Walking into the Suzhou Art Museum in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, the eyes of visitors are immediately drawn to an artwork hanging high on the wall     1     describes a vivid and lifelike cat,     2    (give)the surface impression of a contemporary art piece.

“Viewers mistake it     3     an oil painting at    4    (one)sight. We hope to fill the traditional craft with contemporary expressions,” says Zhang Fan, 48, one of the creators of the piece.

Next to the artwork     5    (be)two Su embroidery(苏绣)works coping with abstract photos taken by US photographer Michael Yamashita. All of these works are produced by Zhang and his mother, Zhang Meifang, 78,     6     master embroiderer who created the collision piece in cooperation with     7    (establish)physicist Tsung-dao Lee. In 2005, the Zhangs set up an embroidery innovative center, applying the ancient techniques of silk thread to modern art forms, including oil paintings, wall paintings, sculpted     8    (relief)and photos.

Su embroidery, known for its complicated techniques, elegant style and bright colors,     9    (typical)features birds, flowers, cats, landscapes, and figures. Most embroiderers in Jiangsu concentrate on Su embroidery, making     10     popular among both the upper class and the public for its delicate needlework.

Before the lecture on ancient Chinese architecture, Li Wei, an expert in “dougong”, which translates as “interlocking wooden brackets (斗拱)” and refers to architectural elements used in traditional Chinese     1     (building), examined the complex designs, which showcase the precision and craftsmanship (手工艺) of ancient builders.

Wearing     2     traditional robe and a pointed hat, Li Wei appeared as a knowledgeable historian, ready     3     (share) insights into the architectural miracles.

The lecture     4     (focus) on the Forbidden City, which is one of the most symbolic examples of ancient Chinese architecture,     5     (date) back to the Ming Dynasty.

“Typically, I discuss architecture     6     (build) during the Ming and Qing dynasties, but for this special session, I will explore the early architectural influences that paved the way for these grand structures,” said Li Wei, who     7     (research) ancient Chinese architecture for more than a decade.

Li Wei’s passion for preserving the historical significance of ancient buildings aligns with the mission of the National Heritage Foundation,     8     is dedicated to the protection and promotion of China’s rich architectural legacy (遗产).

The foundation works tirelessly to ensure that these architectural treasures,     9     an integral part of China’s cultural heritage,     10     (preserve) for future generations.

Many Chinese people have recently been surprised     1     (find) that many types of food that they thought were imported are     2     (actual) grown or produced in Northeast China.

The northeastern region of the country has been attracting     3     huge amount of attention this winter, with so many visitors going to its tourist attractions in search of ice and snow, and     4     (praise) the enthusiasm of its people.

To show its     5     (appreciate) to the people of Heilongjiang for taking good care of a group of 11 kindergarten children from South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region during their visit     6     the northeastern province, Nanning, the regional capital of Guangxi, sent 189 tons of mandarins to Harbin, Heilongjiang’s provincial capital. Heilongjiang then returned the gesture and sent 100,000 boxes of cranberries to Guangxi.

The cranberries surprised a lot of Chinese people, even many from Heilongjiang Province,     7     didn’t realize that the fruit is produced in the region. Since the introduction of cranberries from North America in 2014, Fuyuan city in Heilongjiang Province     8     (grow) 280 hectares of cranberries, making it one of the     9     (large) cranberry growing bases in Asia.

Other types of fruits grown in Northeast China include blueberries and raspberries, which     10     (think) to be imported into China from other countries, too. Many people have also discovered that some precious foods, such as Wagyu beef, are also produced in Northeast China.

The complicated art of needle-pierced frameless lanterns,     1     was recognized as a national cultural heritage in China in 2006, is a traditional craft     2     (date) back to the Tang Dynasty in the Pot an Ancient Town, Xian ju County, Zhejiang Province.

This technique involves pasting (粘贴) and shaping layers of paper to create unique designs,     3     puncturing (刺破) the lantern surface to form patterns and allow light to shine through. Unlike traditional lantern styles that usually rely on bamboo or wooden frames, this method fashions patterns and designs     4     the need for any framing.

Every delicate pattern of these frameless lanterns is     5     (careful) crafted using a tiny embroidery (绣花) needle. Each square centimeter of paper     6     (demand) around 100 needle punctures. Depending on the lantern’s size,     7     number of punctures can vary from several hundred thousand to over 1 million.     8     (patient) is thus vital for craftsmen.

In the past, every household here would craft lanterns for traditional Chinese     9     (festival) like the Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival. Lanterns     10     (love) as symbols of good fortune and prosperity.

Baiyang Lake, also known as Lake Baiyangdian, is located in the Xiong’an New Area of Baoding. As the largest freshwater lake in North China, it has gained     1     (recognize) as the “Pearl of North China” due to its breathtaking scenery and unique ecological functions. It is referred to     2     the Kidney of North China.

The old Chinese movie “Zhang Ga, the Soldier Boy” is famous for the lake     3     Zhang Ga lived. With the beautiful lotus, flourishing reeds and plenty of fish. Lake Baiyangdian is     4     (precise) like that lake.

    5     (serve) as a crucial waterway, Baiyangdian Lake occupies an import ant location in the ancient basin of the North China Plain. Throughout the Northern Song Dynasty, the imperial court continually     6     (expand) the marshlands, resulting in the formation of a winding “Water Great Wall.” Over time, Baiyangdian Lake     7     (remain) steadfast (不变的) in fulfilling crucial ecological roles from storing floodwater to regulating the climate.

However, the lake almost dried out because of climate change from 1983 to 1988. Local governments launched 26 rehabilitation projects in 2005     8     (restore) and improve Lake Baiyangdian’s ecological environment. Now, the beauty of Lake Baiyangdian resembles the one     9     (describe) in “Zhang Ga, the Soldier Boy”, attracting visitors who hope to take     10     glance at the vivid lotus, flourishing reeds and the clear lake water.

Although parks of all sizes and types exist at any level, the national parks, in particular, tend     1     (catch) our attention because of their large size and variety. They are     2     (treasure) of American heritage (遗产). How did the national park system come about? On a cool, starry night in mid-September 1870, four men relaxed before a campfire along the Firehole River in     3     is now northwestern Wyoming. They     4    (be) part of a 15-member exploring party that had spent almost five awesome weeks in witness of the natural beauties there.

What should     5    (do) with such a beautiful place? They wondered out loud. This area, with     6     (it) unique and breathtaking natural beauty, must be well preserved     7     all people of the nation to enjoy — as a national park. They all agreed and vowed (承诺) to promote the idea at the     8     (complete) of their journey. Their promotional work paid off. Two years later, 18 years before Wyoming became a state, Yellowstone became the first national park in the United States and the world. Yellowstone was the     9     (large) United States national park — 2.2 million acres — until Wrangell-Saint Elias in southern Alaska,     10     became a national monument in 1978, took the honors as a national park in 1980 with 12.3 million acres.

The horse ranks seventh of all the animals in the Chinese zodiac (生肖). People born in the Year of the Horse are extremely lively, active and     1     (energy). Horses love to be in a crowd, and they can usually     2     (see) in such occasions as concerts, theaters, meetings, sporting occasions, and parties.     3     a sense of humor, horses are masters of talkers, and they are very comfortable     4     (get) along with, for they have the ability of instantly putting people at ease.

Sometimes, the horse is a little self-centered,     5     it doesn’t mean that he will not be interested in any problems except his own.     6    (basic), horse people are very healthy, most likely because they hold     7     positive attitude towards life.

Jobs     8     (involve) communicating with others attract horse people most. Horse people dislike taking orders. They love to take center stage and always delight     9    (audience)everywhere.

They are right there with you before you have had the chance to finish     10     you are saying. They are on to the thought in your mind even before you just have expressed it. All these guarantee their popularity and a large number of friends.

In the ancient Shuowen Dictionary, trust is defined as a combination of sincerity and reliability,     1     (emphasize) the importance of keeping one’s word. This concept was     2     (deep) valued in ancient China, with many proverbs highlighting the significance of integrity in personal and professional relationships. CaoCao, the     3     (rule) of the Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period, embodied (体现) this spirit of trustworthiness, which played a crucial role in his ability     4     (draw) numerous heroes to his side.

During the Three Kingdoms era, a time     5     (mark) by division and conflict among the states of Wei, Shu, and Wu, loyalty was a prized yet rare commodity (商品). Cao Cao’s relationship     6     Guan Yu shows his understanding of trust and respect as foundational     7     (element) of leadership. After capturing Xu Province, Cao Cao encountered Guan Yu. Guan Yu’s surrender (投降) to Cao Cao, under the condition     8     he would leave once he learned of Liu Bei’s whereabouts, presented     9     unique challenge. Cao Cao’s acceptance of these terms, and his subsequent efforts to win over Guan Yu, demonstrate a strategic approach to leadership that     10     (value) talent and honours personal loyalty.

With a history of 600 years, Kunqu Opera,    1     (bear) in the region of Kunshan in today's Suzhou, Jiangsu province, is considered China’s oldest opera form and one of the most     2     (influence) theatrical traditions.    3     many traditional art forms, it was also once on the edge of extinction.

In 2001, Kunqu Opera was listed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, which helped the ancient art form to receive more protection     4     contributed to its revival. Yang Fengyi, artistic director and head of the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater,     5     (travel) with her performers to the UNESCO headquarters to witness the historic moment.

Kunqu Opera has distinguished     6     (it) by the virtuosity (精湛技巧) of its rhythmic patterns and its pieces are     7     (close) linked with Chinese literature. In 2003, the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater worked with Chinese -American writer Kenneth Hsienyung Pai     8     (produce) the “youth version” of a Kunqu Opera production, The Peony Pavilion,     9     classic Ming Dynasty play by playwright Tang Xianzu. Since its premiere in Taiwan in 2004, this version has clocked in about 400     10     (perform), attracting a growing young audience, who consider the art form to be deep, elegant and complicated.