Many people have the hobby of collecting things, e.g. stamps, postcards or antiques. In the 18th and 19th centuries,     1     (wealth) people travelled and collected plants, historical objects and works of art. They kept their collection at home until it got too big     2     until they died, and then it was given to a museum. The 80,000 objects collected by Sir Hans Sloane, for example,     3     (form) the core collection of the British Museum     4     opened in 1759.

The parts of a museum open to the public     5     (call) galleries or rooms. Often, only a small part of a museum’s collection     6     (be) on display. Most of it is stored away or used for research.

Many museums are lively places and they attract a lot of visitors. As well as looking at exhibits, visitors can play with computer simulations (模拟) and imagine     7     (they) living at a different time in history or     8    (walk)through a rainforest. At the Jorvik Centre in York, the city’s Viking settlement is recreated, and people experience the sights, sounds and smells of the old town. Historical     9     (accurate) is important but so is entertainment. Museums must compete     10    people’s spare time and money with other amusements. Most museums also welcome school groups and arrange special activities for children.

Decorating with Plants, Fruits and Flowers for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is a     1     (celebrate) marking the end of the winter season and the beginning of spring. This is why decorating with plants, fruits and flowers     2     (carry) special significance. They represent the earth       3       (come) back to life and best wishes for new beginnings.

These are some of the most popular in many parts of the country:

Oranges: Orange trees are more     4     decoration; they are a symbol of good fortune and wealth. They make great gifts and you see them many times     5     (decorate) with red envelopes and messages of good fortune.

Bamboo: Chinese love their “Lucky Bamboo” plants and you will see them often in their homes and office.     6     (certain) during the holiday period, this plant is a must. Bamboo plants are associated     7     health, abundance and a happy home. They are easy     8     (care) for and make great presents.

Branches of Plum Blossoms (梅花): The     9     (beauty) long branches covered with pink-colored buds (蓓蕾) make fantastic decorations. The plum trees are     10       first to flower even as the snow is melting(融化). They represent the promise of spring and a renewal of life.

Our grandparents seems to have magic powers sometimes. Give them a Chinese lunar calendar    1    they will know what the weather will be like days or even months later.

What's the secret? They are following the 24 Solar Terms (节气),     2    were added on Nov. 30 to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (人类非物资文化遗产) by the United Nations (UN). It is a knowledge system and social practice    3    (form) through people's observations of the sun's annual movements and its influence on the climate.

The 24 Solar Terms    4    (come) into being during the Qin and Han    5     (dynasty). At that time, most Chinese people made their living on farms, so weather changes were    6    (extreme) important for them. But of course, they had no satellite, internet or weather broadcast    7    (help) them.    8    these difficulties, they managed to work out 24 Solar Terms by studying the sun's movement and also    9    (pay) attention to other natural changes such as air temperature, water and crop growth.

It is honored as China's    10    (five) great invention, after papermaking, printing, the compass and gunpowder. Now, it is still widely used in daily life even in the age of technology-based modern farming.

A family dinner is an important tradition     1     (celebrate) Spring Festival. Nowadays, some people choose to have the dinner in a restaurant. We     2     (eat) out for the Spring Festival family dinner for the last three years, and we have enjoyed it no less than eating at home. I don’t understand     3     some people refuse to embrace the change.

Can’t they admit that the     4     (preparation) for the dinner are hard work? I really don’t think     5     is worth the effort of spending so much time preparing for a single meal, and then another hour cleaning up the mess     6     it’s over. We work all year, so why can’t one day be about spending time with family and     7     (relax)?

Eating out is a good choice and it has nothing to do with loss of traditions. We still have the dinner with the same people, just in a different place. The occasion is more     8     (enjoy) without all that tiring cooking, and the dishes taste better!

In my opinion, what or where we eat on Spring Festival Eve really     9     (make) no difference. Eating out may change the form of this tradition, but the love between the family members sitting around the table together remains     10     same.

The Lantern Festival falls     1     the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. This is the first full moon of the new year, representing reunion and perfection. This festival also marks the     2    (office) end of the long holiday.

There are many legends (传说) related to the origin of the Lantern Festival. According to one legend, once in ancient times, a celestial (天上的) swan came into the human world where it     3    (shoot) down by a hunter. The Jade Emperor, the     4    (high) god in Heaven, was angry about this. He planned an attack on Earth on the     5    (fifteen) day of the first lunar month, with orders to destroy all people and animals. But another god     6    (disagree) with him and risked     7    (warn) the people on Earth. As     8     result, before and after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, every family hung red lanterns outside their doors and set off firecrackers, giving the impression    9    their homes were already burning. By successfully tricking the Jade Emperor in this way, human beings were saved from     10    (destruct).

The Leshan Giant Buddha is a statue of Maitreya in sitting posture     1     lies to the east of Leshan City, Si-chuan Province,     2    (face) Min River, Qingyi River, and Dadu River. In December, 1996, the Buddha     3    (include) by the UNESCO on the list of the World Heritage Sites.

The construction of the statue began in the year 713 in the Tang Dynasty,     4     finished in the year 803. The Buddha is 71 meters high. The 9-meter-long instep is big enough for one hundred people     5    (sit) on and the 24-meter-wide shoulder is large enough to be a basketball playground.

A monk called Hai Tong is connected with the Buddha forever. At that time, wild waters brought out many boat accidents and people just put the disaster down to the     6    (present) of a water spirit. So Hai Tong decided to make a statue beside the river thinking that the Buddha would bring the water spirit under control. After 20 years’ begging from door to door, he finally collected enough money for the plan. When some local government     7    (official) tried to get this amount of money, Hai Tong said that they could get his eyeballs but not the money     8    (raise) for the Buddha. After Hai Tong dug out his eyeballs, these officials ran away in horror. The project was half done when Hai Tong passed away, and two of his disciples continued the work. After     9     total of 90 years’ hard work, the project was     10    (eventual) completed.

My friends were surprised when I told them my plan to further my learning in China. But up to now, choosing China     1    (acquire) my advanced study is one of the best decisions I     2    (make) in my life.

My first     3    (impress) of China is its large population. When I arrived at Wuchang Railway Station, I was     4    (amaze) by many crowds of people with their luggage     5    (wait) for taxis and private cars to transport them. At the time I couldn’t speak Chinese,     6    made the local people surprised. I realised later that it was     7    (probable) because I am from Thailand and have no apparent difference in appearance. I thought it would be difficult for me to get familiar     8     the environment. But as soon as I told them where I come from, they just warmly smiled and said, “You are our neighbour. And if your friends have time, bring them to China.” These words made me much more welcomed. I     9    (feel) really safe and secured with my surroundings; I have been helped enthusiastically when I am in need and I am so proud     10     Chinese people mainly because of their kindness and generosity.