Paper cutting is a folk culture with so long a history. When Chinese Lunar New Year is coming, it is a custom     1     northern people to paste the papercuts on the window.Gradually, it develops into an art form, one of the     2    (popular) traditional decoration arts.

In early times, people made images of humans and subjects by paper    3    (bury) together with the body in the tomb or to burn on the funerals. With such    4    (symbol) meaning, paper cutting    5    (use) as decorations on sacrificing ceremonies.In 105 AD, Cai Lun improved the paper making technique and a large amount of paper was produced,    6     laid a foundation for the spread of paper cutting.Beautiful patterns were created and gradually, the patterns were     7    (wide) used in other fields later.

There were more records of paper cutting after 960 AD (Song dynasty). Professional paper cutting artists appeared,    8    (specialize) in different patterns. Some were good at cutting flowers     9     others were expert at characters’cutting. Thus, the patterns were abundant and colorful. One of the most important    10    (contribution) of paper cutting in the Song dynasty was that patterns were used on the china.

Yu Rong, a Chinese artist, thinks of a new way to introduce     1     ancient story of Hua Mulan in her picture book. In the book, I Am Hua Mulan, she tells the story by     2     (combine) Chinese paper-cutting with international artistic styles. She places Shaanxi papercuts over western-style pencil sketches (素描)    3     (create) typical presentation of Chineseelements (要素), which turns out to be a     4     (success) and impressive breakthrough.

Hua Mulan,     5     story has been told by generations in China, was a fighter from the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). As a devoted daughter, she dressed herself as a man to serve in the army     6     place of her father. Mulan’s character, such as courage, kindness and a disinterested attitude towards fame and fortune, made     7     (she) one of the most respected historical Chinese heroines. Mulan’s story has been adapted     8     (frequent) in modern media. For example, in 1998, Disney produced a film named Mulan, which     9     (consider) a great success by critics and the public right after its release.

To better tell the story, Yu Rong takes inspiration from her several     10     (visit) to sites of ancient battles and Henan Province’s Yu Opera. After years of preparation she finally makes this extraordinary work.

Traditional Chinese culture is beginning to capture the attention of the world. Kung fu,       1     (special), has had a great effects     2     the millions of people who first learned about China through it. From that, they may come to China and learn about some other     3     (aspect) of this culture. Other Asian nations have long known about the     4     (great) of ancient Chinese culture. Their own cultures are     5     mix of native ones and those Chinese characteristics. Korea and Japan long ago adopted Confucianism, something that continued today even as it     6     (challenge)by pop culture. This strength comes from the ideas     7     (give)in the Four Books of Confucianism, which built upon the ideas of an even     8     (much)ancient period codified (编纂)in the Five Classics. From them, the West learns     9     is uniquely Chinese, for example, feng shui. So far China has taken steps     10     (further) this spread of its culture by establishing Chinese Cultural Centers in such places as the United States and Europe.

Tea is widely drunk worldwide. It is known     1     Chinese are the first people     2     (have) tea. About one thousand and two hundred years ago, Lu Yu     3     (write) a book called The Classic of Tea,     4     is honored as The Bible of Tea. The book gives a full     5     (explain) of the origin, the processing skills and the classification of tea.

However, Chinese tea culture goes far beyond tea     6     (it). Take green tea for instance. The proper temperature of the water should be around 80 degree Celsius. If the water is too hot, nutrients in the tea will be destroyed.     7     the other hand, if the water is not hot enough, the tea     8     (leaf ) won’t open up and you will miss the pleasantly fresh nice smell. So Chinese people are used to     9     (drink) hot tea. When you visit a Chinese friend, your friend will     10     (constant) add hot water to your empty cup of tea. It is polite to offer the tea cup to guests with both hands. Of course, the guests should pay respect as well by taking over the cup with both hands.

Dragon boat racing, a traditional activity celebrating Duan Wu, also known     1     the Dragon Boat Festival, is enjoying a revival thanks to the     2     (popular) of rowing events and cultural tourism. The sport     3     (begin) in Zigui county of Yichang city in Hubei province. This was home to Qu Yuan, a poet in the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). The festival commemorates his death. Over the past 2,000 years the race     4     (develop) into a sports event. It has now attracted younger generations--college students, for example--     5     (join), breathing new life into the historic custom. For young people, the team game is good for both     6     (they) physical and mental health. They are not only trained to be strong     7     united with other people. Also, it’s a good way to experience the traditional Chinese culture.

Dragon boat racing also brought a travel boom to Zigui county,     8     was named as the “hometown of the Chinese dragon boat”. Its well-preserved boat racing     9     (tradition) are also highly praised. The county, rich in history and folk customs, has been developed into     10     popular destination for travelers. The festival has also become a cultural, sports and cuisine gala for people from home and abroad.

Every year on the last weekend in August around 1.5 million people go to west London to take part in and enjoy one of the    1    (large) street parties in Europe, Notting Hill Carnival.     2    a colorful group of dancers, a wide range of music and     3     atmosphere of fun and celebration, the carnival is not to be missed. The roots of the carnival date back to 1833    4    slavery was abolished. In that year the former slaves in Trinidad, a British colony in the Caribbean, took to the streets in celebration of their own carnival party with music, dance and costumes. Soon it    5    (develop) into an important tradition throughout the Caribbean. In 1959 the first carnival took place in the St Pancras area of London. For the next few years, the Carnival     6    (celebrate) in different parts of London until it    7    (final) came to Notting Hill in 1964. In 2003 the Notting Hill Carnival received royal     8    (approve),when it joined the parade    9     (mark) the Queen's 50th year on the throne(王位). The Carnival shows the    10     (culture) diversity of modern London.

China creates Harvest Festival for farmers

Recently China has set up a special day for farmers to celebrate the yearly harvest．It is the first festival     1       (create)by China specially for the country’s farmers．

“The country will celebrate the Chinese Farmers’Harvest Festival on the autumnal equinox(秋分)of China lunar calendar from this year，”said Han Changbin，minister of agriculture and rural affairs，at     2     press conference．Autumnal equinox usually     3    (fall)between September 22 and 24，     4     the country’s agricultural harvest season．

The festival will give greater     5     (important)to rural work and push for     6     (fast) development of agriculture and rural areas．

A variety of celebrations will be organized         7     (display)the agricultural harvest，rural technology achievements and farmers’creativeness．Farmers     8    (encourage)to   involve in activities related to their work and life，    9     waste should be avoided in the   celebrations．

The rural economy is a key part of China’s efforts to develop a modernized economy．By     10       (develop)its vast rural areas，China expects to see a strong agricultural sector，a beautiful countryside and wealthy farmers．

The annual Dalian International Sand Cultural Festival ended in September and     1     three-month festival attracted 3.1 million tourists both from home and abroad to Dalian Jinshitan National Tourist Resort(度假胜地).

According     2     the organizing committee, the festival promoted tourism consumption by 1.55 billion yuan for the national 5A-level resort in Dalian Jinpu New District, Northeast China's Liaoning province. “We're promoting the tourism industry     3     (build) Jinshitan into a world-famous tourist resort," said Shang Shuchen,     4     (direct) of Dalian Jinshitan National Tourist Resort.

    5    (know) as Golden Pebble Beach, Jinshitan is famous for its beautiful     6    (nature) scenery. During the festival, 18 themed activities     7     (hold) , showing international youth culture and art exchange, seafood cuisine, beach volleyball match, model contest, environmental protection and so on,     8     provided more choices for citizens and tourists to enrich the beach life.

Over the years, Dalian Jinpu New District has     9     (successful) held a number of special tourism festivals with its rich culture and tourism resources. The International Sand Cultural Festival at Jinshitan     10     (become) a well-known brand in Northeast China and even Northeast Asia.