Fireworks are essentially rockets in their simplest form. They produce noise, light and smoke, and sometimes they even explode sending up floating materials, like confetti (五彩纸屑). They can be designed to burn in all different colors and patterns, so people often set off a number of them in an effort    1    (create) an interesting fireworks display or show.

Historians believe fireworks     2    (appear) for the first time in ancient China in the second century B.C., when they were made from bamboo stalks and gunpowder that would explode when    3    (throw) into a fire. They were said to drive away evil spirits. By the 15th century, fireworks had become popular in Europe,    4    (common) used for religious festivals and public entertainment. And when the U.S. settlers left Europe, they brought fireworks with them and made them a    5    (centre) part of the first Independence Day,    6    tradition still followed today.

Fireworks are wildly popular,    7    they have been linked to air pollution increases, and    8    (expert) are concerned about their negative effects    9    wildlife. Although they’re fleeting and infrequent, fireworks shows spray out a toxic concoction (混合物) that rains down quietly into lakes, rivers, and bays throughout the country. Many of the chemicals in fireworks are also persistent in the environment,    10    means they stubbornly sit there instead of breaking down.

Confucianism is a major belief system that started in ancient China,     1     was developed by a thinker     2     (name) Confucius. It’s not a religion     3     the typical sense, but a set of moral, ethical, and social guidelines.

Confucianism emphasizes respect for elders,     4     (devote) to family, and social harmony. It also highly values education and promotes personal growth. Central to Confucianism is the idea that human beings are fundamentally good and     5     they can improve through self-cultivation and self-creation.

Another key concept in Confucianism is “Li”, which means “proper behavior”. It’s about behaving     6     (correct) in every social situation to maintain harmony and balance.

In addition, Confucianism promotes the idea of “Ren”, or “humaneness”. It suggests that individuals should be     7     (sympathy) and kind towards others, with a strong sense of duty and care for people in their community.

Confucianism has shaped the culture, social structures, and history of China and other East Asian countries. It has played a huge role in the development of their education systems, family structures, and government systems. Today, it     8     (continue) to have a deep influence,     9     (guide) the behaviors and values of many people. In essence, Confucianism is a powerful philosophy that encourages respect, compassion, learning, and harmony in society. It’s a way of life that     10     (touch) countless lives over centuries.

When I was a little boy, the dinner on the eve of the Spring Festival was    1    I looked forward to most. It was not only for the delicious food that we seldom got to eat, but also an opportunity to have the family gathered together. I would run     2     (happy) with my sister in the house, while my mom was preparing food in the kitchen. She would put some tokens in some dumplings; candies for a sweet life, and peanuts for a long and healthy     3    . In the evening, we would sit around the table, toasted each other and enjoyed the homemade dishes, which tasted much better than anything     4     (cook) in the restaurant.

However, for the last three years, we     5     (eat) out for the Spring Festival family dinner, and we have enjoyed it no less than eating at home.    6     I don’t understand why some people refuse this change. Can’t they admit that the     7     (prepare) for a dinner is hard work? It is not worth the effort of spending so much time cooking a single meal. We work all year, so why can’t one day be about spending time with family and     8     (relax). Eating out is a good choice and it has nothing to do     9     loss of traditions. We still have the dinner with the same people, just in a different place. The occasion is more     10    (enjoy) without that tiring cooking.

5 . 阅读下边短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的适当形式。

2024 is “The Year of the Dragon” on the Chinese lunar calendar. But     1     that’s the proper translation of the iconic mythical symbol of China or not has aroused     2    (heat)debate.

The Western concept of dragon is not consistent with     3     of the Chinese dragon. Influenced by Greek mythology, the dragon is often the keeper of treasure. For Europeans, dragon is usually a monster     4     (keep) distances away from people. With four legs and two huge black wings, they can spit fire or even poison gas out of their mouth. Contrary     5     the evil image of European dragons, Chinese dragons symbolize     6    (strong) and goodluck. In Chinese legends, dragons were appointed head of the four seas, rulers of weather and water. Those born in the year of the Loong are believed     7    (be)interested in the world and willing to give a helping hand.

The differences in perception of the mythical creatures in China and the West     8    (root)in their different cultural values. What is important is that as we enter     9     new lunar year, people     10    (global)appreciate the cultural values embodied in such Chinese symbols as Loong.

Peking Opera actress Dong Yuanyuan proposed integrating the art of Peking Opera with digital technology to compete for more young audiences.     1    a national treasure in China, the art form is becoming more and more alienated, especially by younger generations. Her     2     (propose) might be one of the most effective ways to help resolve the problem.

In November 2021, the “Digital Mei Lanfang” project     3     (launch) in Beijing. The late Mei Lanfang (1894-1961) now, is once again able to “appear” in front of audiences thanks to digital technology. Dong got very excited and emotional     4    she saw that Master Mei was “really talking” on stage.

Since then, she     5     (work) hard to deeply integrate the traditional Chinese art with modern technology. In addition, Dong has adopted more flexible means     6     (promote) Peking Opera and suggests that traditional artistic elements, such as tunes from Peking Opera, could also be used in pop songs in an ancient Chinese style. So far, a dozen such songs have been very well-received by audiences,     7     (include) young people. However, there are many obstacles to overcome.

A tech expert mentioned it was very difficult to imitate Master Mei’s facial expressions and voice as well as the materials of his costumes. This project was not only a process of technological implementation, but also one     8     integrated technology with traditional culture. So there is a     9     (true) long way to go before a digital Peking Opera human with real-time interaction capability is created.

A digital Mei Lanfang is a good beginning, a breakthrough in promoting Peking Opera     10     other traditional art forms. Therefore, all levels of society should pay attention and lend their support to this endeavor.

Confucianism is the way of life propagated (传播) by Confucius in the 6th-5th century BCE and followed by the Chinese people for more than two thousand years. Although     1    (transform) over time, it is still the substance of learning, the source of values, and     2     social behavior rules of the Chinese. Its influence has also extended to other countries,     3     (particular) Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

Confucianism, a Western term     4     has no counterpart in Chinese, is a worldview, a moral rule, a scholarly tradition, and a way of life. Sometimes viewed as philosophy and sometimes as a religion, Confucianism may be understood as a     5     (think) and living way. East Asians may claim themselves to be Daoists, Buddhists, Muslims, or Christians, but, they seldom cease to be Confucians.

Although often grouped with the major historical religions, Confucianism     6     (differ) from them by not being an organized religion. Nevertheless, it spread to other East Asian countries and has exercised a far-reaching influence on spiritual and     7     (politics) life. Both the theory, and practice of Confucianism have unforgettably marked the     8     (pattern) of government, society, education, and family of East Asia. For well over 2,000 years Confucian moral values     9     (serve) as the source of inspiration as well as the court of appeal for human interaction       10     individuals and nations in the Sinitic (中国文化的) world.

The silk industry in Sichuan is one of the original points of Chinese silk culture. Sichuan brocade (蜀锦) originated from the Spring and Autumn period, and fully developed in the Han and Tang     1     (dynasty). It has a history of more than 2, 000 years and had a far-reaching influence     2     traditional Chinese silk production. Sichuan brocade features light shades     3     (integrate) in an elegant and care free style, which shows Han Chinese characteristics and local traditions.

Sichuan brocade is one of China’s four most famous branches of brocade, the others     4     (be) Yun brocade in Nanjing, Song brocade in Suzhou and Zhuang brocade in Guangxi. With its     5     (attract) designs and bright, clear colors that follow the style of Chinese-ink paintings, Sichuan brocade was put on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.

Silk     6     (produce) in Sichuan Province since ancient times and Chengdu was the starting point of the southern Silk Road. Sichuan brocade is made with local silk and colored silk threads,     7     are the raw materials. Special embroidery (刺绣) skills are used     8     (turn) brocade into quilt covers, pillowcases, clothes and shoes.

    9     subjects of the Sichuan brocade are rich and varied. Some come from legends, myths, historical stories, and others come from landscape, figures, flowers, birds and animals,     10     (especial) the beasts that symbolize fortune and long life.

I remember that every year in lunar December in my hometown, Xinyang, each family begins to prepare bunches of bacon and sausage hanging from yard to yard     1     (embrace) the upcoming New Year. Walking in such a street view and sniffing the smell of pickled bacon(腊肉), I always have a sense of    2     (happy).

Xinyang, located on the boundary between the north and the south, is rich in rice, wheat and fertile land due to its unique     3     (geography) position and climate. Therefore, it cultivates the characteristics of Xinyang people who have a good appetite     4     delicacies. According to relevant records, the history of Xinyang’s pickled bacon dates back to the Ming Dynasty,     5     the locals learned to keep its special taste by preserving it in a special bean. People in Xinyang love their life so much that even during     6     (tough) times, they still inherited the soul of taste and made delicious pickled bacon. Actually, Xinyang’s pickled bacon is made in     7     seemingly simple way by drying the meat in the shade but it brings out the flavor of the food     8     (it) and stays with our memory for long.

You’ll never become fully conscious of how much you value it until you     9     (tear) apart from it. Such is Xinyang’s pickled bacon, one of my unforgettable memories of my hometown despite time     10    (tick) by.