Every Lunar New Year, China introduces a zodiac(生肖) sign from a cycle of 12 lucky animals. This year, it’s the Year of the Dragon, or more     1     (accurate), ”the Year of the Loong”. Then what’s the difference?

The Western     2     (describe) of dragons as “fire-breathing winged creatures” was inspired by literature such as Beowulf - the Old English epic about a Scandinavian hero     3    contribution was killing monsters, including a dragon. Greek fairy tales also presented dragons    4    violent sea monsters or guards of valuable     5     (possession). By contrast, “loong”, a word    6     (create) in the 19th century, reminds people of strength and fortune, and should    7     (distinguish) from its Western cousin. In Shiji,     8    2, 000-year-old Chinese history book, the emperor’s mother dreamed of a dragon lying on her body,     9     (predict) the birth of a future emperor. Exactly for this reason, Chinese people proudly claim they are “descendants of the Loong” .

Therefore, some culture experts have been calling for a switch to ”loong”     10     (tell) the Chinese dragon from the frightening monsters of Western tales. The call is also in line with the push for cultural confidence to choose the preferred translation of the Mandarin word for a creature long respected in Chinese culture.

“White Dew (白露) ”is one of the 24 solar terms in China, originating from ancient Chinese agricultural culture. The origin of “White Dew” can date back to ancient times     1    people observed natural phenomena and the growth of crops, developing a set of seasonal concepts to guide farmland management and agricultural timing.

In ancient China, agriculture    2       (be) the primary means of production, and agricultural activities were crucial for    3       (manage) farmland and determining the timing of crop planting. “White Dew”, as a solar term in the autumn, signifies gradually cooler weather and an increase in dew. It’s a key period for crops, particularly rice, as they start to be soaked (浸湿) in dew.

The term “White” refers to the clear and shiny appearance of dewdrops on    4       (leaf) in the early morning. “Dew” refers to the phenomenon where water vapor in the air condenses (凝结) into dewdrops during cool autumn weather. Therefore, “White Dew” signifies cool autumn weather with plentiful dew, which is     5       (benefit) to crop growth.

Ancient farmers used the    6       (arrive) of the “White Dew”solar term    7       (assess) the growth status of crops in    8       (they) fields and to plan agricultural activities. Today, “White Dew”remains    9    important element in traditional Chinese culture and is reflected in daily life. It still serves    10    a reference point for farmland management and agricultural timing.

Patrick Sommier, a French theater director, is dovoted to passing on the true meaning of Chinese operas to the French public.

On the occasion of the     1     (celebrate) for the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France in 2004, Sommier     2     (invite) to cooperate on a joint project to spread Peking Opera in France. Sommier says that when he arrived in China, like many other     3     (European), he showed great interest in Chinese operas. The beauty of Peking Opera     4    (immediate) caught his heart, he says.

Recalling his first cooperation with the Chinese team, Sommier says he was impressed by the actors’ makeups, costumes,     5     the characters of incredible strength. He was also touched by the Chinese professors’ effort     6     (pass) their acting skills to their students by acting with them. One professor explained, “In China, opera is     7     art requiring lifelong devotion and the effect of the performance largely     8     (depend) on the actors’ inner strength and acting skills.”

Sommier began exploring into different performance forms and suggested introducing Chinese operas     9     the French audience. The team then gave some     10     (origin) performances, some without makeups or costumes and some with students performing classics in a traditional way.

Yin and yang are distinctively Chinese expressions of a unique way of    1    (view) the world and the greater universe.     2    yin and yang point to and represent is so vast that they encompass everything in the universe.

Everything contains yin and yang    3    (characteristic). They are two opposite yet complementary energies. Although they are totally different in their individual qualities and in nature, they are interdependent. One cannot exist    4    the other; they are never separate. For example, night and day form a yin-yang pair. Night is yin and day is yang. Night is very different than day, yet it is impossible to have one without the other. They create a complete whole together. This inseparable relationship     5    (reflect) by the yin-yang symbol. In the circular symbol, the small dots within each of the two energies, represented by black and white, symbolize that there is always some yin (black) within yang (white) and vice versa.

At the most basic and deep level, TCM(Traditional Chinese Medicine) treatment    6    (seek) to balance yin and yang in each person for decades. As    7    authentic healing system, TCM applies yin and yang    8    (help) you harmonize your body, mind, emotion, and spirit,     9    then harmonize your individual energy with nature. Everything in your body just flows and moves seamlessly(浑然一体地) in harmony. This is    10     (precise) the state TCM seeks to create, namely balance.

Next Tuesday, September 19, is International Talk Like a Pirate(海盗)Day. It     1    (create)by John Baur and Mark Summers. They had     2     idea when one of them fell down during a racquetball game and shouted, “Arrr!”. In 2002, Dave Barry, the humor columnist, publicized the sound     3     it soon caught on across the country.

Some people have wondered in recent years, “How true does this funny noise sound like the pirate speech?”

“It’s far from true, “says Molly Babel, Professor of Arts and Linguistics at the University of British Columbia. “But there are some     4    (point)that carry through.”

According     5     Professor Babel, many original pirates came from southwest England,     6     “arrr!” was a kind of expression like the“eh?” of Canadians. As more pirates joined from all over the world, Pirate English,     7    (base)on the West Country, became a kind of common language for pirates.

Professor Babel     8    (believe)that much of our idea of how pirates spoke dated back to the 1950 Disney film of Treasure Island. Robert Newton, a British actor from the West Country, played Long John Silver, with his theatrical West Country accent. He was also invited     9    (play)Long John Silver in other films.

“The pirate talk is still used and celebrated because it’s expressive, engaging, and     10    (color),” explains Professor Babel.

When it comes to the Mid-Autamn Festival, Chinese people will     1     (certain) mention the Jade Rabbit. The Jade Rabbit lived on the moon. In ancient China, the moon     2     (consider) the most sacred (神圣的) and powerful natural force. The Jade Rabbit was said to be the pet of the Moon Goddess Change’s. She loved the Jade Rabbit and often     3     (keep) it company in the Moon Palace. The rabbit was so smart and kind     4     it was able to solve any problem that Chang’e faced. This story of the Jade Rabbit and the Moon Godddess Chang’e has been passed down for     5     (generation).

Today, the Jade Rabbit can be seen everywhere from toys     6     clothing. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, children can be seen climbing up hills with paper rabbit lanterns (灯笼)     7     (enjoy) the moon’s beauty and express their     8     (admire) for the Jade Rabbit. It has even become a popular topic on social media, with people     9    (share) photos of themselves with the Jade Rabbit. We can see that the Jade Rabbit remains a beloved system of the beauty and power of the moon     10     continues to play a central role in the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.

Shuang Jiang, or Frost’s Descent, is the last term of autumn, marking the transition from autumn to winter. Literally, Shuang Jiang refers to the time     1     frost starts to descend in China due to cold weather. In the north, with large fields     2     (do) for the season, farmers can take a break. But in the south, farmers are still busy taking sweet potatoes home before they     3     (destroy) by the coming frost. They must also protect the winter wheat and rape (油菜)     4     major pests and diseases. It is said that Frost’s Descent is the best time to adjust to a nourishing (滋补的) diet and lifestyle. Besides putting on     5     (many) clothes to keep warm, people also eat various fruits to keep healthy. Persimmon (柿子) is the favorite fruit in many areas, which not only wards off the cold,    6     strengthens the muscles and bones.

    7    (additional), honey, jelly fungus (木耳) and sesame (芝麻) are believed to help provide the necessary nutrition for the human body. For protein, chicken or mutton soup is advised to be included in the diet. With golden maple     8     (leaf) turning to red, people often go hiking in nature and enjoy the scenery during this period of time. In the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, people celebrate the Frost’s Descent Festival by     9     (offer) fruits and desserts in addition to dancing and singing folk songs on the day of Frost’s Descent in honor of Cen Yuyin, a heroine who     10     (fight) against foreign aggression in the Ming Dynasty.

With just five weeks before King Charles Ⅲ’s coronation (加冕典礼), workers at Duchess China (瓷器) Factory in the central England city of Stoke-on-Trent     1     (be) busy producing “God Save The King” china teacups and plates     2     (meet) the expected demand for the historic event.

“Duchess China Factory,     3     started producing china tableware in 1888, has struggled in recent years. But this year we’ve received many orders from many countries, including New Zealand, Canada, Australia     4     America,” said Jason Simms, the company’s managing director. “We hope that the coronation will help us to sell our royal souvenirs across the globe.”

The teacups and plates for King Charles Ⅲ’s coronation feature the Union Jack (国旗)     5     (color) of red, white and blue and they are decorated     6     the words “God Save the King”. The chief     7     (design) said he was inspired by the tableware     8     (produce) in the 1930s for the coronation of King George Ⅵ,     9     (Charles) grandfather.

When Charles is crowned at London’s Westminster Abbey on May 6, the ceremony will be the UK’s first coronation since his mother, Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ,     10     (become) queen almost 70 years ago.

Ge Zhichen’s livestreams on Douyin have attracted thousands of viewers to learn about Suzhou Pingtan, a traditional storytelling and music art form.

    1     (originate) in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Suzhou Pingtan is an art form performed in the Wu dialect popular in the Jiangnan region. In 2006, Suzhou Pingtan     2     (list) as a national intangible (非物质的) cultural heritage. Born in a family devoted to Pingtan for decades, he first never considered becoming an inheritor. When he was 16, his father used a white lie to ‘trick’ him     3     attending a Pingtan school, and that’s     4     he gradually became interested in Pingtan.

Pingtan faces     5     unique challenge: being understood. “The Wu dialect makes Pingtan stand out but also makes it inaccessible to a     6     (wide) audience,” Ge said. To solve this, Ge has used an innovative approach to spread Pingtan culture on Douyin, creating separate     7     (video) on each traditional element. Compared to offline performances that only receive around 100 people, Ge’s livestreams    8     (see) up to 20,000 viewers. Ge believes that     9     constraint (限制) on Pingtan’s development is the lack of a “breakout hit.” He is trying to combine well-known stories     10     (create) a ‘breakout hit’ that keeps classic charm while appealing to young people.