Porcelain, also called fine china,     1     (feature) its delicate texture, pleasing color, and refined sculpture, has been one of the     2     (good) artworks introduced to the Western world through the Silk Road. The earliest one     3     (find) made of Kaolin (高岭土) in the Shang Dynasty, and possessed the common aspects of the unaffected quality and the     4     (smooth), while pottery wares (陶器) were more widely used among most of the ordinary people. Anyway it was the beginning. In the following dynasties, due to its durability and shine, porcelain rapidly became     5     necessity in daily life,     6     (especial) in the middle and upper class. It was made     7     the form of all kinds of items, such as bowls, cups, tea sets, vases, jewel cases, musical instruments and boxes, as well as pillows for traditional doctors to feel one’s pulse.

Through the     8     (develop) of over 4000 years, now it is still a brilliant kind of art that attracts thousands of people. The Porcelain Capital, Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province,     9     has been praised for thousands of years, will be certain     10     (satisfy) your appetite for beauty.

2 . Why did Chinese people have more than one name in ancient times?

In ancient China, people’s names had three parts, their family name, given name and courtesy name. Take famous poet Li Bai for example. His family name, which came from his father’s name, was Li. His given name was Bai, and his courtesy name was Taibai.

People used their given names when they were among family members. But in social life, they called each other by their courtesy names to show respect. This was mostly done among people of similar ages. If you were talking about yourself, or if your elders were talking about you, the given name would be used instead of the courtesy name.

Men would get their courtesy names when they turned 20. It was a symbol of adulthood (成年礼). Women would get their courtesy names after getting married.

One’s courtesy name often had something to do with one’s given name. For example, the name of Mencius was Meng Ke. His courtesy name was Ziyu. Both Ke and Ziyu mean “carriage (马车)”. Zhuge Liang’s given name was Liang, which means “bright”. His courtesy name was Kongming, which means “very bright”.

6 . When we visit museums, we see cultural artifacts—from everyday household items to precious carvings and statues, which give us glimpses into the diverse cultures and communities from around the world. _______ , controversy surrounds these artifacts and whether or not countries should return these pieces of culture if they were stolen or forcefully taken during colonization.

On Wednesday, October 7, 2020, the Dutch advisory committee officially released a national report _______ to the return of cultural artifacts that were stolen from its previous colonies such as Indonesia, Suriname, and islands on the Caribbean. Through these actions, the Dutch government acknowledges the unfair treatment the colonies had previously experienced and _______ respect for the culture of these countries.

Let’s look at the issue and the two sides of the _______ .

Stolen Artifacts

By the 18th and 19th centuries, European countries had colonized many African and Asian countries. During their _______ , they either seized artifacts or took them as spoils of wars, and brought them to their own countries where they are now displayed in museums.

In 2017, the Government of Benin in West Africa negotiated with the British Museum in London to return their renowned Benin Bronzes, a collection of thousands of metal sculptures and plaques, which were _______ hung in the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin.

The debate regarding this issue _______ in 2018 when under President Emmanuel Macron, a report was released that directed that all heritage objects brought to French museums (without the permission of their original countries) be restored. With the official release of this report, museums all across Europe began to _______ their previous policies on colonial treasures.

In France, twenty-seven artifacts had been identified for restoration, but only one—a traditional sword belonging to Senegal, has been _______ . Then, on Tuesday, October 6, 2020, France’s National Assembly officially passed a bill __________ the return of these heritage artifacts, twenty-six of which alone belonged to Benin, but didn’t arrange a certain date.

The Debate

Those who propose returning these objects to their original homes __________ that with technology enabling virtual museum tours, returning these artifacts to their homeland does not take away the opportunity to learn about them. __________ , the country of origin will receive a significant part of their heritage back, and these artifacts will be given a chance to be truly appreciated under proper historical context.

Those against the restoration claim that culture is a __________ treasure and the artifacts are in fact “cultural ambassadors” that promote tolerance and understanding. They believe that while stealing them was __________ , history is full of “good” and “bad” actors. Moreover, they feel that keeping the cultural objects in the current museums have kept millions of artifacts __________ disfiguration and damage.

9 . Specialists(专家) say that it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. “Culture shock(文化冲击)” is the _______ these specialists use when talking about the _______ that people have in a _______ environment. “There are three stages of culture shock”, say the specialists. In the first stage, the new comers like their new environment. Then, when the _______ experience dies, they begin to _______ the city, the country, the people, and everything else. In the last stage, the new comers begin to adapt to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life _______ .

There are some obvious factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The _______ may be different. The public service systems—the telephone, the post office, or the transportation—may be difficult to _______. The most simple things seem to be big problems. The language may be _______ .

Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. ________ culture shock surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who ________ had any difficulties in their home countries and were ________ in their community(集体). Coming to a new ________ these people find they do not have the same established positions. They find ________ without a role, almost without an identity(身份). They have to ________ a new self-image.

Culture shock gives rise to a feeling of disorientation(迷失方向). This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people feel like staying ________ all the time. They want to ________ themselves from the strange environment, and create an escape inside their room for a(n) ________ of safety. This escape does ________ the problem of culture shock in the short term, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and ________ experience—these are the long-term solutions to the problem of culture shock.

10 . The Lantern Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month. And it falls on Tuesday this year.    1    The day leads to the first full moon night of the year, and is also the night when the earth returns to spring.

It was also a romantic festival in ancient China, providing an opportunity for unmarried men and women to meet.    2    But during the Lantern Festival, it is a tradition that all people? including those young women，come out for lantern shows. People hang lanterns everywhere, in their house or in the streets, which depict various characters, like flying birds, leaping fishes, and shining fireworks, showing an atmosphere of joy.    3    .

Another activity，guessing the answers to lantern riddles，gave young people a chance to interact with each other and know more about each other. For thousands of years, there have been numerous love stories originating during the Lantern Festival.

Besides watching lanterns and guessing the answers to lantern riddles，there are many other traditions for the festival.

1. Dragon lantern dance

    4    At the festival, people perform dragon lantern dances and look forward to this year’s good weather and peace.

2. Lion Dances

It is similar to the dragon lantern dance，delivering good wishes and good luck.

3. Eating yuanxiao

Eating yuanxiao on Lantern Festival is another tradition.    5    The stuffing includes bean paste, sugar，hawthorn various kinds of fruit and so on. It can be boiled, fried or steamed   to eat.