The Dragon Boat Festival is a     1     (tradition) holiday that commemorates(纪念) the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan.

It is a day when many people eat zongzi and race dragon boats. In ancient China, the festival     2     (celebrate) as "Poets' Day" in honor of Qu Yuan,     3     was known as China's first poet.

It is     4     (common) believed that the local people began     5     tradition of throwing sacrificial(用于祭献的) cooked rice into the river for Qu Yuan, while others hoped that the rice would prevent Qu Yuan's body from being eaten by the fishes in the river. At first, the locals decided     6     (make) zongzi in the hope that it would sink into the river and reach Qu Yuan's body. However, the tradition of wrapping the rice in bamboo     7     (leaf) to make zongzi began the following year.

Dragon boats, usually made of wood with various designs and sizes, are human-powered boats. They often have brightly decorated designs that range from 40 feet in length     8     100 feet, with the front end shaped like the dragon's head with an open mouth, and the back end the scaly(有鳞屑的) tail. The boat can have up to 80 rowers(划船者) to power the boat,     9     (depend) on the length. A sacred ceremony is performed before any competition in order to "bring the boat to life," by painting the eyes. The first team to gain the flag at the end of the course     10     (win) the race.

A festival for the dead is held once a year in Japan. This is a traditional festival in Japan and many     1    (celebrate) are held. This festival is a cheerful occasion. On this day, the dead     2    (be) said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living. As they are expected to be     3    (hunger) after their long journey, food is laid out for them. Lanterns     4    (make) specially are hung outside each house     5    (help) the dead to find their way. All night long, people dance and sing. In the early morning, the food that has been laid out for the dead is     6    (throw) into a river or into the sea as it is considered unlucky for anyone living to eat it. In towns     7     are near the sea, the small lanterns hung in the streets the night before are placed into the water when the festival is over. Thousands of lanterns slowly drift (漂) out to sea     8    (guide) the dead on their return journey to the other world. At     9     same time, crowds of people stand on the shore watching the lanterns drifting away     10     they can be seen no more.

The exhibition“From Shang to Qing:   Chinese Art Through the Ages”    1    (hold) by the Richfield Museum of Fine Art. It aims     2    (display) the Chinese artistic genius from ancient times. The highlight of this exhibition is the painting Clearing After Snow on a Mountain Pass,     3     was created by Tang Yin.     4     (being) 500 years old, the painting looks as fresh as the day it was created. Also     5     (include)in the exhibition are some bronze objects from the Shang Dynasty and many fine examples of Tang Dynasty     6     (sculpture). With trade     7     (boom) and Buddhism expanding, works influenced by Buddhism are     8     exceptional beauty and quality. The exhibition     9     (run) until November 25. The opening hours are from 9: 00 a. m. to 5: 00 p. m.   from Tuesday to Sunday. No photos     10    (allow) in the museum.

It is clear that April Fool's Day is one of most widely    1    (recognize) holidays in the Western world. Children play tricks on parents and many people    2    (fool).How did April Fool's Day begin, and how did it become an international phenomenon? Nobody    3     (real) knows.

There are quite a few historians who believe that the origin of April Fool's Day started much    4    (early) than 1852. Some have also connected April Fool's Day with festivals such as Hilaria,    5    was celebrated in ancient Rome. During the festival, people dressed up in disguise at the end of March. It's hard to say    6    this festival's similarity to modern April Fool's Day is    7     accident or not, as the first mention of April Fool's Day didn't appear until several hundred years later.

April Fool’s Day spread throughout Britain during the 18^th century. In Scotland, the tradition    8    (become) a two-day event long ago,    9    (statrt) with “hunting the gowk”(gowk is a word for cuckoo birds,a symbol for fools). People play tricks on others,such as sending others to do fake things and     10    (stick)“kick me”signs on the back of others.

Over 2,200 years ago, Emperor Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor in Chinese history, established the official Chinese writing characters. The new, simplified characters made writing calligraphy less     1     (complicate). It allowed people to use characters with more straight strokes, thus     2     (make) it easier to write with brushes. This     3     (create) the Li genre(体裁). Over time, other variations were also developed,     4     eventually led to the formation of the five genres in Chinese calligraphy. As     5     result, calligraphy became     6     (wide) accepted. Calligraphy also had its practical values because it was a good way to make friends and was more presentable as a gift rather than jewellery or money. Does calligraphy still have these practical functions now? Yes. Many people practise calligraphy as a way     7     (raise) their cultural accomplishment. Older people use calligraphic writing as a method to keep fit. They believe that when a person concentrates on     8     (write)calligraphy, his inner well-being is inspired. I had thought computers would lead to the     9     (disappear)of Chinese calligraphy Now I understand that’s not likely to happen. How can you give your boss computer-printed calligraphy as a gift? You don’t     10     you want him to fire you!

Today’s festivals have a wide     1     of origins, including the seasons of the year, famous     2    , important events, and religions. The     3     festival is one of the most popular festivals and is celebrated in many cultures. Customs play a     4     role in festivals,   but they can change over time. For example, many Chinese cities no longer allow     5     during the Spring Festival, as they can increase air pollution. These days, festivals are becoming more     6    , with people spending more money on gifts. Festivals    7     people’s wishes, beliefs, faiths, and attitudes towards life. People are     8     to spend time with family, and to relax and enjoy life.