1 . Chinese traditional clothing, or hanfu, has been increasingly ______by Western fashion in recent decades. However, in the past few years, many young people in China have been ______to the past and wearing traditional hanfu, as this style of clothing is currently______a renaissance (复兴).

One of the reasons for this trend is a desire to strengthen national______and promote traditional culture and pride in Chinese heritage. The popularity of hanfu has ______to the increase in interest in traditional Chinese clothing.

The phenomenon of hanfu is not just limited to China; there has also been a growing interest from people worldwide. One example is the TV drama The Story of Minglan, which______more than 400 million viewers in just three days.

However, there is no______definition of what counts as hanfu since each dynasty has its own style, although the clothes are generally______by loose, flowing robes.

For some enthusiasts, hanfu is more than just fashion; it is a way to connect with Chinese history and culture. For example, a Chinese-American woman recalled that when she was a child, she and her sister would ______ to wear beautiful clothes by wearing sheets and blankets around themselves.

And many people are______of hanfu. The support of the government for Chinese culture has______the hanfu community. There are even some organizations, such as the Communist Youth League of China conference on traditional clothing, that show______efforts to promote hanfu. According to them, clothes are the______of culture, and not wearing traditional clothing means losing a part of Chinese culture.

Some organizations and individuals are making efforts to popularize hanfu. Some, like the Hanfu Club, have received______from the Communist Youth League of China.

As one member of the Hanfu Club stated, “If we even______or forget about the clothes we wear every day, how can we talk about other essential parts of our culture?”

4 . Shikumen Residence

Typical Shikumen Residence, literally meaning “Stone Warehouse Gate”, is regarded as the most representative house style of Shanghai. This sort of residence combines the _________ styles of southern China and western countries.

These residences can date back to the 1870s, when the Taiping Rebellion against the_________ of the Qing Dynasty broke out. Due to the warfare, the businessmen, ministers and wealthy people moved to the concession (租界) for protection. As a result, many foreign_________businessmen had many residences built to earn money. Those residences were, therefore, inspired by western style.

Construction Features of Shikumen Residence

A Shikumen Residence is usually a two-floor building constructed with bricks and wood. As the residences are usually linked, a lane naturally comes into being. Two copper door-knockers_________ in the whole lane when they are struck. _________ the stone gate, you enter a patio (天井), from which the sunshine lights the whole yard. Right in front of the patio, there is a living room where the hosts meet or treat their _________. Passing through the living room, another patio appears where the cooking bench is set.

Under the influence of western architecture, the doors and outside walls were gradually_________ with the arc-shaped or rectangular carvings and paintings. So, from the outside, the block of residences looks like western-style townhouses. _________, the lintel(过梁)was usually constructed with Chinese traditional bricks and black tiles.

_________ of Shikumen Residence

It’s said that before the 1950s, these residences __________ 60% of all the Shanghai dwellings and sheltered 60% of the local population. They almost monopolized (垄断) the city’s estate market due to their comfortable, practical and convenient advantages. __________ these, they were popular because of their good locations and convenient transportation. As time passed by, they gradually __________ with the pace of the reconstruction of the old areas. Later, when some influential architects put forward that these residences should be __________ as a symbol of the typical Shanghai culture, great attention started to be paid to them.

Shikumen Culture

The appearance of these residences broke through the Chinese traditional lifestyle, under which a large __________ family lived in a big courtyard. The new smaller-sized courtyard came into being to lay a foundation for the later Lane Culture. This local culture had a great influence on Shanghai’s politics, economy, literature, arts and lifestyle. For example, the literature__________ of “Ting Zi Jian” was born at the same time. Later, the scholars continued to create many masterpieces.

Educators and parents agree that cultural diversity adds significant value to any educational environment. It develops global     1     (aware). Teaching students to be positive global citizens (公民) can also influence their academic performance.

The value of cultural exchange in school is more fully realized when an effective international program is part of the school system. Learning diverse language skills is not the only benefit that can     2    (obtain). Students gain understanding of the differences and similarities of other cultures. By learning about others, they gain valuable insight about     3    (they) as well.

Most students have felt like an outsider at one time     4    another. With the school’s goal being to help all students “fit in”,     5    is important that an atmosphere of open-mindedness and acceptance     6    (exist) throughout the learning environment.

Building on global perspective, educators help students connect the dots between science, social studies, environmental issues and more. For example, if oceanography is a topic of interest, the class might view how science has made a positive impact on countries     7    cooperate on the issue, and how they are uniting their efforts to do good.

Parents can also     8     (active) contribute to class projects that promote global and cultural understanding. If their work involves a housing project, for instance, to improve living conditions in a country     9    (recover) from an earthquake, sharing their ideas with their child’s class can be very     10     (benefit).

7 . February 14 is a day for people who have fallen in love. On this day, these men and women give gifts and cards to each other for celebrating Valentine’s Day.

At first, February 14 was the old Roman festival, Lupercalia. Then, one story says, on February 14, 270 A.D., a man named Valentine was killed by the Romans because of his beliefs.

Before Valentine was killed, he fell in love with the daughter of the jailer and would pass notes to her. His final note read, “From your valentine.”. Later, February 14 become known as Saint Valentine’s Day.

Since then, people in love around the world have given gifts and cards to each other on Saint Valentine’s Day. Gloves, chocolates, and even underwear have all been popular as gifts.

Valentine cards did not become popular until 1750s. The first Valentine cards were made by hand. People wrote their own words on the cards, usually a kind of funny message. By around 1850 there were lots of machines for making cards. All of a sudden, sending Valentine cards became very popular.

Now, every year around February 14, cards and chocolates fill stores around the world, for all the people who have fallen in love.

You must have seen newspaper carriers. Ever since the     1     (invent) of the newspaper, there have been newspaper carriers. In America, Newspaper Carrier Day holds them in     2     highest regard and shares their efforts with the world.

Newspaper Carrier Day was created     3     (honor) the efforts of the first newsboy hired (雇用) by the Museum of the City of New York. In 1833, 10-year-old Blarney Flaherty first picked up his load of newspapers and     4     (shout) “Paper! Get your paper here!” on the streets. Over 180 years later Newspaper Carrier Day celebrates those brave people     5     followed in his footsteps.

It’s     6     (amaze) to know that Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King had their start early in their lives carrying the local paper. It still serves as one of the first     7     (job) young men and women hold in many local communities. They use their bikes to deliver the news to people all over their neighborhood     8     (regular).

The best way to celebrate Newspaper Carrier Day is to thank one’s newspaper carrier by     9     (bring) them a cup of hot coffee to warm their hands and their hearts. People also give them a tip to thank them     10     their service.

10 . With today’s pressures, play is one of the most ignored privileges (特权) of a child, and for this reason, there is a special day devoted to play—World Play Day. It is celebrated on 28 May each year in over 40 countries around the world.

Nationally, World Play Day has been celebrated at various Toy Libraries, ECD Centres and Government Departments for the past several years. Each year has seen a new theme and a new focus, although the aim is always the same—for children to let go of the stresses of daily life and play.

The theme of the inaugural World Play Day in 2014 was “we create time to play”. In 2015 it was“play is fun”; 2016 focused on “play for all ages”; 2017 saw the theme “sustainable (可持续的) play” take to the stage; at the heart of 2018 was “free play”.

Vanessa Mentor, the Early Childhood Development expert at Afrika Tikkun says, “Play is of the greatest importance for the developing child. It is through play at an early age that children learn to connect with the world around them and interact with the people in their lives. Play allows them to explore the world where they can develop new abilities, overcome fears and increase their level of confidence. It allows children to use their imagination and creativity. Physical play also leads to active lifestyles and healthy bodies. The theme of ‘free play’ is very fitting because play time is when children feel the most free. Play time is their time.”

So, whether you have children, play with them, or consider yourself “a big kid”. Anyone can celebrate World Play Day on 28 May.