1 . In ancient Greece, festivals were an essential part of their culture. These festivals were celebrated in honor of various gods and goddesses and were a way for people to come together and celebrate their beliefs.

One of the most important festivals in ancient Greece was the Eleusinian Mysteries. This festival was held in honor of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and fertility (丰产). The Eleusinian Mysteries were a series of rituals (仪式) that celebrated the cycle of life and death. Participants would go through a process that involved fasting (斋戒), purification, and secret rituals.

The Dionysia was another significant festival in ancient Greece. This festival was intended for Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility, and theater. The Dionysia consisted of several days of dinning, drinking wine, and watching plays performed by playwrights such as Sophocles and Euripides.

Festivals were not just about honoring gods; they also served as a way for people to come together as a community. During festivals, people would gather in public spaces to socialize, watch performances or sporting events, or participate in religious ceremonies.

In addition to these major festivals, there were many other smaller festivals throughout ancient Greece that celebrated local traditions or honored specific gods or goddesses. These festivals varied from region to region but all shared the common purpose of bringing people together to celebrate their beliefs.

In conclusion, festivals played an important role in ancient Greek culture as they provided opportunities for people to come together and celebrate their shared culture. These festivals were not just about honoring the gods; they were also a way for people to socialize and participate in community events. The use of festivals as a means of cultural expression is still popular in modern times, and serves as a proof to the enduring treasure of ancient Greece.

4 . During Thanksgiving dinner, my grandmother would ask us to share a story of a person we were grateful to during the past year. And then she would ask, “Did you ________ that person?” She encouraged us to show our gratitude by our ________.

I will always remember the warm and happy ________ I had as a child, the miracle of being at my grandmother’s Thanksgiving table, eating her food, and listening to those I ________ tell what they were thankful for. I believe it made a big ________ in my life. It helped all of us shift from being ________ focused to being externally focused.

When I got married and Jesselie and I started our own Thanksgiving ________, a few memories ________. We used to live in Piedmont, California when our children were still young. To give Jesselie time to ________ the dinner without ________, I took the children over to San Francisco to look at the beautiful holiday windows. Our children have always remembered that ________, and Jesselie has never ________ that Thanksgiving dinner because as we sat down to a cornucopia (丰富) of ________, including Williamsburg sweet potato pudding and sausage stuffing, our children said, “Can we just go to get a hamburger instead?”

I hope all of us can start a new tradition — a tradition of assessing our lives and actions, ________ our unconscious biases (偏见), and committing to be more ________ and better appreciate our differences.

The Dunhuang Academy’s cultural relics protection team was honored with the title of National Outstanding Engineering Team early this year, China’s highest honor in the field of engineering.

Su Bomin,     1     (direct) of the Dunhuang Academy and head of the protection team, has been involved in protection work for nearly 40 years, and the protection team has expanded (扩大) from four members in 1992     2     over 200 members today. However, during     3     protection process, Su’s team met many challenges.

They have     4     (successful) rescued and protected cultural heritage sites (文化遗址) in153 locations across 13 provinces and regions,     5     ( provide ) a Chinese solution for the protection of ancient murals (壁画) worldwide.

“Through the continuous efforts of several     6     (generation) at the Mogao Grottoes, effective results of protection and management     7     (achieve) until now,” Su said.

The Mogao Grottoes,     8     meets all six standards for World Cultural Heritage, is the largest     9     best-protected Buddhist cave art site in the world.

“There is nothing that can be kept for a very long time; the fate (命运) of the Mogao Grottoes is continuous degradation (退化). What we, throughout our lives, are doing is trying our best     10     (stop) destruction, making the Mogao Grottoes stand for a longer time,” said Su.

One person with great strength can defeat ten     1     are skilled, but he needs to use tricks to win wisely. This is the essential message of Huaquan Fist. Great strength leads to explosive force.

Wang Yuanxiang was born     2     a martial arts family in Cangzhou City, Hebei Province. All his family members     3    (practice) and teaching Huaquan Fist since the Qing Dynasty. He is one of     4     fifth-generation inheritors(继承人) of Huaquan Fist. In his opinion, martial arts are a kind of culture. All kungfu schools should unite and inherit Chinese martial arts     5    (joint) .

    6    (achieve) his wish, Wang has kept practicing and reviewing fist formulas for decades. With many years of practice, he has had his skills     7    (perfect) . What’s more, he has had a     8    (system) understanding of the fist. There are four different styles of the fist, with less jumping but more hand     9    (position) . Feet are also used. There are many kinds of steps, like swooping, rounding, leaping and skipping. Wang believes that     10     the reason for learning martial arts is, one must stick to the virtues (美德) and use the genre correctly.

8 . WOMAD (World of Music, Arts, and Dance) Festival is a famous event that brings together music fans from all around the world. With its diverse lineup, exciting performances, and celebration of different cultures, WOMAD has become a global leader in music and art.

WOMAD was created in 1980 by musician Peter Gabriel and other artists who wanted to show music and culture from all over the world. The first WOMAD Festival took place in Shepton Mallet, England, bringing together artists from around the world to perform and celebrate their unique musical traditions. As WOMAD grew in popularity, it began hosting festival s in various countries including Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and Chile. Each festival offers a diverse lineup of artists representing different genres and cultures.

This mix of music and arts creates an exciting experience for attendees.

By featuring artists from different backgrounds, the festival provides a space for artists and audiences to connect and appreciate the beauty of various cultures. It encourages unity and a global community. One of the highlights of WOMAD Festival is the collaboration between artists. Musicians from different cultures come together to create unique and memorable performances. These collaborations not only produce amazing music but also encourage dialogue and appreciation between cultures.

WOMAD Festival goes beyond music and has made a great effect on social and political matters. It addresses human rights issues and raises awareness about global challenges. The festival inspires attendees to engage with important issues and promotes positive change. The history of WOMAD Festival shows the power of music to. bring people together and overcome differences. From its small beginnings to its global influence, WOMAD continues to attract audiences with its celebration of diversity, collaboration, and the global language of music. As we look to the future, let us embrace the spirit of WOMAD and celebrate the beauty of world music and culture.

10 . Some civilizations record their pasts with art or books. Others pass on history through folk songs and dances. In Singapore, the story of how a ramshackle fishing village in Southeast Asia developed into a wealthy and modern country often comes in spoonfuls of peppery pork rib soup or bites of fried egg noodles at its hawker centers (小贩中心).

For visitors, hawker centers might just seem like food courts: Follow your nose or the longest line, then pay a few Singapore dollars for a plate of food to enjoy at a shared table. For Singaporeans, hawker culture is about more than just a good meal. These food centers are symbols of the country’s diversified culture. Hawker centers are so central to Singapore that the country recently led a successful campaign to have the practice listed as the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

To accommodate (容纳) Singapore’s diversified population, the government made sure the hawker centers included Malay, Indian, and Chinese store owners. “Hawker centers are likely the first places where people will try another ethnic group’s food,” says Chee Kien Lai, author of Early Hawkers in Singa pore. “They’re open to everyone. You can get Chinese food or try Indian cuisine and get connected to different cultures and religions.”

After Singapore’s rapid development in the 1970s and 80s, there was a sudden stop in the construction of hawker centers. Everybody was concentrating on becoming a knowledge-based society. By the time the government returned to building new hawker centers in 2011, many people wondered if there were enough people to carry on the tradition.

“Even though locals love eating at hawker centers, few are interested in running a small food shop themselves,” says Chee. “The cost of labor has gone up, with the younger, better-educated generation put off by the long hours and physical work the job requires. As aging hawkers retire, their recipes risk extinction.”

That’s one of the reasons that, in 2019, Singapore’s National Heritage Board put the hawkers forward for UNESCO recognition. “We need to make them our local cultural heroes,” says Tay.