Hong Kong’s tiny Tai Hang district is usually one of the city’s     1     (quiet) places. But every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the neighborhood comes alive with the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance.

    2     (list) as China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance began in 1880,     3     the neighborhood was attacked by a deadly disease on the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival. According to the legend, a fortune teller suggested that the villagers perform a fire dragon dance for three days and three nights during the upcoming full moon. To their     4     (amaze), the disease disappeared     5     (short) after the dance. Since then, this tradition has been carried on every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The 67-metre fire dragon will wind through the streets of Tai Hang, like it did over a century ago with over 300     6     (performer) , 70,000 incense sticks (焚香), and lots of firecrackers.

Dragon dance leader Chan Tak-fai, who has been organizing the event for the past 20 years, first got involved     7     a child. “I grew up     8     (watch) all the elder makers—there were three on Sun Chun Street where I lived—create the fire dragon every year. I was able to learn and later teach young Tai Hangers,” says Tak-fai, now 70. “Back then, we always     9     (gather) in the street as there was no air-conditioning and it was cooler outside. That created     10     great sense of community.”

Spring cleaning is a tradition ingrained in societies worldwide, with roots     1     (trace) back to ancient times. The tradition symbolizes the transition from the inactive winter to the energetic     2     (grow) of spring. Human behavior is greatly influenced by the cycles of nature. In the colder months, we have less energy to spare for     3     (chore). We’re not being lazy; limited daylight makes us     4     (sleep).

Before the Lunar New Year, it’s common to clean the home of bad luck and misfortune in China. Known as “sweeping the dust,” cleaning makes way     5     the new year’s prosperity. Cleaning must be done before the holiday,     6     (typical) in January or February, since sweeping after the festivities     7     (see) as removing good luck.

In Thailand, it’s customary to deep clean homes, schools, and public spaces to     8     (pure) them ahead of the Thai New Year. People toss water at each other in the streets to wash away the previous year’s bad luck and ensure luck for the year to come.

As spring comes, it is sensible to open the windows     9     (air) out stuffy homes, remove dirt, and repair any damages     10     occurred during the winter months. Inventions such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and cleaning agents have made the process more efficient and convenient.

Chinese opera, has a rich history dating back thousands of years. There are various types of Chinese opera, each with its own unique characteristics and traditions. Kunqu Opera, for example,     1     (consider) an old form of Chinese opera, characterized by its elegant lyrics and beautiful melodies. Peking Opera, another famous type, is noted     2     its colorful costumes, facial makeup and movements.

One of the     3     (remarkable) features of Chinese opera is its integration (融合) of singing, dancing, acting, and acrobatics. The singing in Chinese opera is an impressive aspect. In addition to singing,     4     fascinates people most is actors’ dance and acrobatics. These     5     (performance) require years of training and dedication, making Chinese opera actors true masters of their craft.

The stories     6     (tell) through Chinese opera are often drawn from historical events, legends and folklore. These narratives not only entertain but also educate,     7     (pass) down cultural values and moral lessons from generation to generation. The themes of loyalty, bravery and filial piety (孝) are repeated, which promotes social harmony and moral behavior.

In     8    (conclude), Chinese opera is a treasured art form     9     (deep) rooted in Chinese culture. Whether you’re a fan of theater     10     simply interested in Chinese culture, Chinese opera is definitely worth exploring.

Tea is one of the three major drinks in the world,     1    （produce）in more than 60 countries and regions worldwide and enjoyed by over 2 billion people. Huangshan in Anhui province has a long history of tea planting. The recorded history of Huangshan's tea can date back     2     the Tang Dynasty. In 1915, Taiping Houkui and Qimen Black Tea were sent to the Panama World Exposition,     3     they were awarded gold medals. Huangshan city remains     4     key tea-production area in China and Huangshan Mountain in the city is known worldwide for its     5    （impress）scenery. The clouds that ring Huangshan Mountain     6    （believe）to create a natural shelter, blocking sunlight and allowing the tea leaves to produce more nitrogen（氮）which     7    （give）them their unique aroma.

Consequently, the celebrated Huangshan Maofeng, Taiping Houkui and Qimen Black teas from Huangshan have gained worldwide     8    （popular）.     9     they were added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on Nov 29, 2022, their cultural significance has been further acknowledged. Tea from Huangshan continues to delight and attract the world. In 2022, Huangshan city's tea industry achieved a remarkable output of 45,000 metric tons,     10    （create）4.6 billion yuan（$664.42 million）in revenue（财政收入）.

Mamianqun, also known as Horse-face Skirt, is one of the     1     (representative) of the ancient Chinese style skirt.     2     appeared in the Song Dynasty and grew popularduring the Ming Dynasty. Ever since, it has reserved its     3     (distinction) “horseface” structure and undergone a fascinating evolution.

This traditional skirt is composed of two overlapping panels of fabrics, each of     4     is identical and forms half of the skirt. With four openings, two in the front and two behind, the skirt is well-suited     5     women planning to go horseback riding. Typically, the decorative patterns of mamiangun     6     (divide) into individual and broad embroidery (刺绣) fabric patterns,     7    (carry) unique meanings respectively.

Up to now, Hanfu designers and enthusiasts     8     (develop) more modified andmodern-style mamianqun.     9     (additional), to bring new life to this historical cultural costume, Hanfu enthusiasts have integrated mamiangun with more casual clothes like T-shirts or blouses, presenting     10     more casual look.

Oil paintings, prints, porcelain paintings, watercolor... Art has many different forms. For Lian Yang,     1     real name is Wu Yang, a young painter from Sichuan province, her expression of oriental beauty stands out as unique. She     2    （devote） herself to bringing mineral pigment painting（岩彩画）back to the attention of young people in China since 2018, five years after graduation from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing.

Mineral pigment painting dates back     3     over thousands of years ago, originating as the Qiuci murals（龟兹壁画） in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Dunhuang murals in Gansu province.     4    （inspire） by this, Lian Yang created many     5    （artwork） about Bodhisattva, Buddhist scripture and Chinese culture, with lively and unique strokes. Her works gained     6    （popular）quickly, being collected by institutions and individuals globally.

To inject new vitality into traditional art, Yang also     7    （deliberate） made the females look more like modern youngsters.     8    （wear） hanfu, they display both the unique look of ancient murals as well as modern aesthetics.

The video of Lian Yang’s painting process went viral on     9     Internet, gaining over 24 million views. “A young person learning art is free from any constraints. They want to create things they like. This way, art comes from life and out of a box,” said Lian Yang. “We want to encourage more people     10    （create） and collect mineral pigment paintings.”

Wearing traditional Chinese dress,some foreigners in Shanghai    1    (show)up at a Chinese-style market at the River Mall in the Pudong New Area on Thursday,    2    (express)their love for Chinese culture and traditional clothing.

A series of activities including    3    market as well as traditional Chinese culture displays and parades of traditional Chinese fine clothing are rolling out in the city between Thursday and Sunday    4    (promote)traditional Chinese culture among young people.

The market drew some foreign Hanfu    5    (love).Zerin Moirang them,a university student from India,arrived in Shanghai last July.He used to participate in a lot of Hanfu activities during his stay in Kunming,Yunnan Province,and he joined a Hanfu society.“I have around 15 collections of Hanfu,and I took friends to the parks,wearing Hanfu,”hetold Shanghai Daily.“I am crazy    6    Hanfu and I really love it,”he said.“In the future,I want to bring Hanfu culture to my country,showing    7    (it)beauty.”

It was the first time for Katrina Andrushkevich from Belarus to wear Hanfu.“I am     8    (interest)in Chinese culture and history,”she said.“I feel    9     (incredible) special today and cherish this moment a lot.”

There is an interactive experience area    10    visitors can enjoy the fun of chess playing, calligraphy,tea ceremony,and riddle guessing to experience the charm of traditional Chinese culture

Mo Yan is one of     1     most popular Chinese writers today. All of     2     (he) books are bestsellers (畅销书). And his three books, including Red Sorghum, have been made into movies.

Mo Yan was born in Gaomi, Shandong Province in 1955. There     3     (be) six people in his family. They are his parents, his two brothers     4     his sister. As a child, he went to the primary school in his village, and because of the poor family, he had to leave school and worked on the farm. In 1976, he     5     (join) the army and worked for the army. Five years later, he started writing and finished his first three     6    (novel). Later, he wrote     7     (many) than thirty famous books. His novel, Red Sorghum, came out in 1986, and it was made into a film by Zhang Yimou. It was his first big success.

Mo Yan won Nobel Prize for Literature     8     2012, and he is the first one who got this prize of China. He also wrote some books after he won Nobel Prize. He has a daughter, Guan Xiaoxiao. And his daughter is also a     9     (write). Now he lives with his wife and his daughter in Beijing     10     (happy). In his free time, he goes on his writing.

In Shanxi Province, there is a tradition of taking afternoon naps, which means people take a short rest in the middle of the day. You can see people of all ages, men or women     1    (take)their naps. To them, it’s a peaceful and quiet time     2    the busy streets become empty and still.

Taking an afternoon nap is a tradition that     3    (be)around for a long time in Shanxi. It has been passed down from generation     4     generation. Parents teach their children the     5    (important)of rest and encourage them to do it. Through naps, they hope the young ones can learn to take care of     6    (they)and enjoy a quick break from a busy day.

Actually, the tradition of afternoon naps     7    (believe)to have many benefits. It helps people feel     8    (great)refreshed for the rest of the day. It also gives their bodies and minds a chance to relax and recover from all the activities in the morning.

So, if you ever visit Shanxi, don’t be     9    (surprise)if you see people taking naps in the early afternoon. And when you feel tired during the day, try finding somewhere comfortable and taking a good afternoon nap. Who knows, a little shut-eye might make     10    difference in making you feel great and your day even better!

The first underwater tunnel—Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel in South Asia, undertaken by China Communications Construction Company, opened in Bangladesh on Saturday.

    1     (locate) at the mouth of the Karnaphuli River, the tunnel connects the east and west banks of the river. It is 9. 3 kilometers long, has four lanes and is designed for speeds of 80 kilometers per hour. Major technical     2     (difficult) in construction had to be overcome, such as geological structures. To solve the problems, the project team applied the world’s     3     (large) steel casing (框架) , which allowed specialized machinery     4     (enter) and exit the tunnel.

The project, which was designed     5     Chinese standards, built using Chinese equipment and managed by Chinese enterprises,     6     (accomplish) as a successful exploration of China’s complete industrial chain for the construction of tunnels overseas, and will become     7     shining business card abroad.

As part of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor, the tunnel is an important link in the Belt and Road Initiative. Not only will it     8     (great) improve transportation conditions in Chattogram     9     will drive economic development in Bangladesh. Moreover, it improves the Asian highway network, promotes connectivity between Bangladesh and     10     (neighbor) countries and will encourage the internationalization of Bangladesh’s development.