The dragon, a famous beast born from fantasy,     1     (exercise) a hold on people’s imagination over centuries. In traditional Chinese culture, a dragon is a symbol of luck, power and high status. They can cause weather changes and bring rainfall to the fields     2     (ensure) rich harvests. Therefore, to symbolize their power, ancient Chinese emperors decorated their clothes     3     dragon patterns. Many Chinese view the dragon as a national symbol,     4     (proud) referring to themselves as “descendants of the dragon”.

Although Start of Autumn, the 13th traditional Chinese solar term, often indicates the     1     (begin) of autumn, heat waves will not come to an end. The period of high temperatures,    2     (call) “Autumn Tiger”, usually lasts for about 30 days. Because of decreasing precipitation(降水), it is even hotter during this period than Major Heat. As the saying goes, “If it rains     3    the day of Start of Autumn, a good harvest is expected.”

    1     February 10, the first day of the Year of the Dragon, the crowd in a public square in London burst into cheers. Sixteen dancers performed the Chaoshan Yingge dance, a traditional Chinese folk dance     2     (celebrate) Chinese New Year. In the Chaoshan region of Guangdong province,     3     the dance originated, people believe it brings good luck for new year. This performance     4     (attract) millions of tourists since 2023.

The world will observe International Museum Dayon May 18th. Since 1977, this day    1    (celebrate) by the International Council of Museums annually to raise awareness of the role that museums play in the development of society. The day is an excellent way of    2    (get) more of the younger generations interested in the history and culture available in museums. Every year, the organization    3    (decide) on a new theme. And the theme for 2023 is Museums, Sustainability and Well-being.

Traditional Chinese tea-making    1    (consist) of knowledge, skills, and practices about the management of tea plantations, picking of tea leaves, and the processing, drinking, and sharing of tea. Not only are tea-related customs found across the country, but also they     2    (influence) the rest of the world since ancient times through the ancient Silk Road and trade routes. Teas have pleased and fascinated the world    3    thousands of years. They have finally received top-level global recognition as a     4    (share) cultural treasure of humankind.

By drawing patterns such as bamboos on the surface of a cup of tea, Chabaixi, an ancient Chinese tea trick     1    (go) viral recently. There are a dozen steps, from grinding tea for fine powder, to pouring boiled water, stirring the mixture for thick froth(泡沫), and finally drawing patterns. Clear water it used to put into the cup. When the water     2    (touch) the surface of tea, it turns into a white color and disappears in 20 minutes. The process before drawing is known as “diancha.” The quality of it is crucial to     3     the patterns can be successfully produced later.

It’s said that for the Englishman, his house is his castle. However, this does not mean that his house is a beautiful palace that others     1     (invite) to see. For the British, the home is a place to protect oneself from the outside world. It’s a private place in which he goes to hide away     2     the troubles of life. To the American, the home is an expression of     3     (he). Much money is often spent on each and every room     4     (create) the right “feel” according to the person’s lifestyle. Therefore, he is happy to show his house to others.

Wang was born and grew up in America, but she    1    (build) solid ties with Chinese culture since she was a little girl. She is now riding a new trend: mixing and matching modern clothes with traditional Han dress, or hanfu. She has been posting videos of     2     (she) dressed in hanfu on the Internet, which has attracted many fans on Chinese lifestyle. “I love hanfu. I’ve made many videos,    3    (aim) to help more people learn about it,” Wang told Beijing Review.

In Beijing, hutongs are alleys(小巷) formed by lines of traditional siheyuan. Many neighborhoods were formed by joining one siheyuan to another to form a hutong and then joining one hutong to another. In the dynasty     1     (time), the large siheyuan of high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants often featured     2    (beautiful) carved and painted roof beams and pillars and carefully landscaped gardens. The hutongs they formed were orderly, lined by spacious homes and walled gardens. In contrast to the court life and elite culture     3    (represent) by the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven, the hutongs reflect the culture of grassroots Beijingers. The hutongs are residential neighborhoods which still form the heart of Old Beijing.