Beginning on March 21 and ending on April 4, Chunfen, or Spring Equinox, as the name     1     (indicate), begins when the day and the night are of equal     2     (long). During this period, the sun’s position in the sky moves northwards, marking a     3     (gradual) longer day in the Northern Hemisphere and a longer night in the Southern Hemisphere. In the two weeks, Chinese traditionally like to head out to fly kites or play a game in which they try to balance an egg to make     4     stand up.

There are many     5     (attract) customs that have been passed down in different places across China over the centuries to celebrate this unique day. At first, it     6     (use)by ancient farmers to mark the beginning of the sowing season and farm work, at the same time welcoming the season of spring. As time passed, customs     7     (surround) Chunfen produced various activities such as dragon dances and waist drum performances.

    8     the Spring Equinox right around the corner, crowds of people from around the country have been heading to Anren, a small county in Hunan Province,     9     (take) part in ceremonies to memorialize China’s “Divine Farmer” Shennong and pray for a good harvest.

There are also some celebrations that are seen in most places around China, some of     10     have even made their way overseas.

The Museum of Chinese Australian History in the heart of Melbourne's Chinatown is not only a landmark but also a place     1     Chinese from near and far can know about their heritage and perhaps even their ancestry.

The museum, a kilometer or so north of the Yara River, has a collection of more than 8, 000 exhibits     2    (reflect) Chinese Australian heritage, including an English phrase book dating back to 1857. The phrase book,     3    (translate) into Mandarin and Cantonese, shows how to communicate in a range of situations across     4     language divide, helping immigrants find their way in Australia, says Mark Wang, CEO of the museum.

Wang, one of those who     5     (attend) the museum's opening ceremony in 1985, is a descendant of Chinese gold rush     6     (prospector) who came to Australia to seek their fortune between 1851 and the late 1860s. “The core value of the museum is to build a     7     (harmony) society for all the people who have Chinese ancestry in their lineage (血脉) or anyone hoping to be a part of the society,” Wang says.

Many of the museum's visitors take part in conferences held     8     (regular), trying to find out something about their ancestors, he says.

One visitor says: “I'm Vietnamese Australian     9     have a Chinese lineage from my grandfather's side. I've never been to China, so whenever a traditional festival comes, I join in those traditional practices. It makes me feel closer     10     my grandfather.”

Peking Opera is no stranger to the cinema. In 1905, the first Chinese movie ever made, The Battle of Dingjunshan,     1    (feature) a recording of a Peking Opera show with the same title performed by the celebrated master Tan Xinpei (1847-1917) .

Movies featuring the art form were popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Famous masters starred in films,     2     have become valuable material for researchers. In the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionary-themed modern Peking Opera theatrical productions became     3    (increasing) popular.

In 2011, the government-supported Peking Opera Film Project was launched, bringing together top artists and movie studios     4    (transform) classic shows into feature-length movies.

A total of 16 Peking Opera companies, schools and film studios     5    (join) the project since it started,     6     more than 60 leading artists have starred in the 19 Peking Opera movies that have been shot.

Yin Xiaodong, president of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, said, “The big screen highlights facial     7    (expression), movements and detailed gestures made by Peking Opera performers     8    (give) audiences a clearer view of the ancient art form. Moreover, as there are only a limited number of seats in     9    (tradition) theatres, cinematic versions overcome the limitations of time and space.”

The film The Jewelry Purse, adapted     10     the classic work performed by Peking Opera master Cheng Yanqiu (1904-1958), is the latest movie listed in the Peking Opera Film Project.

Chinatown is a district within larger cities which    1     (hold) a significant Chinese population. Many major cities around the world have a Chinatown, including New York, London, and San Francisco. These areas tend to have largely Chinese focused stores, signs, and services, which makes some of them popular tourist    2     (destination) for those hoping to experience another culture.

Many Chinatowns used to consist largely    3    new immigrants, though many now have residents whose families have lived there for several generations. The reason why these areas are attractive to new immigrants is    4    ”they can network with people they know and who can speak their native language. As they gain financial independence and    5    greater knowledge of the surrounding city, they may choose    6    (stay) close to known friends and neighbors for comfort. Some Chinese prefer to live in Chinatown because it helps them keep up their language and culture,    7    because they can conveniently access foods, religious services, and other items that they are accustomed to. What’s more, many Chinatowns have associations that schedule regular activities for their members and provide    8     (society) services.

Many Chinatowns provide a    9    (cultural) different experience. While visiting a Chinatown is not at all the same thing as    10    (go) to China, it provides a taste of what life is like in Chinese communities, and an opportunity to enjoy Chinese traditions and culture.

An increasing number of people in China and abroad are discovering or rediscovering the benefits of moxibustion (艾灸),     1     traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment used since about 500 BC. The treatment     2     (aim) at removing cold and dampness from the body, strengthening the blood, increasing the flow of qi or energy     3     (channel) and maintaining general well-being.

Mugwort, a flowering plant, is the key     4     moxibustion. Mugwort leaves are dried and ground into small sticks or cones called moxa (灼烙剂), which are then lighted and used     5     (warm) points on your body and relieve the symptoms.

There are two methods of moxibustion treatment. One is called the direct treatment     6     a small and burning cone-shaped moxa is placed on the patient’s treated acupoint (穴位). In the indirect treatment, the burning moxa doesn’t directly touch your body. This treatment is much     7     (safe) and can be used on a larger area, such as muscle groups. It is also the     8     (prefer) cure for children.

Moxibustion treatment can be used for a wider variety of medical conditions. But TCM fans consider the cure to be     9     (extreme) effective in treating arthritic conditions, especially joint pains when the conditions     10     (worse) in cold or damp weather.

10 . “From wearing silly clothes to holding funny ceremonies, such seemingly bizarre rituals (仪式) can be seen everywhere, and most of them do not seem to serve any obvious purpose,” Dimitris Xygalatas writes at the beginning of his new book Rituals: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living.

Then why are humans still in love with such rituals?

Some of them are intended to unify the participants. The goose steps practised by the soldiers all around the world area great example. When we all perform the same actions in a predictable way, as rituals often require, it can create a sense of togetherness and cooperation, which maybe a matter of life and death in the face of danger.

Many rituals originated when humans started living in ever bigger groups, which exposed them to all kinds of violence, disasters and diseases. To prevent such risks from occurring, humans created various rituals. In regions where violence was common and the threat of disaster and disease was high, societies tended to emphasize strict ritualized behaviors, such as body-washing and sexual purity. Of course, not all of them were effective because they didn’t always understand what was causing the risks they were trying to control.

Most of the rituals just provide psychological comfort. Earlier this month, people around the world participated in one of humankind’s largest gathering to celebrate the New Year. The rituals included fireworks, gifts as well as some practices unique to specific cultures, such as cooking black-eyed peas and greens in the southeastern United States, or eating a grape with each midnight clock strike in Spain. In the face of uncertainty, such rituals give the participants some kind of control, which helps boost confidence and reduce anxiety.

However, the variety of rituals can also separate people, particularly when the valued practices of one culture strike another as strange and can not be clearly explained. “So here’s the surprising lesson we have to learn from such seemingly senseless rituals: Do in Rome as the Romans do since working isn’t the real point,” concludes Dimitris Xygalatas.