Singer 2024, a show which brings together a constellation (一群) of gifted singers from     1     domestic and international backgrounds to engage in a series of excellent performances,     2     (kick) off on May 10, 2024.

Renowned celebrities such as American diva Chante Moore, veteran singer Na Ying, and the rock band Second Hand Rose have all lent their talent     3     this captivating competition.

With a mission     4     (cultivate) China’s premier music landscape, besides the first show, Singer 2024 promises audiences another 11 live shows that     5     (broadcast) in real time throughout the season. The show’s emphasis on authenticity and     6     (competitive) ensures an experience that is both immersive and engaging,     7     (reshape) conventional perceptions of music competitions.

Hong Xiao, the producer of the program, highlights     8     (it) commitment to showcasing various musical genres, catering to the varied tastes of the audience. He elaborates, “In recognition of individual preferences, we have curated the very lineup (阵容)     9     represents diverse music genres such as pop and rock. Our goal is to unveil (使公之于众)     10     (exceptional) talented performers on the grand stage of Singer 2024, offering a platform for these artists to shine and captivate audiences worldwide.”

Ancient stories vividly portray the lightweight clothing worn during summer. One tale recounts an encounter     1     an Arabian merchant came across an official wearing a light and soft garment. Astonishingly, the merchant could make out a mole (痣) on the     2     (official) chest through five lavers of clothing. If imagination is too     3     (tax) , let us explore some examples of summer clothing from ancient China.

A sha gown     4     (unearth) from Han Tomb No. 1 at Mawangdui in Changsha. It is the thinnest dress in the world. The plain gown, “thin as a cicada (蝉) wing” and “light as smoke” weighs 49 grams. It is only 25g with the sleeve openings and collar     5     (remove) and can be folded into a matchbox. This piece represents the highest level of early Han     6     fabric manufacture.

Well-suited for the humid southern regions of China, luo has larger holes in the fabric,     7     (make) it more lightweight and breathable. At that time, only officials of fifth rank or higher were permitted to wear garments made of     8     material.

Silk fabrics such as sha and luo were luxurious for common people. However, resourceful individuals discovered a way     9     (utilize) plant fibers for clothing production, significantly reducing the cost of summer garments. Ge, also known as kudzu (野葛) ,     10     Chinese arrowroot (竹芋) , represents the earliest utilization of natural fiber as fabric in China.

Six decades ago, China and France established diplomatic ties.     1     their differences and multiple challenges, Chinese and French people have shown mutual respect and worked together towards achieving many common goals.

Over the past six decades, this dynamic relationship     2     (witness) numerous historic milestones and tangible accomplishments. China is now France’s largest trading partner in Asia, while France ranks as China’s third-largest trading partner     3     the third-largest source of investment in real terms within the European Union (EU).

Former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin believes that it is the love for peace that brings them together. As a     4     (culture) ferryman between China and France, he hopes more young people from both nations will venture to the “other side” and know each other better.

Lefevre Michele,     5     18-year-old pre-college student at Fudan University, found that Chinese TV dramas, like Meteor Garden, have been well-received in France,     6     (particular) among many female French viewers. It was her love for these dramas that sparked her initial interest in Chinese culture, leading her to     7     (far) her studies in China.

Oceane Rivoire, now a student     8     (major) in Chinese language and literature at Tongji University in Shanghai, found the homonyms in Chinese extremely interesting, such as the word “bat”,     9     has the same pronunciation as the word “fortune”, and “red dates and peanuts” are usually used     10     (extend) good wishes for the newlyweds to have a baby soon.

In the soft glow of the Lantern Festival, a woman moves gracefully through the crowd in her Ma Mian Qun. As she walks, the folds of her skirt flow like waves,     1    （bring） the embroidered (刺绣的) dragons and phoenixes to life, as if they were whispering tales of ancient times.

Ma Mian Qun,     2    （common） known as the horse-face skirt, was the most typical style for Chinese women in the Song Dynasty. Traditionally, the skirt     3    （comprise） of two pieces of identical cloth tied at the waistband, wrapping around the body     4    （ensure） coverage in the front and back—a design particularly suitable     5     horse-riding. The cloth was decorated with delicate     6    （pattern） that represent joy and good luck, featuring dragons, phoenixes and historical stories.

Over the years, Ma Mian Qun     7    （experience） a series of changes, developing from the practical function of the Song Dynasty and adapting to the fresh and     8    （elegance） style of the Ming Dynasty, the luxury of the Qing Dynasty and finally the modern fashion innovation. Yet, the “horse face” design has been a constant feature.

Paired with Han suit Ao (袄), Ma Mian Qun displays an air of dignity and gentleness, making     9     a significant symbol of traditional Chinese costume culture,     10     influence on Western fashion has lasted for generations.

As a game of     1     (wise), Go is a legacy of traditional Chinese arts, considered one of the most important qualities of ancient Chinese literati (文人学士).

Appearing over 4,000 years ago in ancient China, Go was first introduced into Japan during the Sui and Tang Dynasties and into Europe in the 19th century. To date, it     2     (spread) to more than 40 countries.

The traditional game of Go also boasts a number of legends about its origin. It’s said that Emperor Yao became very disheartened when his son behaved     3     (bad). So Yao made the game of Go     4     (cultivate) him morally and intellectually.

It is     5    exciting and intense game and the situation on the board keeps changing and unpredictable. Players have to turn to all sorts of tactics in order to defeat their opponents.

Wu Qingyuan, a Chinese Go legend,     6     (regard) as the greatest Go player ever, once said, “Although Go is a     7     (compete) game, winning should never be seen as the final goal. It will teach you to think through things     8     to remain calm in the face of defeat”.

Go can take     9     other meanings to its players: a mirror of one’s personality, a mental “workout” and a beautiful art in     10     black and white pieces dance in balance across the board. Therefore, Go has become more and more popular among young people.

Chilis (辣椒) weren’t always in China, says Brian Dott, a history professor at Whitman College and author of The Chile Pepper in China: A Cultural Biography.    1     (originate) in Central and South America, Capsicum plants were unknown in China until around the 16th Century, when a boom in     2     (explore) and trade brought chilis to the Chinese mainland.

The first     3     (write) record of chili in China    4     (date) from 1591 and it isn’t exactly a flood of positive reviews. Gao Lian, a playwright who lived near    5    is now Shanghai, wasn’t “all that excited about it as a condiment (调味品) or a medicine,” Dott says of his account. Instead, he used it as a decorative plant.

But while elite Chinese enjoyed chili peppers in their decorative gardens, the masses began eating and enjoying the hot plants. By 1765, local historians noted that chi is were used    6     (flavor) sauces, vinegar, savory oils, and preserved vegetables in Hunan. There’s even a recipe for a condiment reminding people of chili crisp in The Harmonious Cauldron, the    7     (early) Chinese culinary book to include chili peppers.

    8     (like) other spices, chili peppers weren’t farmed and traded as commodities. Instead, they    9     (pass) from person to person and cultivated in small crops, says Dott, falling into the hands of skilled farmers who bred even better chilis overtime. These peppers—and the condiment made by frying them in oil—became must-have ingredients all over China, eventually filtering (渗透) to every level of society and becoming so universal    10    they were considered part of the nation’s identity.

Sichuan Cuisine and Hunan Cuisine are both known for their hot flavors, which might appear similar at first sight. That’s why Americans are pretty confused about how they are different.

This confusion has its roots in how Hunan food     1     (introduce) to the American public. According to Kian Lam Kho, the author of Chinese food blog Red Cook, a group of Chinese chefs are said     2     (train) in both Hunan and Sichuan Cuisines in 1945. When they later     3     (seek) opportunities in the United States, they brought Hunan and Sichuan Cuisines to New York,     4     these two cooking styles were adjusted to suit local tastes.

As Kho puts     5    , these two cuisines offer different flavors. Sichuan Cuisine is characterized by the use of Sichuan peppercorns (花椒粒), which provide     6     unique numbing feeling. Hunan Cuisine, on the other hand, is famous for its bold and burning flavors, which features the     7     (combine) of fresh chilies (辣椒) and garlic to create a powerful and intense spicy taste.     8     Sichuan Cuisine, Hunan Cuisine does not typically include the numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorns.

“It is amazing     9     distinct Hunan cooking is compared to its confusing Sichuan cousin. It is truly worthwhile to seek out restaurants or cookbooks that     10     (faith) capture Hunan flavors in their menus or recipes.” Kho notes.

When we think of the Silk Road, the first thing that appears in people’s minds is trade. However, trade isn’t just limited to goods     1     includes culture.

Since ancient times, strong connections between the Chinese and the Turkish people     2     (build) by cultural exchange along the Silk Road. Some historians believe Karagoz, Turkish traditional shadow puppetry (皮影) , drew     3     (inspire) from Chinese shadow puppetry art. Karagoz originally     4     (find) its place in Bursa, a city in northwestern Turkey, and it first rose to popularity in the 16th century.

Karagoz is a dramatic form of storytelling     5     shadows are projected onto a white screen, with a multitasking performer     6     (sing) the tunes and words of the story and the lead puppeteer controlling the movement of the puppets. The performances     7     (main) center around social events and public criticism, whose primary objective is     8     (educate) people via entertainment.

The tradition’s popularity in Turkey is credited     9     people’s sense of nostalgia (怀旧) . Historically, Karagoz performances served as     10     educational tool for people of all classes. As society progresses, there is often a tendency to reconnect with the past.

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.

Qinqiang Opera is a local Chinese opera that mainly thrives (繁荣) in north west China’s Shaanxi Province, as well as its neighboring regions, like Gansu and Qinghai Provinces. It has the most ancient and     1     (large) musical system of all Chinese operas.

    2     (arise) from local folk songs and dance forms in the Yellow River Valley,     3     is the birthplace of Chinese culture, the opera first appeared in the Qin Dynasty.     4     (it) time-honored history has offered Qinqiang Opera a reputation as the forefather     5     Chinese operas.

Its contents usually feature such themes as anti-aggression (反侵略) wars, as well as a number of other     6     (topic) of strong human interest that reflect the characteristics of local people.

Qinqiang Opera is also one of the earliest operatic musical systems to reflect the emotions of human beings.     7     (equip) with a set of performing skills created by the artists, Qinqiang Opera     8     (influence) other operatic forms for long. During the Qing Dynasty, Qinqiang Opera entered Beijing and     9     (direct) affected the formation of Peking Opera. Qinqiang Opera thrived during     10     rule of Emperor Qianlong when Qinqiang troupes (剧团) were distributed throughout the country.