through a series of changes since it emerged. However, the “Ma Mian” structure has always been deeply rooted.

Silk, the most revered (受尊敬的) fabric in ancient China, was the     6     (prefer) material for making a Mamianqun, particularly for the upper class of society. Mamianqun has numerous pleats (褶) on either side,     7     (create) uniquely beautiful and graceful waves when walking. The most attractive aspect is the elegant patterns on the skirt     8     represent people’s beautiful aspirations in Chinese clothing culture, such as the Depiction of Birds Adoring the Phoenix and Prosperity and Blooming Flowers.

Mamianqun, with deep historical roots, has transitioned into modern fashion, where it serves as a bridge between the past     9     present. Nowadays, Mamianqun is gaining increasing     10     (popular) among both Chinese and foreigners.

Everybody dreams, but different cultures have different theories about what dreams are and how they should     1     (interpret). Chinese dream theory is based on ancient texts, beliefs, and traditions, originates from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine,     2     offers very different dream meanings to Western psychologists and theorists.

Dreaming of a baby, on the one hand, can indicate your own     3     (pure) and simplicity, or it can suggest your own fragility and desire to be loved. Do not be afraid if you dream of death. It is not     4     (necessary) a bad thing. Dreaming of a dead person could mean that you want to forget some unpleasant past events and are ready to come out of frustration and welcome     5     new life. Don’t rely too heavily     6     one dream interpretation to assess your character or your future. But do rationally be mindful of any warnings     7     (contain) within your dreams: your subconscious could be calling out to you in your sleep.

Dreams have unstable     8     (characteristic). They are affected by many factors, for example changes in your environment, changes in sleep patterns, negative emotions, psychological pressure, etc. Moreover, Chinese dream theory is only one thought system for     9     (analyze) dreams. Figuring out     10     your dream content relates to can sometimes be a challenge.

Born and raised in a village in Hunan province, Liu Dai’e     1     (introduce) a new technique to the traditional craft of Tujia brocade (锦缎) weaving over the past two years, which in 2006 was named as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Made by skilled weavers and     2     (involve) more than 10 processes, Tujia brocade features over 200classic designs.

Liu, who is     3     her 60s, said: “Only one side of these traditional products is woven with patterns, while     4     other side is left rough. It took me seven years to master the technique of presenting distinctive Tujia     5     (element) on both sides to my complete     6     (satisfy).”

As a national inheritor of the craft, Liu said, “Handwork is present throughout the entire process, and     7     (produce) designs that are more delicate than others, I use one shuttle line, instead of two.”

In 1986, Liu launched a Tujia brocade business with her sisters. She sensed the way in     8     the local brocade industry needed to develop, and took     9     to a high-end customized market. After that, Liu became     10     (intense) aware of the popularity of products featuring traditional designs made from materials such as silk and wool.

Shu embroidery (刺绣), also     1     (call) “Chuan embroidery”, is one of the four famous embroidery     2    (style) in China.

It     3     (enjoy) a high reputation as “a treasure of Sichuan” ever since the Han Dynasty. The technique of Shu embroidery reached     4     (it) peak during the Song Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, many embroidery workshops were set up.

After     5     founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Shu embroidery technique was     6     (great) improved and it developed various new kinds. Shu embroidery is famous     7     its superb workmanship, smooth and bright in quality. It has strong expression and artistic effect. The features     8     (say) to be fine and smooth needlework, simple and elegant colors, graceful and easy lines and the traditional Chinese paintings’ style. The needling characteristics lie in the even stitches (针法), bright threads, closeness     9     softness in quality. The embroidery takes locally-produced colorful cloth and threads as the materials.

The unique designs on Shu embroidery include flowers, birds, landscapes, fish, and human figures. Relevant products include curtains, wedding dresses, skirts, bedding and so on. It mainly employs the themes of     10     (happy).

Shadow puppetry—also called shadow play—     1     (get) its start thousands of years ago in China and India. This unique form of storytelling is the     2     (old) type of puppetry in the world so far.

    3     is placed between a light and a screen is a vividly—shaped shadow puppet. Moving it creates the illusion(错觉) of a moving image on the screen.     4     experienced puppeteer can make figures appear to walk, fight and dance.

The first shadow puppets were likely made out of animal hides (兽皮). Their strength and     5     (flexible) allowed the puppeteer to move the puppet easily to create the desired effects. Today, a wide variety of materials are accessible     6     people. You might see shadow puppets made out of paper, plastic, wood or cloth. There’s no end to how creative puppeteers can be when     7     (make) puppets.

Shadow puppets are usually constructed in     8     (whole) separate pieces that are then put together with strings or wires. The strings or wires are usually attached to long rods (杆) that the puppeteer will use     9     (control) the movement of the puppet.

Although shadow puppets can be very creative and elaborate, they also can be very simple. With little       10     no experience, a classroom can put on a simple shadow play with little expense and just a little time.

Qingtuan, or sweet green rice balls, is     1     typical and popular Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day ) food in China’s eastern provinces.

Qingtuan     2     (make) of a mixture of glutinous (黏的) rice flour and green plant juice, and stuffed with sweetened bean paste. A green plant called mugwort, or “Ai Cao” in Chinese, is     3     brings the color to the delicacy. This time of year is when the plant has just jumped out of the earth and is at its     4     (fine).

With some soda     5     (add) to the water, the plant is boiled into a state of paste. Normal rice flour is mixed into glutinous rice flour to make the rice ball sticky,     6     not too soft to be shaped. Next, the liquid is poured into the powder. This rice dough is then kneaded (揉) into little green balls.

The green rice balls can have various fillings, most traditionally being sesame (芝麻) or bean paste. But nowadays some people also make     7     (one) filled with pork meat, pickled vegetables and bamboo shoots.

    8     (date) back to the Tang dynasty, the sweet green rice balls have been around for some 1000 years.     9     (original) a food to sacrifice to ancestors, they have gradually become a dish of the season. For people who leave their hometowns for work elsewhere, the sweet green rice balls are a delicacy reminding them     10     home.

As a distinctive visual art symbol of China, Chinese paper cutting, has been around for centuries. With     1     (simple) a piece of paper and a pair of scissors, diverse patterns ranging from portraits to animal zodiacs     2     (create) with delicate designs.

Due to their     3     (culture) value and low cost, Chinese paper cut-outs are popular ornaments used to decorate windows and mirrors. When light shines through the negative spaces of the cut-outs,     4     elegant pattern is formed indoors.     5     (refer) to as ‘window flowers’, the pretty cut-outs decorating windows are significant in Chinese traditional culture.

The oldest     6     (survive) paper cut-out is a symmetrical (对称的) circle from the 6th century found in Xinjiang, China. The art of Chinese paper cutting is believed     7     (originate) in China even before the invention of paper by Cai Lun in 105 CE. There have been documentaries     8     record the Chinese using other thin materials such as leaves, silk, and leather to carve hollowed patterns. It was found that during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC), people had already cut tree leaves into various art forms     9     given them out as presents. They created paper-cuts to depict beautiful things, worship, and express good     10     (wish) .