Qipao, a traditional dress for females in China, is generally considered as one of the perfect examples of traditional Chinese costumes. Though     1     (debate) by experts about the exact time of its occurrence, it is generally believed     2     Qipao originated from a type of Manchurian female garment in the Qing Dynasty. It developed and was popularized soon during the Republican Period. Under the influence of     3     (celebrity) in Shanghai and even politicians of the time, it reached its peak in the 1930s and 1940s.

Qipao, which is usually made     4     satin, brocade (锦缎), silk or cotton, mainly     5     (feature) a stand-up collar, Chinese knotted buttons, the left lapel (翻领) over the right, a tight-fitting waist and hemmed slits (开衩) on both sides. Two major styles of modern Qipao     6     (establish) in the progression, namely the Shanghai style and the Beijing style. The former,     7     (absorb) western elements of design and tailoring, leads the fashion trend.

Wearing Qipao, a natural result of women’s pursuit of intellectual     8     (free), carries a symbolic sense of promoting gender equality. Later on, the priority of Qipao shifted from a     9     (politics) expression to decorative emphasis. Till today, it is not just a symbol of fashion     10     a timeless classic, an irreplaceable cultural heritage in the fashion world.

China will become the guest country of honor for the 37th International Kite Festival in Berck-sur-Mer from April 20 to 28. It is the first time that the festival     1     (introduce) the concept of guest countries since its establishment in 1987.

During the nine-day event, the China Cultural Center in Paris will join hands     2     Weifang City in Shandong Province—known as the “kite capital of the world”, to showcase the most authentic Chinese kite art and cultural experience to the audience. Various cultural activities will take center stage,     3     (involve) kite competitions, cultural performances and     4     (workshop) on intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产).

The International Kite Festival in Berck-sur-Mer is the largest and most     5     (influence) kite-themed event in France. In addition to regular kite displays, this year’s festival will debut the international kite stunt competition,     6     (call) “The World Kite Cup Berck-sur-Mer”. Kite-flying masters from ten countries and regions will compete for the world champion title in a showdown of skills and     7     (create).

    8     (kick) off the festival on April 20, a 100-meter-long dragon kite will take flight, followed by     9     series of activities, like dragon and lion dance performances, martial arts demonstrations, a tea ceremony, calligraphy exhibitions     10     traditional Chinese folk music performances.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an ancient health care system in which patients     1     (treat) with natural plant, animal, and mineral remedies (药物). It is believed, for a person to be healthy,     2     yin and yang forces should be in balance. Imbalance causes illness or injury. TCM is about restoring the balance between yin and yang forces in     3     (patient). It has been a major part of traditional Chinese culture and continues to play     4     vital role in medical treatment in China today.

According to the World Health     5     (organize), nearly 80 percent of the world’s population depends for     6     (it) primary health care needs on medicines from plants and animals. This is especially true in countries where traditional Chinese medicines are     7     (wide) used.

Increasingly, however, modern medicines also contain substances     8     animals and plants. Given the growing populations, increasing wealth, and the spreading popularity of natural remedies throughout the world, the demand for these useful medicines and remedies     9     (rise) now. The rising demand,     10     (combine) with reduced habitat, has put a number of plant and animal species used for medicinal purposes at risk for many years.

For instance, TCM uses about 1,000 plant and 36 animal species, including the tiger, rhinoceros (犀牛), and sea horse, which are all in danger.

The Duanwu Festival, known as the Dragon Boat Festival,     1     (found) during the Warring States period (475-221BC) in memory of QuYuan,     2     was a scholar and minister of the state of Chu. The festival falls on the     3     (five) day of May on the Chinese lunar calendar.

It is commonly believed that the local people began     4     tradition of throwing sacrificial cooked rice into the river for Qu Yuan, hoping that the rice would prevent Qu Yuan's body from     5     (eat) by the fishes in the river. Zongzi, rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo     6     (leaf), remain with us today as the traditional way to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. In general, northern Chinese prefer sweet versions of these steamed treats while southerners like     7     (salt) tastes.

A dragon boat,    8     (usual) made of wood to various designs and sizes, is a human-powered boat. They often have brightly decorated designs that range anywhere from 40 feet in length     9    100 feet, with the front end shaped like open-mouthed dragons, and the back end with a scaly tail. A sacred ceremony is performed before any competition in order to “bring the boat to life” by painting the eyes. The first team     10    (gain) a flag at the end of the course wins the race.

The    1     (tradition) Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. The 24 solar terms,     2     (determine) by changes in the sun’s position in the zodiac during the year, were first used in China and now are followed in many other parts of the world. In China, the 24 solar terms     3     (create) thousands of years ago to guide agricultural production.

Rain Water this year starts     4     Feb19 and ends on Mar4. Rain Water     5     (signal) the increase in rainfall and rise in temperature. With its     6     (arrive), lively spring-like scenery starts blossoming.

Rain Water is     7     (common) regarded as the best time of the year to eat fresh bamboo shoots. And according to the Book of Songs, the cooking of bamboo shoots in China dates back to over 2,000 years ago.

According to     8     old Chinese saying, the rainfall in spring is as precious as oil. In northern China, the spring drought is common and the rainfall of this season is really low,     9     accounts for only 10 to 15 percent of annual average rainfall. Therefore, Rain Water is considered as a key period for irrigation(灌溉) when the day gets     10     (warm) and rainfall increases.

Every April, people of the Dai ethnic group in Yunnan Province celebrate their biggest festival of the year—the Water Splashing Festival (泼水节). This marks the official New Year celebration for the Dai people     1     live in China, mainly in Xishuangbanna and Dehong of Yunnan. It     2     (general) starts in mid-April and lasts for three days.

On the first two days of the festival, people clean their houses, have their hair cut, and take baths.     3     (vary) activities are also staged. Many send     4     (burn) lanterns into the air, dance and sing in the streets,     5     watch colorful dragon boat races on the Lancang River. The third day of the festival marks the first day of the New Year on the Dai calendar. In the morning, people often visit a temple     6     (hold) a ceremony. After that, the mass water splashing     7     (begin). People use anything at hand to splash water on each other, from friends and neighbors to     8     (stranger) in the streets, as     9     expression of their wishes for good luck and prosperity for whoever is on the receiving end.

The Water Splashing Festival of the Dai people     10     (include) in China’s National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006.