On the first day of Winter Solstice (冬至), the Northern Hemisphere experiences the shortest day and he longest night of the year. From then on, the days become longer and the nights become     1    (short). The Winter Solstice also marks the       2    (arrive) of the coldest season in the year.

As early as the Zhou Dynasty, people worshipped the gods on the first day of the Winter Solstice,     3    was also the first day of the new year. The Winter Solstice became a winter festival during the Han Dynasty. The celebratory activities were       4    (official)   organized. On this day, both officials and ordinary people would have     5    rest.

During Winter Solstice in North China, eating       6    (dumpling) is essential to the festival. People in the south are accustomed to     7    (eat) wontons in midwinter.   According to legend, the King of Wu was disgusted with all kinds of costly foods and     8    (want) to eat something different. Then, the beauty Xishi came into the kitchen to make “wontons” to honor the king’s   wish. He ate a lot       9    liked the food very much. To honour Xishi, the people of Suzhou made wontons the official food     10    (celebrate) the festival.

China, which     1     (recognize) widely as the hometown of tea, gains a big reputation of tea planting, strict tea etiquette (礼节) and unique tea drinking     2     (habit). Tea drinking in China has a history of more than 5,000 years,     3     (date) back to the Shennong era. Tea ceremony has been into    4     (exist) since ancient times. It is the     5     (early) traditional etiquette of the Han nationality in China to offer tea    6    guests. Until now, a cup of tea is always made for guests when they come. A tea party is not only simple and money-saving, but also elegant and formal. The saying “gentleman’s friendship is as light as water”,     7    water refers to tea, indicates a kind of deep friendship. The Han people also have various customs of giving tea as a gift. Every summer in ancient Hangzhou,     8     capital city of the Southern Song Dynasty, each family cooked a new tea called Qijia tea,     9     (primary) together with fine fruits of various colors. Then the tea would be presented to relatives and friends. This custom is putting two green fruits in the tea cup, namely olives or kumquats,     10     (show) the meaning of good luck and happiness.

The traditional Chinese name chop (名章) or seal has been used for thousands of years.     1     is quite likely that people began using name chops because Chinese characters are so complex and few people in ancient times    2    (be) able to read and write. In addition, chops date back to a time    3    there was no other form of    4    (identify) such as ID cards.

A chop also served as a valid signature. All official    5    (document) in China needed a chop to be valid. Today, most Chinese are educated, but the tradition    6    (keep) alive in China.

If you spend any length of time in China, you will almost     7    (certain) need to have a chop. If you’re staying a short time, a chop makes a(n)     8     (amaze) souvenir. A chop can be made quickly, but first you will need to have your name    9     (translate) into Chinese characters.

There are many different sizes and styles of chops. Inexpensive small chops can be carved     10    wood or plastic — upmarket chops are made from ivory, jade, marble or steel. Only a special type of slow-drying red ink is used for a name chop, so if you buy a chop in China, get an inkpad (印泥盒) too.

Cultural and creative products inspired by cultural relics preserved at China’s museums have brought ancient culture closer to the people.

Though the cultural relics     1     display to the public remain preserved in their glass cases, cultural and creative products of     2    (variety) kinds developed by museums are allowing people to carry a little piece of the cultural exhibitions back home.

In Central China’s Hunan province, the Hunan Museum has developed     3     series of health-related products, such as fragrance pouches(香袋), tea and pillows, based on several     4    (discovery) at the Mawangdui tombs of the Han Dynasty(206 BC—AD 220), according to a report in China Youth Daily.

In the northwestern province of Shaanxi, public transportation cards     5    (feature) cultural relics in the Shanxi History Museum, especially figurines of the Tang Dynasty(618—907),     6    (be) among the best-selling creative products.

Zhang Huiguo, coming from the Shanxi Museum, said that greater efforts are being made by museums     7    (meet) the demand for better cultural and creative products,     8     have evolved from replicas to products with deeper cultural meanings.

"The idea of cultural creativity is     9    (constant) expanding, and now every museum     10    (seek) ways to reach younger audiences," says Wu Ming, the chief of creative product development at Beijing’s Capital Museum.

Traditional Chinese wedding customs have been around for thousands of years.They may vary from place to place and time to time，but have been holding an important position in the lives of Chinese people，    1     (cause)a far­reaching impact on the way the Chinese lead their lives.The traditional Chinese marriage usually     2     (involve)some necessary procedures, such as match­making，engagement，meeting the bride，and three bows.    3     addition，a typical Chinese wedding nowadays goes like this—when a new couple is engaged，    4     follows is a     5     (choose)of the date of their marriage.

Most people would favor a holiday or special Chinese festival for their relatives and friends    6     (attend)the wedding.However，quite a few others，especially    7     in the countryside，would fix a lucky date so that their marriage would have“Double Happiness”．The wedding ceremony is usually hosted    8     (warm)and the wedding ceremony very often ends with    9     unique banquet.Toasts are made to wish the new couple long life，everlasting love and happiness，early birth of a     10     (health)baby and so on.