Foshan, a city rich in cultural heritage, celebrates the arrival of autumn with a grand event known as the Foshan Autumn Parade (佛山秋色巡游). This traditional cultural festival     1     (hold) a special place in the hearts of the locals. The Parade, featuring various performances, including lion and dragon dances, martial arts, and traditional costumes, takes place     2     (annual) during the autumn season, usually in October or November.

    3     makes the parade most exciting is the lion and dragon dance, representing the spirit of strength. The colorful lion and dragon figures controlled by skilled     4     (perform) catch the attention and admiration of the viewers. Traditional martial arts shows are another crowd favorite. With the martial artists moving gracefully, the audience     5     (remind) of the importance of traditional Chinese culture. Traditional costumes can also be seen     6     (wear) by those artists. The designs and colors of these costumes serve     7     a symbol of Foshan’s rich history and cultural diversity.

The Foshan Autumn Parade is more than just a cultural festival. It is a remarkable event     8     the community celebrate the beauty of autumn. By     9     (participate) in and experiencing these ancient traditions, young people can gain     10     deeper understanding of their culture.

When you go to restaurants in different parts of the world, it’s important to know the right and wrong things    1    (do). For example, in some parts of the world, it’s OK to make a lot of noise in a restaurant. In fact, if in a restaurant there isn’t    2    (noise) and lively, you may think there’s something wrong with it. In some other parts of the world, however, restaurants are quiet places. If a table is too loud, other people in the restaurant might    3    (strong) complain to the owner of the restaurant.

How to pay the bill is also different from country    4    country. In some countries one person usually    5    (pay) for everybody. In other countries,    6    friends eat together, they usually share the bill. This    7    (call) “going Dutch”. Also, they usually leave a tip for the waiter. They tip between 15% and 20% of the bill, depending on    8    good the service is.

Different countries have different    9    (custom). When you travel to another country please follow what    10    (it) people do.

I’m not Chinese, but I love Chinese New Year. There are many fun New Year     1     (celebrate), but nothing quite matches the excitement of the lion dance which can wake up the spirit     2     (complete).

The sound of the drums,       3     you can feel throughout your entire body, is quite inspiring. The two performers are very flexible. But it is actually very difficult as the lion head is very heavy and being the     4     (low)part of the lion is tiring as he has to bend his back and also carry     5     person in front sometimes. The lion head is made with paper over a bamboo frame,       6     (cover)in gauze (纱布), and decorated with beautifully-colored materials.

The lion dance     7     (believe)to have first appeared in the Qianlong Emperor's dream during his Southern tour, and he ordered an animal     8     (make)in the likeness of his description and used in festivals from then on.

I love all about the lion dance. The other day, I saw a film about a left-behind teenager who insisted on pursuing his dreams despite difficulties and     9     (succeed)in lion dance. As Master Xu translates: “Heaven has made us talents; we’re not made     10     vain.”

The influence of Chinese tea culture has been intertwined (交织) with the nation throughout much of its history. It    1    (add) to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) on Nov 29, 2022.

Traditional tea processing techniques consist of the knowledge, skills and practices. These traditional techniques are    2    (basic) found in provinces such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Fujian and Hunan, among others. The popularity of traditional tea culture and favorable weather conditions lead to the    3    (form) of many plantations (茶园) in these provinces.

Tea is common in Chinese people’s daily lives.    4    (boil) tea is served in homes, workplaces, tea houses, restaurants and temples    5    used as an important medium for communication in socializing and    6    (ceremony) such as weddings and sacrifices.

China now has 43 items    7    the intangible cultural heritage list,    8    (continue) to be the most enlisted country in the world.

Wang Yongjian, head of the delegation to the UNESCO session, told Xinhua that    9    list will make this cultural heritage more visible to the public,    10    helps promote respect for cultural diversity and human creativity.

Luosifen is a combination of river snails and rice noodles, originating in Liuzhou, Guangxi, southern China. Since Liuzhou is a city full of Luosifen restaurants, with many near one another, you can even smell it    1     (walk) down the street! Because of the humid climate in Liuzhou, people tend to lose their appetite, but the spicy and sour taste stimulates    2     (people) appetite. Its unique taste of freshness, sourness, hotness and spiciness is    3     modern people and young people prefer. Diners can also add extra chili, fresh green vegetables or garlic    4     (suit) their own taste. Despite the word “snail” in its Chinese name, actual snails don’t commonly appear in the dish, but    5     (use) to flavor the soup. There being many choices of    6     (package) Luosifen these days ,people can easily prepare their favorite version at home. Some people even cook Luosifen-based hotpot    7     (they). Admittedly, Luosifen has become    8     must-try dish for those enthusiasts seeking a genuine cuisine. Whether you are exploring the streets of Liuzhou    9     enjoying a bowl in a distant land, Luosifen is sure to leave a lasting impression on your taste buds, providing a    10     (true) unforgettable gastronomic (美食的) experience.

8 . As you get older, you’ll meet a wider range of people from diverse cultures. If you haven’t met many people from different backgrounds, it can be hard to know how to respect their culture.     1    

One of the best ways to understand other people’s cultures is to first consider your own. Most of us don’t realize that our customs and beliefs might seem strange to someone else. Don’t think of your own way of life as the only normal one and everyone else’s to be strange.     2    

Maybe you’ve recently met someone from a different culture, or you’re curious about how different people live. When you meet people from a different culture, ask them about their lives. Also, you can read books, watch movies or listen to radio shows.     3     The more you learn, the more likely you will get used to greeting cultural differences with curiosity rather than doubt.

    4    

Differences between us are what make life so interesting, so just accept the differences between yourself and your friends from different cultures. The best way to respect people from other cultures is to strike a balance between curiosity and appreciation:     5    . Also, learn how to just silently observe and appreciate the differences that make us unique.

9 . How Sociologists Define Culture

Culture is one of the most important concepts within sociology because sociologists recognize that it plays a crucial role in our social lives. It is important for shaping social relationships, maintaining and challenging social order, determining how we make sense of the world and our place in it, and in shaping our everyday actions and experiences in society.    1    

In brief, sociologists define the non–material aspects of culture as the values and beliefs, language, communication and practices that are shared in common by a group of people. Expanding on these categories, culture is made up of our knowledge, common sense, assumptions and expectations. It is also the rules, norms, laws and morals that govern society; the words we use as well as how we speak and write them; and the symbols we use to express meaning, ideas and concepts.    2    It informs and is encapsulated in how we walk, sit, carry our bodies and interact with others; how we behave depending on the place, time and “audience”; and how we express identities of race, class and gender, among others. Culture includes the collective practices we participate in as well, such as religious ceremonies, the celebration of secular holidays and attending sporting events.

    3    This aspect of culture includes a wide variety of things, from buildings, technological gadgets and clothing, to film, music, literature and art, among others. Aspects of material culture are more commonly referred to as cultural products.

Sociologists see the two sides of culture—the material and non–material—as closely connected. Material culture emerges from and is shaped by the non-material aspects of culture.    4    But it is not a one–way relationship between material and non–material culture. Material culture can also influence the non-material aspects of culture. For example, a powerful documentary film might change people’s attitudes and beliefs.    5    What has come before in terms of music, film, television and art, for example, influences the values, beliefs and expectations of those who interact with them, which then, in turn, influence the creation of additional cultural products.

The art of seal engraving (篆刻) is a foundation of China’s fine arts. It has been     1     inseparable part of classic Chinese art. In September 2009, China’s seal-engraving art     2    (add) to the list of UNESCO’s items of intangible cultural heritage.

Seal-engraving art,     3    (date) back to the Shang Dynasty, has a history of more than 3,000 years. The art form developed rapidly during the Qin dynasty,     4     people engraved their names on utensils (器具) and in documents to claim ownership.

Soon after Qinshihuang unified China, he ordered craftsmen to use jade to make an imperial seal called “Xi”. Not until the Ming Dynasty did artists and scholars begin using seals engraved with their names     5    (mark) the ownership of their calligraphies and paintings.

In 1904, Xiling Seal Engravers’ Society was founded with the     6    (combine) efforts of seal artists from different schools and places     7     it was the first of its kind in China.

Today seals are still     8     wide use in official documents and private letters. With engraved seals gaining worldwide     9     (appreciate) in recent years, an increasing number of people     10     (become) fascinated with the items.