A total of 99 traditional culture enthusiasts, mostly in their 20s and 30s,     1     (gather) at the television show Yellow River Culture Competition, where they provided a youthful interpretation of the     2     (country) “mother river”, according to a meeting recently     3     (hold) in Beijing.

Initiated by Shandong Radio and Television Station in     4     (associate) with eight other provinces and regions along the banks of the Yellow River, the show adopted multiple formats to combine competitions and performances, such as singing folk songs and     5     (recite) poetry, to promote the history and culture of the civilizations that have thrived (繁荣) along the river for thousands of years.

The show invited four famous     6     (scholar), namely Kang Zhen, Meng Man, Li Bo and Yang Yu, as guest celebrities, sharing lesser-known knowledge about the historic moments     7     have been part of Yellow River’s cultures.

Meng Man, a professor at the Minzu University of China, quoted some of     8     most famous poems featuring the Yellow River in ancient China. “The Yellow River is the mother river of the Chinese nation and the     9     (spirit) source of Chinese civilization. Through this program, the audience can not only have a deep understanding     10     the history of the Yellow River, but also take a close look at the happy life of the people living along its banks,” she added.

Tai chi is a Chinese martial art often practised with the purpose of     1     (improve) health. The practice forms of tai chi are well known for relaxing, circular movements that work in harmony with breath regulation (调节). It can not only keep your mind calm     2     also make your body strong. As you focus on your breathing and movements, your mind can clear itself of its worries,     3     does your whole body good,

    4     (influence) by Taoist and Confucian thoughts, and the ideas of traditional Chinese medicine, the practice has developed into several styles,     5     (usual) named after a master, such as Chen-style and Yang-style.

Chen Bin, one of the     6     (master) of the Chen-style tai chi, has been practising the martial art since he     7     (be) six years old. More than two decades of practice has made him a master. “One’s understanding of tai chi can develop when the practice continues. As one’s experience grows, it becomes much     8     (easy) to understand its cultural meaning,” Chen Bing explains.

Tai chi has taught Chen Bing     9     (stay) calm during life’s ups and downs, and to learn about the world with     10     open mind. Moreover, the martial art encourages using gentleness to get over toughness, and making use of weakness to win strength through one’s self-awareness, which shows the wisdom of Taoism.

Huishan Ancient Town in Wuxi, East China’s Jiangsu province, is known as one of the four best spots in China     1     (appreciate) autumn scenery along with Anhui’s Hongcun village, Tachuan village, and Jiangxi’s Huangli. There are some ancient towns in the Jiangnan region, while Huishan town is unique. The ancient town not only has small     2     (bridge)a nd streaming rivers, but also has green mountains. In addition to delicious food, the town has     3     easy-going living environment.

Two emperors in the Qing Dynasty visited Huishan seven times     4     total and ancient literati (文人) left numerous poems and stories about the ancient town. Jichang Garden in the town is     5     (absolute) a necessary stop in autumn.     6     (build) beside Huishan Mountain, Jichang Garden     7     (transform) into a colorful palette (调色板) with mountains and rivers perfecting each other in the autumn.

The town’s 1,600-year-old Huishan Temple is home to a 600-year-old tree,     8     is still strong and covered with thick golden yellow leaves in late autumn,     9     (attract) plenty of tourists and local residents. Huishan town also has an Azalea Garden that in spring produces bright red azaleas (杜鹃花), and the view is highly    10     (impress).

I’m not sure when I started to love qipaos. I just remember that when I saw Zhao Wei and other stars     1     (wear) qipaos in the TV series Romance in the Rain, I     2     (impress). Although Chinese women are fond of wearing qipaos for special events, for example, red ones for weddings, I wear them more     3     (frequent), not only for parties but also sometimes even in the office.

I’ve collected some qipaos,     4     (buy) at a store in one of Beijing’s historical neighborhoods. A Chinese friend of mine recently gave me one of her old qipaos, which almost reaches my ankles. The qipao fits well at the shoulders,     5     it was simply too tight (紧的) at the waist.

Many foreigners’     6     (body) differ from those of the Chinese, which makes     7     hard for some foreigners to take off qipaos. Because I am not too short, and pretty thin, I can often buy ready-made qipaos in China.

In my native United States, non-Asians     8     (be) sometimes blamed on social media for wearing qipaos because of     9     (culture) differences, but in China, people have what I consider a more reasonable and open-minded approach: If foreigners wear qipaos, it is seen     10     an attitude of appreciation for Chinese culture.

In early 2022, the Ministry of Water Resources in China planned to invest 800 billion yuan building water management projects during the year. But the country     1     (see) the funds reach 823 billion yuan by the end of September.

Last year, the large-scale development played a significant role in ensuring stable home fund     2     promoting employment. Over 2. 5 million workers     3     (employ) in the development, including almost 2.1 million people from rural China. People also noted the     4     (remark) growth in funds it raised for water management projects. Almost 1. 16 trillion yuan was collected across the country last year, 44 percent more than 2021. Over 203.6 billion yuan was raised     5     government bonds, roughly 1.5 times that of the previous year. Over 37.9 billion yuan was invested     6     (expand) and renovate (翻新) 529 medium and large-scale irrigated areas in 2022. Thanks to the     7     (invest), over 10,000 kilometers of irrigation channels were built or renovated.

During the rare drought in the Yangtze River Basin last year, the complete systems in many of those irrigated areas functioned     8     (efficient) in reducing the impacts of the drought and reducing losses. Such irrigated areas guaranteed water supply to 11.3 million hectares of farmland in     9     (strike) regions. Despite the drought, the basin saw     10     good harvest of grain.

The Asian Para Games is the largest multi-sport event for the disabled in Asia. Up to now, the organizers     1     (host) it three times successfully. The torch relay for the fourth Asian Para Games     2     (official) started on Thursday in the city of Hangzhou in East China’s Zhejiang province, with many torchbearers     3     (run) along a relay route on the first day.

The launch ceremony kicked off     4     Thursday morning at Xiushui Square near the lake of Qiandao,     5     must-see tourist site in Hangzhou’s Chun’an county. The torch was relayed in the counties of Jiande, Tonglu, Fuyang and Xiaoshan along the Xin’an, Fuchun and Qiantang rivers, which all have world-class cultural tourism     6     (attraction). The torch finally arrived at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center to light up the main torch tower on Sunday.

Athlete Tan Yujiao,     7     was the first torchbearer among a total of 600 torchbearers, told the reporters on Thursday that she felt extremely honored and excited     8     (hold) the heavy torch.

As 188 torchbearers were representatives with a disability, intelligent bionic (仿生学的) hands and legs as well as intelligent guide dogs     9     (use) during the torch relay.

“We wish to convey the idea that technology can be much     10     (convenient) to the lives of disabled people,” said Du Zuofeng, deputy (副的) commander of the Hangzhou Asian Para Games Torch Relay Command Center.

The Internet is good for many millions of things. In today’s     1     (connect) world, it’s hard to imagine once again living in a world without the Internet. Of course, there are still libraries     2     you can get information or photo-printing stores in which you can order pictures, but the Internet has made the way we live our lives much faster than it     3     (be) in the past.

Along with the good comes the bad, though. If you’ve never thought of the Internet as a possibly-dangerous place, you need to be aware that, just like in the real world, there are some people who intend     4     (use) the Internet to harm you. Therefore, it’s important to learn how to stay safe when you’re online.

First, you should never give out the following types of information online: your full name, your address, your phone number, your birth date or your password. Of course, you will have to provide these things when you order things online, but be sure you’re dealing     5     an honest online shopkeeper.

Second, choose email addresses, screen names, and passwords     6     (careful). Make sure they don’t uncover personal information about you. For example, don’t use your real name as your screen name! Passwords should also be nearly     7     (possible) to guess.

Third, if you feel like you’re being cyberbullied (网络欺凌), whether via email, a social media website, or in a chat room online, be sure to report     8     (they) to an adult.

Finally, remember that the Internet is a large place, but it has a way of     9     (spread) things around very quickly. If you wouldn’t want a friend or parent to see something, it’s probably something you shouldn’t post from     10     beginning!

Millions of bus passengers will enjoy cleaner, safer     1     more comfortable journeys as the government invests (投资) a further £143 million to roll out almost a thousand new zero emission (排放) buses in England. The new     2     (serve) is expected to have a marked impact on the future of the country.

The funding comes from the     3     (two) round of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme, which will see new electric buses in towns, villages and     4     (city) across England, including the most rural parts of the country, many of which will get zero emission buses for the first time. Thanks to the ZEBRA programme, no other European country     5     (record) as many electric buses in 2023 as the UK, with zero emission buses accounting     6     almost half of all new large buses introduced last year.

Today’s investment follows over £270 million to 16 local transport authorities (LTAs)     7     (lead) the total government support to cover 41 LTAs.     8     (make) sure more parts of England benefit from better buses and green technology, particularly rural areas     9     the journey towards decarbonising (碳减排) buses is in     10     (it) early stages, the government has put the first £40 million into rural communities.

It is well-known that the Great Wall is a symbol of China and enjoys great popularity. In c. 220 B. C., under Qin Shi Huang, sections of earlier fortifications (防御工事) were joined together     1     (form) a united defence system against invasions from the north. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644),     2     the Great Wall became the world’s largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance.

The Great Wall was     3     (continuous) built from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD on the northern border of the country as the great military defence project of successive (连续的) Chinese Empires, with a total     4     (long) of more than 20, 000 kilometers. The Great Wall begins in the east at Shanhaiguan in Hebei province and     5     (end) at Jiayuguan in Gansu province to the west. Its main body consists     6     walls, horse tracks, watch towers, and shelters on the wall, and includes fortresses (要塞) and passes along the Wall.

The Great Wall reflects conflicts and exchanges between     7     (agriculture) civilizations and nomadic (游牧的) civilizations in ancient China. It is one of the significant physical     8     (proof) of the far-sighted political strategic thinking and mighty military and national defence forces of central empires in ancient China, and is     9     outstanding example of the superb military architecture, technology and art of ancient China. It embodies incomparable significance as the national symbol for     10     (safeguard) the security of the country and its people.

Layue falls on the     1     (twelve) month of the traditional Chinese calendar. The Chinese character “La” holds historical significance,     2     (appear) in ancient texts such as Book of Changes and Rites of Zhou.     3     (original), “La” meant “cured meat”. Layue is also the month with the richest traditional customs in one year.

The eighth day of Layue marks the Laba Festival, whose custom on this day is to enjoy Laba porridge. It is a delightful     4     (mix) of grains, peanuts, chestnuts, red dates, lotus seeds, and other ingredients (配料), all of     5     are mixed together to make it a main course of the Laba Festival. In the northern part of China, there is a saying, “Children, don’t be too eager; right after Laba, the new year is     6     its way.” Celebrating Laba means the approach of the Chinese New Year.

The Kitchen God Festival is a widespread custom     7     (observe) across the country. On this day, people would hang images of the Kitchen God     8     his wife around the kitchen stove (炉子). Today, many rural areas still uphold this tradition.

Layue     9     (regard) as preparation for the upcoming Spring Festival. If the Spring Festival is considered the most joyful celebration of the year, many would agree that the joy, noise and expectation of Layue are no     10     (little) significant than the main event.