1 . My husband and I just spent a week in Paris.    1    So the first thing we did was rent a fantastically expensive sixth-floor apartment the size of a cupboard. It was so tiny that we had to leave our suitcases in the hallway.

The place wasn’t entirely authentic, though. Unlike a normal Parisian apartment, the plumbing (水管) worked.     2    Our building even had a tiny lift with a female voice that said, “Ouverture des portes,” in perfect French. That is the only French phrase I mastered, and it’s a shame I don’t have much use for it.

Parisians are different from you and me. They never look lazy or untidy. As someone noted in this paper a couple of weeks ago, they eat great food and never gain weight.     3     French strawberries do not taste like cardboard. Instead, they explode in your mouth like little flavor bombs.

    4     On our first morning in Paris, I went around the corner to the food market to pick up some groceries. I bought a handful of perfectly ripe small strawberries and a little sweet melon. My husband and I agreed they were the best fruit we had ever eaten. But they cost $18!

In France, quality of life is much more important than efficiency.

You can tell this by cafés life. French cafés are always crowded.    5    When do these people work? The French take their 35-hour workweek seriously — so seriously that some labor unions recently struck a deal with a group of companies limiting the number of hours that independent contractors can be on call.

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. The Spring Equinox(春分), as the fourth term of the year starts on March 20     1     ends on April this year.

The Spring Equinox signals the equal     2     (long) of the day and night time. The day of the Spring Equinox is     3     the sun is directly above the equator. After the equinox, the sun moves northwards, resulting in     4     (gradual) longer day time in the Northern Hemisphere and longer night in the Southern Hemisphere.

Standing an egg upright is a popular game across the country during the Spring Equinox. It is an old custom that       5     (date) back to 4,000 years ago. People practice this tradition to celebrate the coming of spring. It     6     (believe) that if someone can make the egg stand, he will have good luck in the future.

The Spring Equinox is     7     good time to fly kites. In ancient times, people did not have good medical resources. So     8     (pray) for good health, they wrote their medical issues on paper kite. When the kite was     9     the air, people would cut off the stringy let the paper kite float away,     10     (symbolize) the flying away of diseases.

6 . The 24 solar terms were created thousands of years ago in China to guide agricultural production. They also reflect China’s rich history through the seasonal festivals, special foods, cultural ceremonies, family gatherings and even healthy living tips that correspond with each solar term.    1    

Rain Water signals the increase in rainfall and rise in temperature. With its arrival, lively spring-like scenery starts blossoming: the river water defreezes, wild geese move from south to north and trees and grass turn green again.

    2    In northern China, the spring drought is common and the precipitation of this season accounts for only 10 to 15 percent of annual average rainfall. At this time of year, farmers begin to plough their fields. It’s the right time to prepare for spring sowing when the day gets warmer.    3    

During Rain Water period, extra care is needed to deal with a returning cold spell and humidity, which is the amount of water in the air.    4    It is strongly advised not to take off the thick coats too early and to keep warm, especially the elderly and children.

The wet and humid weather during Rain Water period is considered harmful for people’s spleen and stomach according to Chinese medical practice.    5    People in Beijing often eat porridge (粥) cooked with a kind of Chinese herb medicine to resist cold and wet weather. Honey, dates and Chinese yam are also very good nourishment (营养) to put in the porridge.

8 . During the Lantern Festival, long lines of customers are waiting outside Daoxiangcun stores in the capital city Beijing. "I feel I'm missing something     1     I don't eat yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival. Getting up early in the morning,     2     (put) on warm clothes and waiting in a long line outside a Daoxiangcun store to buy newly-made yuanxiao is a sort of private ceremony for me and ensures I will have another sweet year." Dong Shanshan,    3     35-year-old Beijinger said. For many people like Dong, eating Daoxiangcun, yuanxiao     4     (be) an essential Lantern Festival tradition.

The Beijing Daoxiangcun Food Company,     5     owns the brand and stores, recently staged an event to mark the official launch of yuanxiao being made at some of its     6     (factory). Shi Yan, the company's representative manager, said, “All     7     (we) yuanxiao are handmade, because it is the only way to maintain the traditional flavor.”

    8     (meet) local demand, the company will demonstrate how yuanxiao are made at some of its stores in Beijing. "This will     9     (hopeful) bring a festive atmosphere to the city and its residents," Shi said. "Young people can learn how the traditional food is made and the culture surrounding this food can     10     (carry) forward and expanded.^”

Shennongjia is a household name in China because it’s the home of the legendary “wild man”. Its folk tale spans the generations.

Between 1976 and 1981, the Chinese Academy of Sciences organized three large scale     1       (science) investigations. They have collected hair, footprints and waste suspected of belonging     2     a “wild man”, but some experts argue that most were the result of bears, monkeys or even human beings. They failed     3     (uncover) the myth of “wild man”, but discovered the area’s rich biodiversity. Although several hundred people have claimed     4     (they) as eyewitnesses of some giant apelike creatures in Shennongjia, there is no tangible evidence to confirm the     5     (exist) of a “wild man”.

Nowadays, Shennongjia’s attraction is not merely about “wild man”. Its appeal     6     (be) more about its lively ecology, rich biodiversity and karst landforms. Shennongjia’s beauty varies over the year as nature     7     (take) its course. Tourists can enjoy flower blossoms in spring, be shaded from the summer heat, appreciate red leaves in autumn     8     go skiing in winter.

The “wild man” legend has been passed on for generations by word-of- mouth. In 2016, the legend of "wild man" in Shennongjia     9     (add) to Hubei province’s intangible cultural heritage list. Today, tourists can visit Wild Man Cave,     10     eyewitnesses claimed that they spotted the creatures, and see “wild man” sculptures.

People say that the real culture of Beijing exists     1     the culture of hutong and siheyuan. The hutongs     2     (locate) in Beijing are formed by lanes of siheyuan, which is a type of residence in     3     houses are purposely built to form squares or rectangles.

In the mid 20th century, several hutongs in Beijing were torn down to pave the way for the     4     (develop) of the city. However, since then, thanks to efforts designed to safeguard this     5     (significance) aspect of the Chinese architectural culture, many hutongs     6     (preserve).

Because of the interlacement (交织) of the lanes, every house is connected to the other, making     7     easy for local people to keep in touch with their neighbors.     8    , once one enters any of them, one can feel the deep and warm relationships among people, which is rarely found in this modern world.

Gossiping in these lanes     9     (be) a common scene as it is the main way for people     10     (strong) their relationship. Where there is such a lane, there is a story.