In 1999, Esteban Zottele,     1     is a scholar from Argentina in South America, first visited China and changed his life. Then Esteban came     2     (study) at Renmin University of China and obtained a doctoral degree. In his spare time, he spent most of his time traveling around,     3     (leave) his footsteps in the cities of Baoding, Chongqing and Shenzhen.

“My study experience has made me more     4     (close) connected with China,” Esteban says. He is     5     (amaze) at the vast and rich culture, as well as the rapid development and     6     (transform) of China over the years. “Most cities are now connected by high-speed railway, unlike when I first visited here,” he adds.

Currently, Esteban teaches Spanish at a university in East China's Jiangsu Province. Since 2013, he     7     (carry) out research on the BRI — the Belt and Road Initiative (“一带一路”倡议).“In recent years, many Latin American countries, like Argentina, have joined China in constructing the BRI. As     8     result, China can expand the international market and improve commercial relations     9     the two nations,” says Esteban. Esteban thinks that cultural differences should     10    (recognize), so as to promote mutual understanding and trust among people of all countries.

March 8 is International Women’s Day. It’s a time to celebrate women’s achievements, demand equality and fight for basic rights and freedoms.

International Women’s Day takes place every year on 8 March. It is an opportunity to celebrate women’s achievements     1     create positive changes for women and girls. All around the world, people are demanding gender equality and protesting about situations     2     women do not have basic rights and freedoms. International Women’s Day is a time to do this work together.

International Women’s Day started with a protest that     3     (take) place in New York City in 1908. Fifteen thousand women went out onto the streets to demand equal rights and working conditions.    4     particular, they wanted     5     (short) working hours, better pay and the right to vote.

At the International Conference of Working Women in Denmark in 1910, a woman     6     (call) Clara Zetkin proposed the idea of an international day for women. Everyone agreed it was a good idea     7     (make) use of the same day every year to take action for women's rights. The first International Women’s Day happened the     8     (follow) year, in 1911.

    9     (general), people celebrate International Women’s Day in many different ways and for a     10     (various) of reasons, but a common goal is gender equality.

Three sites in China˗˗an ancient tea-producing area, a nomadic livestock-rearing region and a rain-fed stone terrace farming system˗˗were formally recognised as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), for their unique ways of using traditional practices and knowledge while maintaining unique biodiversity and ecosystems.

An ancient tea-producing area (中国福建安溪铁观音茶文化系统)

Tea production in Anxi, Fujian, is believed to date from the 10th century, with its most famous tea, Tieguanyin, coming into    1     (exist) in the 18th century. It belongs to the Oolong tea category between green tea and black tea. Local farmers’ unique technique includes wisely managing the natural environment to guarantee the production of     2     exceptional quality tea leaf.

A Grassland nomadic system (中国内蒙古阿鲁科尔沁草原游牧系统)

The Ar Horqin grassland nomadic system in northern China’s Inner Mongolia region has a variety of ecosystems, such as forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers with important ecological     3     (function). To adapt     4     the fragile grassland environment, the ancestors of today’s herders (牧民) adopted a typical nomadic lifestyle. By    5     (constant) moving grasslands, they ensured the protection of vegetation (植被) and full use of water resources,    6    (avoid) soil degradation (恶化) and overgrazing and bringing a steady supply of livestock products.

The Shexian Dryland Stone Terraced System (中国河北涉县旱作石堰梯田系统)

The Shexian Dryland Stone Terraced System in Hebei, is a rain-fed agricultural system dating back to the 13th century.     7     (surround) with mountains, the stone terraced fields still play an important role in making     8     possible to farm on the steep slopes. The county is well-known for corn, soybean and other agricultural and forestry products. With this variety of crops and farming techniques, local communities     9    (manage) to guarantee their food security and well-being over hundreds of years, while shaping a remarkable landscape     10     bears witness to their ability to live with their environment.

A Chinese food and culture festival won New Yorkers’ hearts and     1     (stomach) on June 24 with its debut (首次亮相) on a section of street at Washington Square Park in Lower Manhattan. The festival showed authentic Chinese food     2     soup dumplings, dandan noodles, kebabs, pastries, flower cakes, Jianbing, sugar paintings, stinky tofu and others from around 35 vendors (摊贩).

Foodies (美食家)     3     (wait) in long lines at some popular stands and the waiting time for the Jianbing event was over two hours. More than 30,000 people joined in     4     free event from 10 am to 6 pm, on June 24. Food is the best starting point for people     5     (understand) and appreciate Chinese culture.

Vendors from Qingmu Dessert Lab offered Chinese pastries and wore     6     (tradition) Chinese clothing known as hanfu. A set of four pastries was made to represent the four seasons with ingredients (原料)     7     (collect) throughout the year. Jianbing,     8     is a popular street food in North China, drew many     9     (people) interest as its vendor Gem Bing Shop is nearby.

The festival is expected to     10     (hold) at other cities in the US next year.