2 . The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms (节气). Cold Dew (寒露), the 17th solar term of the year, begins this year on Oct. 8 and ends on Oct. 23. At this time, the dew is greater and colder and there will be less rain. Autumn crops will be ripe. Here are three things you should know about Cold Dew.

Foggy autumn

Temperatures drop significantly in October. When the cold air encounters autumn rain, the abundant water vapor in the air soon reaches saturation (饱和状态), and then it turns into fog. When the humidity is high, there will be foggy regions formed in many areas of China.

Season for fishing

People always say that fishing in shallow water in autumn makes sense. That’s because during the Cold Dew period, temperatures decrease quickly and sunshine doesn’t reach deep water thoroughly. Fish swim to shallow water areas where the water temperature is relatively high.

Season for drinking chrysanthemum (菊花) wine

Chrysanthemum is the iconic flower of Cold Dew. To prevent autumn dryness, many regions in China have the custom of drinking chrysanthemum wine. This is a tradition of the Double Ninth Festival, which often falls around Cold Dew. According to ancient records, drinking wine made with chrysanthemums, poria cocos mushroom and pine oleoresin grants (给予) people long-lasting youth.

Anyone who has an interest in Dunhuang will have heard of Fan Jinshi. The Chinese archaeologist     1     has spent more than half a century researching and preserving the caves at the heart of the ancient Silk Road in Gansu Province     2     (know) as the “Daughter of Dunhuang” in her field, though “protector is probably a more fitting     3     (describe).

Fan has been studying the historical site since the early 1960s, first as an archaeology undergraduate from Peking University, then as a conservationist when she     4     (become) the deputy director of the Dunhunag Research Academy in 1984, which serves to prevent the ancient site from     5     (destroy).

“It is over a thousand years old. It is an old person, an     6     (extreme) weak old person. It has     7     (variety) illness. If you are a little careless, it could be gone. Gone forever,” Fan says.

Today, thanks     8     the work of great archaeologists such as Fan, Dunhuang is proud of the world’s largest and best-reserved collection of Buddhist relics     9     (date) from the fifth to the 13th centuries. The main Mogao site is made up of 735 caves spread across a 1,700.metre-wide cliff face, containing 45,000 square metres of murals (壁画)     10     more than 2,000 colorful sculptures (雕塑).

7 . Edinburgh is the world’s “festival city”. The city holds 12 festivals throughout the year, half of which are celebrated during the months of July and August. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the Scottish(苏格兰的)capital during that time. Here are some of the events they can enjoy.

The Edinburgh International Festival

This is the original(最初的)Edinburgh festival, which began in 1947. Actors, musicians, dancers and opera singers from all over the world perform for large audiences(观众). You need tickets for most of the festival’s events, which take place in theaters around the city.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe

This is the largest art festival in the world, with thousands of performances. Anyone can perform at the festival. Over 20,000 artists can take part. Go to the Royal Mile, one of Edinburgh’s main streets, to watch performers such as magicians, acrobats(杂技演员)and comedians. However, it can get very busy, as thousands of tourists and local(当地的)people fill the city streets to enjoy the shows.

The Edinburgh International Book Festival

The largest book festival in the world began in 1983 and takes place every year in Charlotte Square Gardens in the center of Edinburgh. There are over 700 events for children and adults. You can meet many authors, talk to them, ask them to sign a book or listen to them talk about their stories.

The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

Music lovers come to this festival to enjoy musical performances all over the city. Artists perform street theater, dance and circus(马戏)shows in amazing costumes(戏装). Everyone can enjoy the music and dance performances.

Jingxi Taiping Drum is a traditional form of dancing. With its display of profound cultural elements, it     1     (include) in the first batch(批次) of China’s national intangible cultural heritage(非物质文化遗产)items in 2006.

The     2    (early) historical references of this art date back to the Spring and Autumn Period. At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, it started to gain     3     (popular) in and around the capital, and then it was introduced to Mentougou District of Beijing.

In ancient times, the drums were played     4     New Year’s Eve at the imperial palace to bring peace. As a result, the performance also became known as the “New Year Drum” by Beijingers. This type of drum dance is     5    (common) seen performed during the last and first month of the lunar year in many local festive activities, thus     6     (express) people’s hope of     7     peaceful and prosperous year to come.

During a given performance, drummers perform various dance moves while     8    (hold ) the drum in their left hands and a mallet in their right hands. Traditional Chinese aesthetic (美学的) concepts are reflected in the drum playing, all of     9     represent distinctive local features.

In the past decades, efforts have been made by Mentougou District to preserve this signature folk dance culture. Today, the time-honored folk art of the Jingxi Taiping Drum is being taken up by the young people     10     is presenting its lively artistic charm on a global stage.

Finding and keeping the right balance between progress and the    1    (protect) of cultural sites can be a big challenge. Big challenges, however, can sometimes lead    2     great solutions. In the 1950s, the Egyptian government wanted to build     3     new dam across the Nile in order     4     (control) floods, produce electricity, and supply water to more       5     (farmer) in the area. But the proposal led to protests       6    water from the dam would likely damage a number of temples and destroy cultural relics. After     7     (listen) to the scientists     8     had studied the problem, and citizens who lived near the dam, the government turned to the United Nations for help in 1959.

A committee     9     (establish) to limit damage to the Egyptian buildings and prevent the loss of cultural relics. Finally, the work began in 1960.

When the project ended in 1980, it was considered a great success. Not only had the countries found a path to the future that did not run over the relics of the past, but they had also learnt that it was possible for countries to work together to build a    10     (good) tomorrow.