Hearing the news that the Shenzhou XIII manned spacecraft was about to return to Earth, Pan Xue, a Miao ethnic group girl, was excited. She had     1     urge to make an outer space-themed handicraft with students from a local batik (蜡染) workshop to express     2     (appreciate) and respect to Chinese astronauts.

In order to make a perfect handicraft, Pan spent a lot of time discussing the fabric with     3     (she) batik teacher to make sure the cloth would be smooth enough. After many trials and processes, they chose a     4     (suit) cloth to draw scores of stars on.

When making the stars, Pan painted some silver powder on the surface of woods     5     carved them as boats. She also used several silver bars to make     6     (branch) and twigs, and silver sheets to make one thousand     7     (hang) stars. It took them about five days     8     (complete) the delicate artwork, in which the tree looks dreamy against the background of the starry sky. “This tree     9     (name) ‘longevity tree’ in Miao culture, carrying the symbol of hope, just like China’s space industry,” said Pan,     10     felt proud to make a “starry sky” with Miao ethnic group’s special handicraft, which also presents Chinese culture to the world.

Keeping the balance between progress     1     protection of cultural sites can be a challenge. In the 1950s, the Egyptian government wanted to build a new dam across the Nile     2     (control) floods and produce electricity, but the     3     (propose) led to protests. Water from the dam would likely destroy cultural relics so the government turned to the UN for help. A committee     4    (establish) to prevent the loss of cultural relics. Finally, the cultural sites were taken down piece by piece, then moved and put back together in a place     5     they were safe from the water.

Solar terms, also called Jieqi in Chinese, are 24 special days in the traditional Chinese calendar. Known as the "    1     (five) great invention" of China, solar terms show the Chinese wisdom of dividing time.

Solar terms first     2     (appear) in The Yellow River Basin, northern China over 2,500 year ago.     3     (historical), the region was the center of China's major political, economic, cultural and     4     (agriculture) activities. Until the Western Han Dynasty, the 24 solar terms were all established.

Created by farmers, 24 solar terms     5     (use) to guide farming activities in ancient China. In ancient time, solar terms allowed farmers to know what conditions to expect and     6     farming activities to carry out during different periods of a year. What's more, most of the solar terms have rich social and cultural     7     (meaning). For example, Clear and Bright is deeply tied     8     China's tradition of missing ancestors and     9    (visit) the family tomb.

Today, in the time of modern farming, traditional solar terms remain important. They remind us that nature is changing at its speed, and they reflect the relationship between humans     10     nature in the understanding of Chinese people.

People of all ages and nations enjoy Chinese paper cutting. Paper Cuttings, though, are no longer just used for various pretty     1     (decoration).

This art form dates back to     2     sixth century. Chinses women would cut shapes from gold and silver foil (箔纸) to stick to heir hair. Families later followed the tradition     3     putting paper cuttings on gates and windows on special days. Finally, red paper cuttings became a way     4     (express) happy feelings and good wishes. A cutting of the “囍” character,     5     (represent) “double happiness”, is commonly used at weddings.

China paper-cutting master Li Yunxia makes the craft (手艺) much     6     (easy) than before. At the age of 6, she     7     (begin) to learn paper cutting from her mother. Li said     8     (frank), “All you need are paper, scissors and a lot of skills.” She was born in Shaanxi province,     9     paper cutting is still practiced and taught. Today, she teaches the ancient craft to people of every age.

No matter how common     10     special the design (图案) is, paper cutting remains a beloved Chinese craft. Next time you see a paper-cut, take a moment to appreciate it.

The remains of a gold mask are among the 3,000-year-old artifacts (历史文物) found at Sanxingdui, a 4.6-square-mile area outside Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.     1     (weigh) about 280 grams and estimated to be made from 84% gold, the mask is one of over 500 items unearthed from six newly discovered “sacrificial pits (祭祀坑)” in Sanxingdui.

More than 50,000 ancient artifacts     2     (find) at Sanxingdui since the 1920s, when a local farmer     3     (accidental) came upon a number of relics at the site. A major breakthrough     4     (occur) in 1986, with the discovery of two ceremonial pits containing over 1,000 items. Discoveries made at the site date back to the 12th and 11th centuries BC, and many of the items are now     5     display at an on-site museum.

The site has completely changed experts’ understanding of     6     the ancient civilization developed in China. In particular,     7     (evident) suggests that the unique ancient Shu society developed independently of neighboring cultures in the Yellow River Valley,     8     was traditionally considered to be the origin of Chinese civilization.

Along with other Shu archaeological     9     (site), it is credited by the UN as “    10     outstanding representative of the Bronze Age Civilization of China, East Asia and even the world.”

Nowadays, more and more countries around the world are holding celebrations for Chinese Spring Festival. What's more, not only     1     (be) these attended and enjoyed by Chinese citizens     2     ( live) abroad, but by many other nationalities, too.

Shopping centres have been organising events and activities so as     3     ( celebrate ) Chinese Spring Festival for years, while concerts and other performances are also proving a big         4     ( succeed). Tickets for the 2017 Grand Chinese New Year Concert in St Petersburg sold     5     , with 90% of the audience local Russians. People are also discovering     6     fun of interacting with the celebrations, rather than simply watching     7     part of an audience. To celebrate the 2017 festival, over 1，000 Ghanaian junior high school students     8     (get) up on stage to perform Chinese songs and dances. Students in New York City, meanwhile, have since 2016 been able to enjoy an     9     (office) day's holiday for Chine Spring Festival.

It seems     10     Chinese Spring Festival is becoming a global celebration of joy and love.