Festivals are celebrated all around the world. They have a wide    1    of origins, such as the seasons of the year, religions, famous figures, and important     2    . Every festival has its different customs and unique charms. However, no matter     3     different they may seem, all over the world, the spirit of sharing     4    , gratitude, love, or peace is common in all festivals.They reflect people’s wishes, beliefs,faiths, and     5     towards life.Today was my first day back in San Francisco after camping in the Redwood Forest. I have to     6     that It definitely feels good to be back in the city again which was able to rebuild itself after the earthquake that     7     (occur) in 1906. There are a wide range of beautiful old buildings—many sitting on top of big hills,     8     great views of the city, the ocean, and the Golden Gate Bridge.My hotel is near downtown in the Mission District, one of the     9     parts of the city. In fact, an art movement called the ‘‘Mission School’’ started here. It’s     10     by graffiti art and comic art.

There’s no electricity or water and even no textbooks either! I’m still trying to     1     to these conditions. However, one thing is for sure, I’ve become more imaginative in my teaching. Science is my most     2     subject as my students have no     3     of doing experiments. In fact there is no     4     , and if I need     5     I have to carry it from my house in a bucket! The other day I was showing the boys the     6     chemistry experiment when, before I knew it, the     7     was     8     over everywhere! The boys who had never come     9     anything like this before started jumping out of the     10     . Sometimes I wonder how     11     chemistry is to these students, most of whom will be going     12     to their villages after Year 8 anyway. To be     13     , I doubt     14     I’m making any     15     to these boys’ lives at all.

Xie Lei also found many courses included students’     1    as part of the final result. Students need to     2    ideas, offer examples, apply concepts, and raise questions, as well as give presentations. At first, Xie Lei had no idea what she should say, but what surprised her was that she found herself     3    up in class after just a few   weeks.“My piesentation on traditional Chinese Art was a great     4    , which boosted my    5    ,” she said. “I’ll use these skills back home fdr presentations. They’ll help me build a strong business in the future.”

Now halfway through her exchange year, Xie Lei feels much more at home in the UK. What seemed strange before now appears quite    6     to her. “     7     in British culture has helped,” she said. “As well as studying hard, I’ve been     8    in social activities. British people are     9    by our culture and eager to learn more about it, so I’m keen to share my culture with them. While I’m learning about business I’m also acting as a cultural    10    building a bridge between us.”

A short     1     from Cusco takes you from the Andes into the Amazon rainforest. From there, you’ll spend one day travelling by boat to your     2     in the middle of the forest. You can then spend three days exploring the rainforest with a local guide and enjoying the plants and animals     3    to the rainforest.

As a player, Lang Ping brought     1    and glory to her country. As a coach, she led the China women’s volleyball team to medals at world championships and the Olympics. As a person, LangPing is loved by fans     2    . When the Chinese team was preparing for the 2015 World Cup, her determination was tested. The team that Lang Ping had built was     3    . One of the best players had been     4    , and the team captain had to leave because of heart problems. Losing two important players was a big challenge, but Lang -Ping did not     5    . She had faced difficulties before, and she knew that her young players could win if they worked together as a team. Two weeks later, they were world     6    ! Then in 2016, Lang Ping     7     her volleyball team to Olympic gold in Brazil.

As a five- year-old girl, Lin Qiaozhi was deeply    1     by her mother’s     2    . At age 18, instead of     3     the traditional path of     4     like the     5    of girls, she    6    to study medicine. “Why should girls learn so much? Finding a good husband should be their final     7    !” her brother    8    , thinking of the high tuition    9    . She     10    , “I’d rather stay single to study all my life.”

The Renaissance (from the 14th to the 17th century)

New ideas and values gradually replaced old ones from the Middle Ages. As a result, painters c    1     less on religious themes. They began to a    2     a more humanistic attitude to life. An important b    3     during this period was the use of perspective by Masaccio. I    4     painters such as Leonardo da Vince, Michelangelo, and Raphael built upon Giotto and Masaccio’s innovations to produce some of the greatest art that Europe had ever seen.

Another innovation was the use of oil paints. With their deep colors and realism, some of the best oil paintings look like photographs. While painters as early as Da Vinci had used oil, this technique reached its h    5     with Rembrandt, who gained a r    6     as a master of shadow and light.

In subject matter, the emphasis increasingly s    7     from religious themes to people and the world around us. Kings, n    8    , and people of high rank wanted to p    9     accurate pictures of themselves and the people they loved. Others wanted paintings showing important historical events or stories from mythology. Finally, most c    10     wanted paintings that were beautiful and interesting to look at.

People in modern times can read the     1     works which were written by Chinese in ancient times. The high     2     for the Chinese writing system can be seen in the development of Chinese     3     as an art form, ...