The old bridge had stood for generations, connecting the two villages across the roaring river. Over time, its weathered timbers and worn stones had become a symbol of resilience, unity, and shared history. People crossed the bridge for daily activities, their footsteps echoing stories of the past. However, with modernization, plans for a new, sleek bridge were introduced to accommodate the increasing traffic and faster-paced lifestyles.

Despite the convenience the new bridge would bring, the villagers faced a dilemma. They couldn’t bear the thought of parting with the old bridge, the embodiment of their heritage. After passionate discussions, they decided to preserve the old bridge as a monument of cultural significance. The new bridge would serve as a testament to progress while the old bridge would stand as a tribute to history.

Years later, tourists from around the world marveled at the harmonious coexistence of tradition and modernity in the village. The old bridge, though retired from active use, continued to bridge the gap between generations, reminding everyone of the importance of honoring the past while embracing the future.

Shuang Jiang, or Frost’s Descent, is the last term of autumn, marking the transition from autumn to winter. Literally, Shuang Jiang refers to the time     1     frost starts to descend in China due to cold weather. In the north, with large fields     2     (do) for the season, farmers can take a break. But in the south, farmers are still busy taking sweet potatoes home before they     3     (destroy) by the coming frost. They must also protect the winter wheat and rape (油菜)     4     major pests and diseases. It is said that Frost’s Descent is the best time to adjust to a nourishing (滋补的) diet and lifestyle. Besides putting on     5     (many) clothes to keep warm, people also eat various fruits to keep healthy. Persimmon (柿子) is the favorite fruit in many areas, which not only wards off the cold,    6     strengthens the muscles and bones.

    7    (additional), honey, jelly fungus (木耳) and sesame (芝麻) are believed to help provide the necessary nutrition for the human body. For protein, chicken or mutton soup is advised to be included in the diet. With golden maple     8     (leaf) turning to red, people often go hiking in nature and enjoy the scenery during this period of time. In the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, people celebrate the Frost’s Descent Festival by     9     (offer) fruits and desserts in addition to dancing and singing folk songs on the day of Frost’s Descent in honor of Cen Yuyin, a heroine who     10     (fight) against foreign aggression in the Ming Dynasty.

With just five weeks before King Charles Ⅲ’s coronation (加冕典礼), workers at Duchess China (瓷器) Factory in the central England city of Stoke-on-Trent     1     (be) busy producing “God Save The King” china teacups and plates     2     (meet) the expected demand for the historic event.

“Duchess China Factory,     3     started producing china tableware in 1888, has struggled in recent years. But this year we’ve received many orders from many countries, including New Zealand, Canada, Australia     4     America,” said Jason Simms, the company’s managing director. “We hope that the coronation will help us to sell our royal souvenirs across the globe.”

The teacups and plates for King Charles Ⅲ’s coronation feature the Union Jack (国旗)     5     (color) of red, white and blue and they are decorated     6     the words “God Save the King”. The chief     7     (design) said he was inspired by the tableware     8     (produce) in the 1930s for the coronation of King George Ⅵ,     9     (Charles) grandfather.

When Charles is crowned at London’s Westminster Abbey on May 6, the ceremony will be the UK’s first coronation since his mother, Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ,     10     (become) queen almost 70 years ago.

A picture-book series of the hit animated (动画) work, Yao—Chinese Folktales,     1     (launch) last Friday, the first day of the Shanghai International Film Festival.

The collector’s edition for adults and teenagers included all the eight stories     2     (present) in the animation, which combines     3     (tradition) methods with updated computer graphics technology. The eight-episode (集) Chinese fantasy, with the characters     4     (involve) various monsters inspired by ancient legends, mythology and folklore, tells universal stories about human nature and reflects on past and future, childhood and adulthood, life and society.

The animated work has got 270 million     5     (click) on video sharing and streaming site Bilibili since     6     (it) release in early January. There are also additional elements,     7     remind the audience of classic animations created by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, another     8     (produce) of the work, which have nourished their childhood, such as Uproar in Heaven, Mr. Black and Calabash Brothers.

Another picture book series of the animation, intended     9     children and parents, has also been published recently, while the other two parts—the production note     10     a pop-up book of the animation will be released later this year.

On September 17, 2023, the Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er     1    (gain) World Heritage Site stams, becoming a new Chinese entry on that list. This means that it has been recognized     2     an importunt place of cultural signilicance.

    3    (locate) about 1,500 meters above the weu tevel, the heritage site in Pu ‘er, Yunnan province contains five large-scale, well-preserved old tea forests. It is the first World Heritage Site with the theme of tea. It was     4     (joint) created by ancestors of Blang people,     5     immigrated toJingmai Mountain in the tenth century, and by the ancestors of Dai people. Their    6     (contribution) have turned it into     7     unique and beautiful place that we see today.     8     (ensure) lastingly inherited (继承) outstanding universal values of the old tea forests, China will better guide local communities to join in protection and regulate tourism. It will also advance international cooperation     9     cultural exchanges in the World Herilage circle. The heritage site presents the ecological wisdom that can be inspiring for     10     (sustain) development of the world today.

7 . After losing an important deal in India, a business negotiator learned that her counterpart (对方) felt as if she had been rushing through the talks. The business negotiator thought she was being efficient with their time. Their cultures have different views on how to conduct negotiations, and in this case, the barrier prevented a successful outcome.

Research shows that deal-making across cultures tends to lead to worse outcomes as compared with negotiations conducted within the same culture. As we know, cultures are characterized by different behaviors, communication styles and norms (准则). Consequently, when negotiating across cultures, we bring different views to the bargaining table, which in turn may result in potential misunderstandings that can lead to a lower likelihood of discovering value-creating solutions.

Cultural conflict in negotiations is linked with the fact that we, at most times, interpret others’ behaviors, values, and beliefs through the lens (透镜) of our own culture. To overcome this, it is important to rescarch the customs and behaviors of different cultures as well as understand why people follow these customs and exhibit these behaviors in the first place.

Just as important, not only do countries have unique cultures, but teams and organizations do too. Before partaking in any negotiation, take the time to study the context and the person on the other side of the bargaining table, including the various cultures to which he belongs, whether the culture of his culture, the culture of engineering, or his particular company’s corporate culture. The more you know about the client, the better off you’ll do in any negotiation.

Therefore, we see the negotiator has learned her Indian counterpart would have appreciated a slower pace with more opportunities for relationship building. She seems to have run into the issue: Using time efficiently in the course of negotiations is generally valued in the United States, but in India, there’s often a greater focus on building relationships early in the process. By doing research on the clients’ cultures, they can adjust their negotiation method and give themselves a better chance of creating a valuable negotiation experience for both themselves and their counterpart.

In Yimeng area of east China — situated Shandong Province, colorful clay whistles,     1     used to be the most popular toys for local children, are regaining attention as     2     typical symbol of local folk culture.

In the memory of many local people,traditional Yimeng clay whistles had simple and exaggerated style, ingenious appearance and bright color and     3     (wear)around necks of children with threads of five colors including red, yellow, blue, white and black     4     (pray) for good luck.

In Chuzhuang village in Linyi City of southeastern Shandong, clay whistles making boasts a history of more than 340 years. In the past, clay whistles made in Chuzhuang were once sold to provinces of Jiangsu and Hebei,     5     (provide) a major source of income for local villagers.

Similar     6     other folk arts in Shandong, color of clay whistles made in Chuzhuang is characterized by brightness, clarity and elegance. By combining     7     (common)used colors such as magenta, pink green, brownish yellow, sapphire blue and eggplant purple with black, the originally completely different colors become     8     (harmony).

Some of the fine Chuzhuang clay whistles     9     (collect) by many national museums andexperts around the world have won many national awards in China and are deemed as one of the important     10     (platform) for cultural exchange between China and foreign countries

To mark the 14th International Chinese Language Day, which falls     1     April 20, Cape Town in South Africa witnessed the opening of a special exhibition: The Way of Type — Modernization of Chinese Typography (活版印刷). By    2     (show) the development of fonts (字体), the exhibition gave visitors an overview of the modern development of Chinese characters.

The 2023 Chinese Language Day     3     (celebrate) under the theme of “Chinese Wisdom for a Green World” by the UN. Separate     4     (activity) included the school Chinese calligraphy event held at the Confucius Institute at the University of Johannesburg in Johannesburg South Africa,    5     folk music performances held in Vienna, Austria, which aided people     6     (have) a better understanding of the role of China’s traditional culture in today’s modern world.

Statistics show that so far over 180 countries and regions around the world have Chinese language teaching programs, eighty-two of which have included Chinese language learning into their     7     (nation) education system, such as the United Arab Emirates, an Arab country     8     the Chinese language is taught in about 60 schools.

“Academically speaking, the relationship between China and the Arab world has always been a hot topic. In     9     past few decades, the trend of mutual language learning between China and Arab countries has improved     10     (great),” said Xue Qingguo, an Arabic studies professor at the Beijing Foreign Studies University.

10 . Four European Festivals You Don’t Want to Miss in 2023

Festival Medieval (中世纪的) de Sedan

For an unforgettable slice of Medieval France, head to Festival Medieval de Sedan in May. Held at the largest medieval castle in Europe, the Chateau de Sedan, the festival brings the spirit of the Middle Ages alive. Exciting tournaments and atmospheric parades take place around the castle grounds. Around 15,000 people come to explore the castle. Just be prepared to climb a lot of stairs!

La Fete de la Musique

There’s music in the air throughout France on 21 June. This is when La Fete de la Musique (Music Day) takes place. The first all-day musical celebration was first held in Paris in 1982 but later became celebrated in 120 countries around the world. During the festival, thousands of musicians gather in the streets, bars, and cafes giving free public performances.

Festival d’ Avignon

Another fantastic French festival not to miss is the Festival d’ Avignon. The annual theater festival is held in July in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes in Avignon. During this time, Avignon transforms its architectural heritage into various grand performance venues. Tens of thousands of theater lovers of all ages come to enjoy theatre, dance, visual arts, and live music.

Bastille Day

Celebrated nationwide on 14 July, Bastille Day is the biggest and most important festival in the French calendar. It marks the day that Parisian civilians and peasants stormed the fortress (堡垒) and prison of Bastille. This caused events that would end the monarchy (君主制) and start the age of liberty and equality. Celebrations are held all over France, including large-scale public events and parties.