Of all the 24 solar terms, Clear and Bright is the only one, the first day of     1     is also a traditional Chinese festival, Qingming Festival or Tomb-Sweeping Day. The words “clear” and “bright” describe the weather during this period. Temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases,    2    (make)it a crucial time for plowing and sowing in the spring.

Cleaning the tombs and paying respect to the dead     3     offerings are the two important practices to remember late relatives. Weeds around the tomb are cleared away and fresh soil     4    (add)to show care for the dead. As trees turn green, flowers blossom, and the sun shines     5    (bright), everything return s to life. It is a fine time to appreciate the beauty of nature. This custom can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770—476BC)and Warring States Period (475—221BC). Flying kites is     6     activity favored by many Chinese during Tomb-Sweeping Day.     7     makes flying kites during this day special is that people cut the string while the kite is in the sky     8     ( let )it fly free. It is said that this brings good luck and that various     9     (disease)can be chased away by doing this.

In many parts of China, eating eggs during Tomb-Sweeping Day is also important. The Chinese folk     10    (believe)is that eating an egg on Tomb-Sweeping Day will bring good health all year. Today, people believe that eating eggs on Tomb-Sweeping Day will bring success.

When Zhao Shuxian started working at an art and craft factory in 1973, the then 19-year-old was given the job of     1     (master) the time-honored craft of making “velvet” flowers from silk. His goal was to be promoted to the designer’s workshop     2     he would be able to make whatever he wanted, and earn a     3     (good) living. Today, Zhao is recognized as one of the few seasoned     4     (make) of this ornament (装饰).

The practice of wearing velvet flowers     5     (believe) to date back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). They were sent to palaces during the reign of Wu Zetian,     6     they became a popular hair embellishment (点缀) for women serving at the court.

“It was common for court ladies     7     (decorate) their hair with flowers,” Zhao says. “But fresh flowers are not available all year around, so     8     (gradual) fabric flowers became a substitute.” Velvet flowers are called ronghua in Mandarin, a homophone for the characters meaning “prosperity”. Wearing them as     9     blessing became popular at wedding ceremonies, Lunar New Year, and Mid-Autumn Festival. Today, Zhao’s customers, who come from all over the world, wear his flowers both as an everyday item and     10     special occasions.

On October 14th, the Times Square in New York     1     (take) over by the full-screen poster of the “2023 Tianfu Book Fair”!

The 2023 Tianfu Book Fair,     2     (title) “Mutual Learning Among Cultures Amid Fragrance of Books”, showcased a range of outstanding Chinese publications, making their way overseas. The International Pavilion was a highlight, displaying over 1,000 types and       3     (approximate) 6,500 copies of original literature, children’s books, and picture books in English, Japanese, and other languages. Plus the Harry Potter Pop-up Store,     4     had been stealing the show, offered readers     5     immersive experience with the complete Harry Potter series and official merchandise.

But wait, there’s more! A series of exciting cultural     6     (activity) were also lined up. Guests could attend cultural lectures     7     the three Su scholars’ culture, try their hand at panda-themed traditional Chinese painting and witness a face-changing performance of Chinese Sichuan opera. This fair was not just about books: it was an excellent chance that allowed overseas readers to discover the charm of Sichuan culture     8     the richness of traditional Chinese culture. It was a powerful showcase of Chinese culture, making the trustworthy, lovable, and     9     (respect) image of China more real and tangible than ever before. In the future, China will make every effort     10     (spread) excellent traditional Chinese culture.

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

It is more than six decades since the death of Lei Feng, a young soldier who showed selfless     1     (devote) to duty, and yet the “Lei Feng Spirit” is still alive,     2     (inspire) a new generation of Chinese people.

Ye Zigui, deputy leader of the Lei Feng Squad (班) — the current name of the military unit in     3     the heroic soldier served—is in no doubt that this spirit should     4     (pass) on to the next generation.

This year marks     5     60th Lei Feng Day, an event aimed at celebrating the life and spirit of this young soldier     6     (annual), who devoted his spare time and money to helping the needy. He died in an accident in 1962 at the age of 22. In 1963, Chairman Mao Zedong called on the nation     7     (learn) from Lei Feng, with posters put on display featuring Lei in his uniform and a cotton hat,     8     he quickly became a public role model with great appeal.

In the Lei Feng Squad, the     9     (importance) role model of Chinese people for generations can be seen everywhere; his statue, his photos and copies of his diary are displayed in the room. On the wall     10     (be) shining red characters that read, “The former squad leader is always with us.”

Temples used to play a key role in hutong community life in Beijing. Many people may be surprised     1     (learn)that there were about 1,500 temples in Beijing from 1740 to 1950. During this time, there were two to three temples in every hutong. In the 1930s, visitors to Beijing,     2     (lead)by tour guides, in most cases, visited some temples during their stay.

Besides prayer, temples had many functions at that time. For example, Fayuan Temple, known     3     its lilac (丁香) blossoms, functioned as parks, where the public could enjoy the nature. Local residents’ lives were closely involved with the temples. For instance, when children were ill, their parents might take them to a temple and turned to masters in the temples for help,     4     had medical skills. And children reaching school age would     5     (usual)go to temples for lessons. When people failed to make ends meet, they might become a temple monk, which then was viewed as a good     6     (choose). In downtown Beijing, Guanyin Temple acted as a small public square for people     7     (live)in the nearby hutong. For a long time, it functioned as a nursing home for     8     elderly and provided accommodations for the homeless.

Temples, by providing a place where local groups could gather,     9     (be)one of the best and most unforgettable     10     (memory)for the local residents in the 20th century.

In China, most people think that having large eyes, double eyelids, a thin waist and white skin     1     (be) beautiful. But that’s just the     2     (appear). Many other things make people beautiful.

My father said that the beauty of the Chinese people is in being gentle and implicit (含蓄的), like an ink painting. My grandma told me that, while dancing in the square, it is beautiful     3     (wear) colorful headscarves and smile     4     (bright) at everyone. My teacher said China is     5     ancient country of etiquette (礼节), and our beauty lies     6     elegance and dignity. My classmate believed that beauty is being simple and     7     (nature). Now image editing software makes everyone look the same, but she thought everyone should show their own characters.

    8     (compare) with the Chinese, who see softness and consideration as beautiful, Western people may prefer being strong and confident. Their standards for beautiful skin color and body shape are also very broad.     9    , people’s aesthetics (审美) are always changing, and the exchange of cultures will influence each other. No one can describe beauty for a country or a social group. The world     10     (become) beautiful only if we accept all kinds of ideas about beauty.

A 4D Chinese shadow puppet show (also called Piying Show or Piying Xi in Chinese language), staged at a shadow puppetry theater on its first day of business in Tengchong city, southwest China’s Yunnan Province,     1     (impress) the audience with a brand new immersive (沉浸式的) viewing experience on Oct. 3, 2022.

“It’s a novel show. I didn’t know shadow puppet shows could be enjoyed in such     2     amazing way. The     3     (combine) of Chinese culture and modern technologies is really eye-opening,” an audience member said after     4     (watch) the show.

    5     traditional Chinese shadow puppet shows, during     6     puppeteers control shadow puppets to create the illusion of moving images on a cloth screen from behind, the innovative 4D show combined traditional Chinese shadow puppet performance with modern technologies including holographic projection (全息投影) technology and modern scene simulation technology.

“I want     7     (surround) the audience with the shadow puppets and let them feel they are a part of the show,” Liu Chaokan, a 30-year-old inheritor (继承人) of Chinese shadow puppetry and the brain behind the 4D Chinese shadow puppet show, told reporters.

Inspired by 4D movies, he came up with the idea of 4D shadow puppet show     8     has been making preparations for the show for nearly four years.

Born into a family with     9     (generation) of shadow play artists, as the sixth-generation inheritor of the shadow puppet performance skills of his family, Liu     10     (influence) by his family’s determination to carry forward the skills since he was young.

The Laba Festival stands for the beginning of conventional celebrations of the Chinese New Year.     1     (celebrate) on the eighth day of the last lunar month. La in Chinese means the 12th lunar month and Ba means the eighth day of the month.

There are     2     (differ) tales about the origin of this festival and we can not tell which one is true. However, we agree this festival started as a sacrificial offering to ancestors. It was also a day     3     the ancient Chinese prayed that there would be a     4     (good) harvest than ever.

Laba porridge is a kind of     5     (tradition) food for the festival and it     6     (make) of eight ingredients, including sweet rice, red beans, peas, sorghum, etc.     7     this special day, people are eager     8     (eat) the porridge believing it will bring peace and good health in the coming year.

Another custom is to soak Laba garlic. The practice is very simple. Put the garlic into     9     jar, pour vinegar into it and then seal it. We’ll find it will turn green,     10    (watch) the color of the garlic carefully. By the time of the Spring Festival, we can taste it when eating dumplings.