When it comes to the Chinese culture, we can’t ignore the importance of tea. Tea culture not only includes tea production, tea brewing, tea art and ceremony, but also     1     (contain) artistic value and traditional Chinese philosophy. It is linked     2     literature, art and religion. In the Tang Dynasty,     3     Buddhists were thinking, they found tea could reduce sleepiness and clear the mind. Therefore tea drinking was promoted and became     4     artistic enjoyment among the public.

Before the Song Dynasty, people used to put tea into a pot     5     (fill)with water and cook it. And then the traditional tea cooking was gradually replaced by the tea competition. In tea tasting, people brought their own tea and water and judged the quality of teas by     6     (check)the color and foam of the water. During the North Song Dynasty, tea     7     (compete)were widespread and brought to Japan. It gradually became the popular “chado” or tea ceremony In Japan.

Drinking tea is not only a     8     (health)habit for people, but also a cultural activity in Chinese daily life. The Chinese believe drinking tea can be helpful     9     (clean) the mind. People who love tea can     10     (easy)find inner peace and happiness.

Liu Ruying,     1     grandfather is a huge fan of Peking Opera, has been interested in Peking Opera for much of her young life. Her grandfather is a great influence     2     her. At the age of 8, she     3    (begin) to practice the classic art. It wasn’t easy for a little girl     4    (experience) the difficult training, as performances combine martial arts, dancing and acrobatics(杂技).

“Sometimes I was tired,“ she said. ”I had to balance my studies and other     5    (course) I was interested in, such as dance. But the great charm(魅力) of Peking Opera made me always practice it.”

When Liu got the news that her region would have a cultural exchange with other countries, she had the idea of     6    (introduce) Peking Opera to the world in English. With     7     help of her mother, she took part in the activity after several months of practice.

“I     8    (extreme) love traditional Chinese culture,” she said. “Peking Opera has a long history of about 200 years and     9    (consider) a treasure of our nation. We should let     10    (we) make great efforts to carry forward our culture and protect the cultural diversity of the world.”

Shadow puppetry (皮影戏) is a Chinese folk art known for its special storytelling skills,     1     dates back to the Han Dynasty. When thinking about shadow puppetry, most Chinese people remember their experiences of watching shadow plays when they were little. Now, one can enjoy a whole shadow show just by     2     (put) on a VR headset. The designer hopes that with the help of modern technology like VR, more young people will become     3     (interest) and pass down this ancient performing art to prevent it from gradually disappearing.

Crosstalk, also known by its Chinese name Xiangsheng, is a traditional Chinese comedic performing art, and one of China’s most popular     1     (culture) elements. It originated in North China and     2     (become) popular in Ming Dynasty. With the development in Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China era, Xiangsheng     3    (gradual) developed from one’s vocal imitation (口技) to stand-up comedy. Chinese crosstalk has three birthplaces: Beijing Tianqiao, Tianjin Quanyechang and Nanjing Confucius Temple. Xiangsheng lay the foundation in folk life and society, thus     4     (make) it popular among folk people. Xiangsheng can be performed by one person (solo comic talk), two players (comic dialogue), and three or more people (group crosstalk),     5     it is typically in the form of a comic dialogue     6     two performers. In a comic dialogue, as     7     rule, the leading actor, helped by the supporting actor, amuses all the audience with funny remarks. Due to     8     (it) humor and irony (讽刺), Xiangsheng has spread far and wide. Xiangsheng     9     (perform) in ethnic languages, such as Tibetan Xiangsheng, has appeared in remote regions and     10     (area) inhabited by ethnic minorities. Furthermore, Xiangsheng has been introduced abroad and becomes popular in Southeast Asia including Burma, Singapore and Malaysia.

A major fire broke out at Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris on Monday, one of France’s most visited landmarks. Flames burst     1     the roof of the cathedral, live TV pictures showed. Firefighters cleared the area around the cathedral,     2     marks the very centre of the city.

    3     (build) in the     4     (twelve) century, Notre Dame is the     5     famous of the Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages. “It’s been 800 years that the Cathedral watches over Paris”, Pascal,     6     French historian said. “Happy and unfortunate events for centuries     7     (mark) by the bells of Notre Dame.” The cathedral is home to incalculable works of art and is one of the world’s most famous tourist     8     (attract), immortalized by Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Its     9     (price) treasures include a Catholic relic, the crown of thorns, which is only     10     (occasional) displayed.

There are a great number of festivals around the world every year, most of which are just for human beings.    1     (actual), there is one day for animals—World Animal Day.

World Animal Day is a day on    2    the whole world cares for animals and    3     (work) towards the health and happiness of animals. It    4    (hold) on October 4th of each year. The goal is to make    5    earth a better place for these human friends.

World Animal Day can be celebrated in many different    6    (way). One way is that people can buy some books on how to protect animals to educate    7    (they). Meanwhile, what people can also do is to email their local newspaper or social media website to tell them the    8    (important) of the day. Other possible ways include donating or    9    (volunteer) at local shelters; adding animal-friendly equipment    10    your garden such as birdbaths; adopting a homeless animal or even just buying your favorite animal a special meal.