1 . Stargazing Festivals in 2023

As more areas grow brighter with light pollution, national parks across the country have become dark-sky havens. Over the years, they are making a push to get certified as havens for sky-watching by the International Dark Sky Association, and they even host events like stargazing festivals to get travelers excited about astronomy.

·Bryce Canyon National Park—June 14-17

Situated in southern Utah, Bryce Canyon earned its dark-sky title in 2019. The 35,835-acre park is an ideal place to stay up late. This year, its annual astronomy festival includes guided stargazing sessions, lectures and “star stories” presentations, family-friendly activities, and even a performance by strings musicians in the northern Arizona-based Dark Sky Quartet.

·Shenandoah National Park—August 11-13

Conveniently located within a day’s drive from two-thirds of Americans, Shenandoah National Park’s night sky festival is a low-lift way to dabble in astronomy. The nearly 200,000-acre park will host ranger talks, public stargazing sessions, lectures, presentations, and activities for kids. Staffers are still working on this year’s full schedule, but past events have covered topics ranging from space weather to nocturnal(夜间的) creatures.

·Great Basin National Park—September 14-16

Great Basin is one of the least crowded national parks, making it the perfect place to quietly appreciate the mysteries of the cosmos. Its annual astronomy festival is scheduled for this fall and includes guest speakers, constellation talks, observatory tours, and a photography workshop. During the festival’s unique “Art in the Dark” program, participants will get to paint in low-light conditions and experiment with how their eyes perceive color.

·Joshua Tree National Park—October 13-14

Joshua Tree National Park, as the International Dark Sky Association notes, is the “nearest convenient place to go stargazing under a relatively dark sky” for the 18 million people who live in the Los Angeles area. It became an official dark sky park in 2017, and each year, it hosts a night sky festival in the fall. As luck would have it, this year’s dates overlap with an annular “ring of fire” solar eclipse. From Joshua Tree, the moon will appear to obscure between 70 and 80 percent of the sun.

2 . Cultural heritage is an essential part of our identity, history and traditions. It includes buildings, monuments, artworks, books, music and other artefacts.    1    . However, the preservation of cultural heritage is not always guaranteed, and many valuable pieces have been lost or destroyed over time.

So, what can we do to protect our cultural heritage? The first step is to raise awareness about its importance. People need to understand that cultural heritage is not just a collection of old things.     2    . We should appreciate and respect it, and encourage others to do so as well.

Another way to protect cultural heritage is through legislation.     3    . They can also provide funding for restoration and maintenance projects, and impose penalties on those who damage or destroy cultural heritage.

Education plays a crucial role in preserving cultural heritage. Schools and universities can teach students about the value of cultural heritage and how to care for it     4    .

Technology can be a useful tool in protecting cultural heritage. Digitization allows us to preserve and share cultural artefacts with a wider audience, while also reducing the risk of damage or loss. Virtual reality can also be used to recreate historical sites and buildings, allowing people to experience them in a new and immersive way.

    5    . By raising awareness, establishing laws, educating people and using technology, we can ensure that our cultural heritage is preserved for future generations to enjoy and appreciate.

The Water-Splashing Festival (泼水节) is a traditional festival for the Dai people in Yunnan Province. Held during the sixth month of the Dai calendar, it usually     1     (last) three or four days.

During the festival, the door of every house     2     (decorate) with multicolored pieces of paper. All the villagers are dressed in their holiday clothing. Sheep and cows are killed for feasting. The occasion is marked by a variety of entertainment, including singing and dancing, fireworks displays, boat racing, exhibiting Kongming lanterns,     3     (parade) and fairs.

Water splashing is     4     (centre) to all events because water, the symbol of goodness     5     purity, is the most precious thing to the Dai. During the festival, men and women gather in public squares, armed with buckets of water or     6     (carry) water guns to wet each other in wishes for good luck and a happy new year. At night, music     7     (accompany) by drumbeats echoes throughout the villages, and people sing and dance to enjoy     8     (they).

The festival exhibits the Dai’s respect for water and the culture of music and dance, food and costumes. It is also a cultural bridge     9     Yunnan province and Southeast Asian countries     10     share the same festive culture of water-splashing.

The Beijing Central Axis(中轴线) has taken one more step ahead to become     1     UNESCO(联合国教科文组织) World Heritage Site,     2     will be part of China’s 2024 application project.

The Beijing Central Axis, seen as one of the most important     3     (represent) of Chinese civilization, refers to the core area of the ancient capital city that     4     (stretch) 7.8 kilometres from the Yongding Gate in the south         5     the Bell Tower and Drum Tower in the north. This area tells stories of emperors from the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)     6     records the lives of both popular figures and common people.

    7     (vary) methods to advance the application have been used, including digital technologies. For instance, visitors can travel through time and space     8     (free), moving between the past and the present, and learn about 14 cultural heritage sites along the Central Axis by using a newly-launched mobile application.

When talking about the decision, Li Zhou, vice president of the Chinese Commission for the International Council on Monuments and Sites, told Global Times that members     9     (join) in the application work felt pressed for time, as there were still many preparations waiting     10     (complete).

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

A new adaptation of Chinese mythological stories has won the heart of audiences with its distinctive style. The animation series, Yao—Chinese Folktales,     1     (gain) more than 110 million views online since it was released.

The series, co-produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio and Bilibili, is     2     collection of 20-minute short films, consisting of eight separate stories     3     (feature) monster-like characters, or yao in Chinese. The collection,     4     ranges from ancient stories to science fiction, from emotional connection with hometowns to romantic love     5     from life themes to questions for humanity, presents Chinese culture and philosophy. For example, the first episode, named “Nobody”, tells a pig monster’s story     6     (base) on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. The creative team put the perspective on the little monsters who used to have blurry faces and didn’t even have names in the story.

Li Zao, general producer, said it was impossible     7     (predict) what the eventual outcome would be at first. Now, the     8     (favor) comments exceeded the expectations of the creative team. These contained both the audience’s     9     (recognize) of the work and their hopes of Chinese animation. Besides adapting     10     the taste of the masses, the team also wanted to guide them to appreciate different types of work.