Tai chi is a Chinese martial art often practised with the purpose of     1     (improve) health. The practice forms of tai chi are well known for relaxing, circular movements that work in harmony with breath regulation (调节). It can not only keep your mind calm     2     also make your body strong. As you focus on your breathing and movements, your mind can clear itself of its worries,     3     does your whole body good,

    4     (influence) by Taoist and Confucian thoughts, and the ideas of traditional Chinese medicine, the practice has developed into several styles,     5     (usual) named after a master, such as Chen-style and Yang-style.

Chen Bin, one of the     6     (master) of the Chen-style tai chi, has been practising the martial art since he     7     (be) six years old. More than two decades of practice has made him a master. “One’s understanding of tai chi can develop when the practice continues. As one’s experience grows, it becomes much     8     (easy) to understand its cultural meaning,” Chen Bing explains.

Tai chi has taught Chen Bing     9     (stay) calm during life’s ups and downs, and to learn about the world with     10     open mind. Moreover, the martial art encourages using gentleness to get over toughness, and making use of weakness to win strength through one’s self-awareness, which shows the wisdom of Taoism.

It is well-known that the Great Wall is a symbol of China and enjoys great popularity. In c. 220 B. C., under Qin Shi Huang, sections of earlier fortifications (防御工事) were joined together     1     (form) a united defence system against invasions from the north. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644),     2     the Great Wall became the world’s largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance.

The Great Wall was     3     (continuous) built from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD on the northern border of the country as the great military defence project of successive (连续的) Chinese Empires, with a total     4     (long) of more than 20, 000 kilometers. The Great Wall begins in the east at Shanhaiguan in Hebei province and     5     (end) at Jiayuguan in Gansu province to the west. Its main body consists     6     walls, horse tracks, watch towers, and shelters on the wall, and includes fortresses (要塞) and passes along the Wall.

The Great Wall reflects conflicts and exchanges between     7     (agriculture) civilizations and nomadic (游牧的) civilizations in ancient China. It is one of the significant physical     8     (proof) of the far-sighted political strategic thinking and mighty military and national defence forces of central empires in ancient China, and is     9     outstanding example of the superb military architecture, technology and art of ancient China. It embodies incomparable significance as the national symbol for     10     (safeguard) the security of the country and its people.

Layue falls on the     1     (twelve) month of the traditional Chinese calendar. The Chinese character “La” holds historical significance,     2     (appear) in ancient texts such as Book of Changes and Rites of Zhou.     3     (original), “La” meant “cured meat”. Layue is also the month with the richest traditional customs in one year.

The eighth day of Layue marks the Laba Festival, whose custom on this day is to enjoy Laba porridge. It is a delightful     4     (mix) of grains, peanuts, chestnuts, red dates, lotus seeds, and other ingredients (配料), all of     5     are mixed together to make it a main course of the Laba Festival. In the northern part of China, there is a saying, “Children, don’t be too eager; right after Laba, the new year is     6     its way.” Celebrating Laba means the approach of the Chinese New Year.

The Kitchen God Festival is a widespread custom     7     (observe) across the country. On this day, people would hang images of the Kitchen God     8     his wife around the kitchen stove (炉子). Today, many rural areas still uphold this tradition.

Layue     9     (regard) as preparation for the upcoming Spring Festival. If the Spring Festival is considered the most joyful celebration of the year, many would agree that the joy, noise and expectation of Layue are no     10     (little) significant than the main event.

Holding fist is a form of ceremony originating from Chinese martial arts (武术). Traditionally, it is practiced by standing upright,     1     the body straight, holding the right fist tightly, straightening your left hand     2     (have) four fingers in a flat surface, wrapping the left four fingers together around the right fist and placing the two hands in front of your chest, without bringing the     3     (arm) up.

There are two traditional explanations for     4     practice. The left hand with its four fingers represents the four elements: virtue, wisdom, health, and art, all of     5     symbolize the spirit of martial arts. The left thumb (拇指) is slightly bent to imply that one should never be self-centered. Since the right hand is closed in a fist, it symbolizes attack; while the left hand, being virtuous and disciplined, stops the attack and symbolizes self-discipline and     6     (restrict).

The left hand symbolizes the five major lakes of China and the fist represents the four seas     7     (surround) the country. The two hands together show the unity of martial artists. This is exemplified in the saying “The people of the five lakes and four seas are all brothers”.

The holding fist can     8     (see) at every major Chinese event or festival, such as the Spring Festival. On festive occasions like weddings or birthday parties, guests can hold fist to express     9     (they) congratulations to the hosts. At farewell parties, people often hold fist while saying "Take care!" to one another.     10     (occasion), we hold fist to request forgiveness.

Putian wood carving, one of the four well-known     1     (category) of the art of Chinese wood carving, originated in the Tang and Song Dynasties.     2     (serve) as a national intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) item in China, it is a traditional folk carving technique of southeast China’s Fujian Province.

Zheng Chunhui, Lin Jianjun and Chen Yushu are three     3     (exception) representatives of wood carving masters. Zheng is a provincial-level inheritor (继承人) of the wood carving art,     4     not only excels in traditional wood carving technique,     5     expresses his love for his family and nation through his works. To promote the art, Zheng opened a unique wood carving gallery, which is the     6     (one) in Putian run by an individual and free to the public. The delicately made wood carving works by Lin     7     (shine) at a BRICS summit (峰会) several years ago, and meanwhile, the Chinese-style antique furniture pieces that are made by Chen     8     (show) at many international exhibitions over the past few years.

Putian city is home     9     over 2,600 wood carving companies, and the wood carving works     10     (create) there were sold to more than 20 countries and regions around the world last year.

As is often the case, museums     1     (associate) with large buildings, eye-catching highlights and massive collections in down town areas. However, many museums devoted to unique local culture can now be found in China’s vast rural areas.

Located near wide cornfields     2     (be) a museum focusing on Mahu Opera, a traditional art of the Manchu ethnic group in Northeast China.     3     (lie) on a site formerly used as a primary school, this museum has five exhibition rooms with considerable     4     (object) on display, including manuscripts (手稿), masks, costumes, instruments and books. Besides, the items in the museum     5     (collect) from local people, such as traditional farming tools, also reflect the history of this village in Shuangyang district of Changchun, Northeast China’s Jilin province.

A villager said     6     had never occurred to him that these old things could be used. If they hadn’t been     7     (special) gathered in the museum, they might have been thrown away already.

In Xinjia village,     8     has a population of only about 2,800, there are now five museums built near local dwellings (民居). Museums function     9     cultural centers for villagers in rural regions, helping them learn more about the past     10     record local history.

Chinese kung fu, also     1     (refer) to as martial arts, has developed over a long historical period in China. Nowadays, it     2     (regard）as a traditional sport gaining more and more     3     (popular) and even stands as a representative for Chinese culture. The styles, including Shaolin, t’ai chi and Qigong, have many followers worldwide. This traditional heritage has much influence     4     the locals’ lifestyle.

Kung fu advocates virtue and peace, not aggression or violence,     5     has been the common value held by martial artists from generation to generation. Though kung fu keeps its     6     (origin) function of self-defense, its value in body-building and fitness is also     7     (high) appreciated.

In recent years, learning Chinese martial arts has been more and more popular among people of different ages and nationalities. Therefore, many kung fu training centers or clubs     8     (establish) recently. A strong will and persistence (坚持) is     9     must to learn Chinese kung fu, One should follow a master or join a training school to learn systematically. The basic skills of legs, waist and shoulders need     10     (train) regularly.

The 37th International Kite Festival in Berck-sur-Mer opened and China made a wonderful    1    (appear) as the first-ever guest country of honor at the event.

Chinese cultural activities    2    (take)place at the festival, including     3    huge dragon-headed kite-flying performance, workshops for kite-making techniques as well as experiential activities from lion dances to martialarts (武术).

Liu Hongge, director of the China Cultural Center in Paris, delivered speeches. Liu said the kite is a key image,    4    (represent) the friendship between China and France. In 1958, the two countries produced a film     5    (title) Fengzheng (The Kite), the first color children’s film made by the People’s Republic of China,    6    the first coproduced with another country. It tells of the adventures and friendship between Chinese and French children created by a kite.

“As the organizer, the China Cultural Center in Paris continues to make the best of kites, using them    7    a medium to tell stories about kite culture in China and France, promote mutual(相互的) understanding and contribute to the success of the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism,” said Liu    8    (enthusiastic).

The International Kite Festival in Berck-sur-Meris the largest and most    9    (influence) kite-themed event in France,    10    visitors can not only observe a wide variety of kites, but they also have the chance to take part in art performances.