A large-scale cultural exploration program National Treasure made its first show on CCTV on Sunday night. In the first episode, the Palace Museum in Beijing displayed three treasures. As a     1     variety show (综艺节目), the National Treasure aims to showcase the background stories of national treasures and     2     various art forms. In the show, “national treasure keepers” acted by famous and common people will present treasures, telling their stories with the collections and interpreting the historical mystery. The show aims to inspire the ancient Chinese civilization (文明) and make the national treasures “    3    ”.

This is not the first time for the Palace Museum in Beijing to be extremely welcomed online in China,     4     its efforts in cultural products and self-promotion (自我宣传) in recent years.

Last year, the museum     5     so much attention because of the huge success of the three-episode TV documentary, Masters in the Forbidden City, and a movie with the same name. Over the last few years, the museum has     6     signposts (路标) and 1,400 new chairs have been provided. In addition, the Palace Museum opened a (an)     7     online store on e-commerce platform Taobao, selling related products. It also started their self-promotion through new media, publishing articles to promote the culture of the museum. It     8     swept (席卷) the Internet by its humorous style and interesting content. At the same time, the Palace Museum has published several mobile apps, one of which saw over 200,000 downloads just two weeks after its     9     in 2013. Its self - promotion has achieved great results. In 2012, the museum saw 15 million visitors. And it received 16 million visitors last year.

The museum is also     10     among foreign leaders. For example, US President Donald Trump and his wife visited the Palace Museum on Nov 8.

China is widely known for its ancient civilisation which has continued all the way through into modern times,     1    the many ups and downs in its history. There are many reasons     2     this has been possible, but one of the main factors has been the Chinese writing system. 

At the beginning, written Chinese was a picture-based language. It     3     back several thousand years to the use of longgu—animal bones and shells on which symbols were     4     by ancient Chinese people. Some of the ancient symbols can still be seen in today’s hanzi. 

By the Shang Dynasty (around 1600-1046 BCE), these symbols had     5     a well-developed writing system. Over the years, the system developed into different forms, as it was a time    6    people were divided geographically leading to many    7    of dialects and characters. This, however, changed under Emperor Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221-207BCE). 

Emperor Qinshihuang united the seven     8    states into one unified country where the Chinese writing system began to develop in one direction. That writing system was of great importance in uniting the Chinese people and culture. Even today, no    9    where Chinese people live or what dialect they speak, they can all still     10     in writing.

Economic development is necessary if we want to improve society. There comes a time when the old must give way to the new, and it is not possible     1     everything from our past as we move towards the future. Finding and keeping the right     2     between progress and the protection of cultural sites can be a big challenge. 

Big challenges, however, can sometimes lead to great     3    . In the 1950s, the Egyptian government wanted to build a new dam across the Nile in order to control floods, produce electricity, and supply water to more farmers in the area. But the     4     led to protests. Water from the dam would     5     damage a number of temples and destroy cultural relics that were an important part of Egypt’s cultural heritage. After listening to the scientists who had studied the problem, and citizens who lived near the dam, the government     6     to the United Nations for help in 1959. 

A committee     7     to limit damage to the Egyptian buildings and prevent the loss of cultural relics. The group asked for     8     from different departments and raised funds within the international community. Experts investigated the     9    , conducted several tests, and then made a proposal for how the buildings could be saved. Finally, a     10     was signed, and the work began in 1960.

Today’s festivals have a wide     1     of origins, including the seasons of the year, famous figures, important events, and religions. All festivals have the spirit of sharing joy,     2    , love, or peace in common.

The     3     festival is one of the most popular festivals and is celebrated in many cultures. In China, families     4     to admire the shining moon and enjoy delicious mooncakes during the Mid-autumn Festival. Customs play a     5     role in festivals, but they can change over time. For example, some Chinese cities no loner allow     6     during the Spring Festival, as they can increase air pollution. However, these days, festivals are becoming more and more     7    , which results in different opinions.

Festivals are an important part of society. They    8     people’s wishes, beliefs, faiths, and     9     towards life. They are     10     that allow us to relax and enjoy life.

China is widely known for its ancient civilisation, and one of the main    1    is the Chinese writing system. The earliest written Chinese was a picture-    2    language. There were animal    3    and shells on which symbols were     4    . Later the symbols became a well-developed writing system. Over time, it developed into different forms, because the Chinese people were divided geographically at that time, leading to many    5    of dialects and characters. It was after Emperor Qinshihuang united the seven     6     states that the Chinese writing system began to develop in one    7    . Written Chinese has become an important means by which China’s present is connected with its past. People in modern times can read the     8     works which were written by Chinese in ancient times. Today, the Chinese writing system is still an important part of Chinese culture. As China plays a great role in     9    affairs, an increasing number of international students are beginning     10    China’s culture and history.

The Naadam Festival was an     1     experience to me. It     2     on the 4th day of the 6th month of the lunar calendar,     3     by 3 events: horse racing, wrestling, and archery. The games are all     4     to watch. People attend the festival wearing fancy Mongolian robes. They come from near and far. Mongolian wrestling is different from that in the Olympic Games. The     5     loses with any part of his body above his knee     6     the ground. The horse races are     7     very popular among visitors. The     8     are boys and girls. That is because children are     9     and the horses can run faster and farther. Mongolians ride horses all their lives, so horses hold an important    10     in their heart.

Customs play a     1     role in festivals, but sometimes they can change over time. With the development of modern society and the spread of new ideas, some traditions may fade     2     and others may be established. One example is the     3     Chinese Spring Festival custom of lighting firecrackers to drive away the evil spirits and celebrate the new year. Nowadays, many big cities have given up this custom in order to avoid air pollution. Another example is Halloween, which slowly became an exciting festival for children, in spite of its religious origins.

Festivals are becoming more and more     4    , with business     5     advantage of the celebrations. Online shopping websites and social     6     apps have made it much easier for the public to spend more on gifts for their loved ones. Although some believe festivals should not be commercialised, others believe the increase in spending is good for the economy and public happiness.

Festivals are an important part of society. They     7     people’s wishes,     8    ,     9    , and attitudes towards life. They are     10     that allow us to relax and enjoy life, and forget about our work for a little while. They help us understand where we came from, who we are, and what to appreciate. And if you study festivals carefully, you may be surprised to find that different cultures actually have a lot in common after all.

I usually start planning my trip home to Shanxi weeks before Spring Festival, as train tickets or     1     have to be booked as early as possible. I take great care in choosing gifts for my parents.This year, I bought a bottle of wine for my father and a     2     sweater for my mother.

Every year, the moment I get on the train, I am     3    by Shanxi accents－I know that I am heading home to my family.I don’t get to travel back to Shanxi very often, so when I get home, my parents will     4     me in on what’s been happening—who has got     5     or had children or gone away to university.It’s great to hear what everyone’s been up to.