The “Gazing at Sanxingdui: New Archaeological Discoveries in Sichuan” exhibition will be hosted from September, 2023, to January, 2024 in Hong Kong. This event offers     1    unique chance to view precious relics from the Sanxingdui Ruins Site. The exhibition showcases 120 cultural relics, including 23 of China’s top-tier treasures, with many items     2     (display) outside Sichuan Province for the first time.

Highlighting recent findings from the Sanxingdui Ruins Site, the exhibition presents rare and significant artifacts such as bronze, jade, gold, and pottery items, dating back 2,600 to 4,500 years.     3     (striking) almost half of the exhibits were unearthed between 2020 and 2022,     4     (feature) bronze heads, dragon-shaped objects, and a hybrid tiger-dragon statue—a testament to the     5     (achievement) of the ancient Shu civilization.

The exhibition    6    (divide) into four sections: Timeless Gazes, Urban Life at Sanxingdui, Gods and Shamans at Sanxingdui, and The Origin and Inheritance of Sanxingdui to demonstrate the Sanxingdui Ruins Site’s origins and legacies, Sanxingdui culture, and other archaeological discoveries in other areas of Sichuan Province.

The exhibition was     7     (impress), shedding light on a lesser-known aspect of history. Dr. Louis, Director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, has high hopes     8     this exhibition will attract a diverse global audience, inspiring them    9     (explore) the formation and evolution of Chinese civilization, and to recognize the remarkable contributions    10     has made to global civilization as a whole.

On an early autumn morning, Shi Hui, a photographer from Chongqing, arrived at an exhibition area     1     (locate) in a former diesel engine(柴油机) factory in Pingyao Shanxi Province.

As a teacher at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. Shi has been to the ancient city on 10 occasions     2     (participate) in the Pingyao International Photography Festival (PIP).

The 22nd PIP Festival kicked     3     on September 19 in the UNESCO world     4     (culture)heritage site known for its well preserved ancient architecture. Under the theme of “A world of light and shadow, for a bright shared future”, this year’s week-long festival attracted some 12, 000     5     (entry) from 1, 200 photographers from 28 countries and regions.

Launched in 2001, the annual festival has featured photographers from more than 100 countries and regions and     6     (consider) an important platform for cross- cultural communication.

With     7     help of modern light and shadow technology, Pingyao has     8     (rapid)built up a reputation and influence at home and abroad.

    9     the festival goes global, it has injected(注入) fresh energy into Pingyao’s development and led to a great change. Pingyao’s openness has led to a new life.

With     10     (improve) in the general condition, its residents now live more conveniently.

As the temperature continues to drop, the golden autumn seems to be coming to an end, indicating the     1    (arrive) of the Cold Dew period. Cold Dew, known as “Hanlu” in Chinese,    2     (fall) on October 8 and ends on October 23 this year.

During Cold Dew, temperatures drop     3    (significant) and the sun cannot reach the deep waters thoroughly. Therefore, fish swim in shallow waters,     4    the water temperature is relatively high, making Cold Dew the best season to cast a net or throw a line.

Chrysanthemums (菊花) are the symbolic flower of Cold Dew.     5    (prevent) autumn dryness, many regions in China have the custom of drinking chrysanthemum wine. In ancient times, drinking wine made with chrysanthemums    6    (think) to allow people long-lasting youth.

Other traditions to mark the season include hiking and climbing. With maple (枫树) leaves     7     (turn) red, the splendour of color welcomes nature lovers. On the day of the Double Ninth Festival, which often is around Cold Dew, people often climb hills with cornels (茱萸),    8     kind of plant. This custom, dating    9    the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220), aims to drive bad things away.

Cold Dew allows us to say goodbye to golden autumn with delicate design, and also gives us a chance to know     10     (much) about the culture behind the solar terms.

This is a story about how a foreigner got confused about a Mexican word even though she could speak     1     Spanish. It happened when she     2     foot on Mexican soil for the first time. She asked an ice-cream seller for an ice-cream, and he said “ahorita.” She thought it would be     3     immediately because the word can be directly translated to “right now.” But she waited for half an hour and still no ice-cream came. When she asked the seller about it, he said “ahorita” again, with his face showing     4    . She felt     5     between waiting and walking away. Finally, she had to go home, so she     6     to the seller that she could not wait any longer. Years later back in Mexico, she came to realise that the meaning of “ahorita” changes according to its     7    . It could mean “tomorrow,” “within five years,” “never,” or even “no, thanks” when one wants to refuse an     8    . “Ahorita Time” is a     9     of different cultural understandings of time. That is, understanding “ahorita” takes not a fluency in the language, but a fluency in the    10    .

8 . Traveling to every part of the world gets easier, but how well do we know and understand each other? Here is a simple test. Imagine you are planning to hold a meeting at four o’clock. What time should you expect your foreign business friends to arrive? If they are Germans, they’ll arrive on time. If they are Americans, they’ll probably be 15 minutes early. If they are British, they’ll be 15 minutes late, and you should allow up to an hour for the Italians.

The British seemed to think since the English language is widely used in the world, and people would always understand what they do. However, they found they were completely wrong. For example, the Englishmen are happy to have a business lunch and discuss business matters and have a drink during the meal. The Japanese prefer not to work while eating. Lunch is a time for them to relax and get to know each other and they don’t drink at lunchtime. The Germans like to talk business before dinner. The French like to eat first and talk afterwards. They have to be well fed and watered before they discuss anything.

Around 160 experts attended the International Forum on Cave Temple Conservation in Chongqing     1     August 19 to 21 to explore opportunities for cooperation and methods to protect rock carvings in cave temples around the world.

The carvings run the risk of damage over time as a result of weathering and climate change. Li Qun, director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration,     2    (say) in the opening ceremony that Chinese cave temples displayed remarkable characteristics in terms of their subject matter, and artistic style, which reflected the     3    (peace) nature of Chinese civilization.

The Chongqing forum was held to improve the preservation of cave temples and uncover their value and historical significance,     4    (contribute) to the preservation of humanity’s intellectual achievements.

Experts agreed     5    (promote) the protection of cave temples in light of global climate change, develop new materials, build early warning systems, and create a global database of historical images,     6     they hope would help future generations appreciate their beauty.

“Water and wind are the primary factors causing damage to the cave temples and stone carvings     7    (global),” said an expert, adding that climate change had led to the increasing uncertainty     8    (cause) by natural threats. He called for in-depth     9    (study) on core factors such as water-related damage and the geological environment. Moreover, efforts should be directed toward strengthening archaeological investigations     10     exploring the values of these sites, as well as managing tourism.