Martial Arts had its origins in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. During the following Qin and Han Dynasties, wrestling, swordplay and spear skills became well developed and were popular among civilians and troops. In the Song Dynasty, various schools, boxing styles, movement sets    1    weapon skills flourished. We recognize Martial Arts    2    Gong Fu or Wushu today, which has many followers worldwide.

Martial Arts is a series of fighting styles    3    has developed over a long historical period in China. Nowadays, it     4    （regard） as a traditional sport gaining more and more    5    （popular） and even stands as a representative for Chinese culture. Styles including Shaolin, Tai Chi and Qigong have many followers worldwide. Some westerners think that all Chinese people are Gong Fu masters. That's not true, but this traditional heritage （遗产）has    6    （it） unique existence in modern times and left much influence on the locals' lifestyle.

Although being fighting styles, Gong Fu    7    （advocate） virtue and peace, not aggression or violence. This has been the common value    8    （encourage） by martial artists from generation to generation. With a number of movement sets, boxing styles, weapon skills and some fighting touches , Gong Fu keeps the    9    （origin） function of self-defense. Now the value in body-building and fitness is also     10    （high） appreciated.

Most Chinese people are familiar with shadow puppetry (皮影戏). Thinking about shadow puppetry, they are reminded of their experience of watching shadow play in some temple fairs     1     they were little. But now, one can enjoy a whole shadow show just by    2    (put) on a Virtual Reality (VR) headset (耳机). “ We’ve been looking for a connection between traditional art and modern technology,” said the VR game    3     (design) Zhang Qing.

Shadow puppetry is a Chinese folk art     4     (know) for its unique storytelling techniques，    5     dates from 2,000 years ago. However, since films and TV series     6     (be) major entertainment options nowadays, shadow plays are in decline. To revive the ancient art via VR, Zhang visited puppeteers at Houma city in north China’s Shanxi Province where shadow puppetry once     7     (boom). A puppeteer Zhu Chao says that he only gets to perform five or six times a year and the art is far    8    its peak. Zhu hopes the combination with technology VR can attract     9     (many) young people and pass down this ancient art as it is     10    (gradual) fading away.

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. The Awakening of Insects(惊蛰)falls on Mar．6 and ends on Mar 20 this year．

The Awakening of Insects signals    1    rise in temperature and increased rain fall. As the third solar term in the lunar year,    2    (it)name suggests the fact that animals sleeping in winter are awakened by spring thunder and that the earth begins to come back    3    life．It is the key time for spring agricultural activities. It is also a good time for people    4    (enjoy)fun outdoors, especially for people living in the city. Driving to the suburbs,     5    (fish)in a lake or enjoying the singing bird will make for a perfect weekend in spring．The most popular fruit in this season    6    (be)pears．

The custom of eating pears is     7    (wide)practiced around the Awakening of Insects. As the weather gets warmer and the air becomes    8    (dry),people tend to feel their mouths and tongues are dry,    9    can cause colds or coughs. A pear is sweet, juicy and cold, moistening(湿润) the lungs to arrest a cough．    10    ,pears are recommended during the Awakening of Insects．

I was in Shenzhen, China, and a family stopped me and my wife and asked us if they could have their children take a photo with us. They were     1    (tour) from the inland of the country, and had never seen an American before.

    2     similar thing happened in Shanghai. This time I was alone wandering across the Waibaidu Bridge, and a group of teenage girls asked me    3    I could pose with them for a photo. I was happy, and I returned them all my smiles as the photo    4    (take)

Another surprise: I was in Pudong and I couldn't find the entrance to the subway. I approached a man     5     (walk) near me, showing him the ride ticket, and he nodded    6    (smart). Then he indicated I should follow. We went about 4 blocks. He pointed to the entrance, smiled, turned and walked away. I had no time    7     (offer) him a trip, which was a good thing because it might have been taken     8     an insult (侮辱). I couldn't believe that he had taken so much trouble for a stranger.

Again, similar experiences repeated     9     (them) across China. The friendliness of the people, their kindness, and their eagerness to help was    10     (condition). I don't know if that should be classified as "cultural shock", but it made me think about the Us, and how I rarely experience such kindness in my own country.

Weddings in Canada have become so complicated that their planning and organization are now a multi-billion dollar industry.     1     (survey) have shown that the average Canadian couple will spend upwards of $ 30,000 on their special day, while wedding guests will spend close to $ 700 each on gifts, special clothes,     2     other related expenses.

To briefly summarize, most Canadians generally get married in a church or banquet (宴会) hall before about a hundred or so close friends and family members. The bride will     3     (typical) wear a beautiful white wedding dress     4     (purchase) especially for the ceremony, while everyone else will wear their finest formal clothes. Once all the close friends and family members get together, a legally-certified wedding host, usually a religious     5     (lead) or judge, will publicly lead the bride and bridegroom through special wedding vows (宣誓),     6     express loyalty to one another, and then will declare they are officially married. The event will then usually conclude with an impressive, but     7     (relax) wedding reception, dinner, or after-party.

In practice almost every detail of a typical Canadian wedding, from flowers to music to seating arrangements, is governed by    8     (many) rules and traditions than could possibly be summarized here. Though such wedding ceremonies are broadly inspired by European-Christian customs, particularly British custom, North American weddings these days are often said to have gradually developed to exist     9     a world of unique traditions of their own. Canadians from non-Christian or non-European backgrounds often have unique wedding customs, though these     10     (mix) with North American ones.

Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday. The day after it has been known as Black Friday，     1     is the start of the holiday shopping season，and     2     (be) the busiest shoppingday of the year in the US since 2005.

Most stores offer big sales on Black Friday.They open their doors quite early in the morning and try to attract shoppers     3     big discounts. Black Friday is a great time to go     4     (shop). However，there are problems. The     5     (big) one is     6     there are not enough low-priced items. These items are in great need，so people stand in long lines    7     (get) them. They may wait three to four hours before a store opens. They may be hoping to get a TV or computer at a low price，     8     not everybody can get one. Some people leave，    9     (disappoint).

The situation makes people worried. Some Black Friday events have been crazy. There have been fights over toys among shoppers. Some workers have even been hurt by large     10     (crowd). But most Black Friday events are safe and fun. Still，if you plan to go，you will expect a large number of people and a bit of pushing.

(2018·河南省中原名校高考预测金卷)More than 700 years ago, a 17-year-old Italian youth followed his father and uncle on a journey to the East, dreaming about the mysteries of China. The three set     1     on a path that might have frightened even the most ambitious travellers. The young adventurer was Marco Polo.

Having a talent for languages, Marco Polo learned to speak Mongolian and Chinese. Later under the orders of Kublai Khan, he     2     (travel) far and wide across China. Along the way, he stopped     3     (record) detailed notes about the local customs, geography and values of the people, so as to report back to the Khan.

Marco Polo returned to Venice 24 years later. With     4    (count) treasures brought back from the East, he became     5     wealthy man overnight.     6     he witnessed in China aroused much interest among his countrymen. Marco Polo’s journey to China and the contents of his     7    (vivid) written book, The Travels of Marco Polo, which     8     (think) to be a fairy tale in Europe at the time, triggered a wave of European interest in the Orient.

Marco Polo’s story is both one about an explorer’s search riches and a Westerner     9     (follow) his dream to reach China. More than 700 years later, China, the once mysterious Oriental nation, is igniting the Chinese dream of many modern Marco Polos, attracted by its rapid     10     (develop) and its growing importance in the world.