It’s common to see a barista (咖啡师) create coffee art (咖啡拉花). However, it’s a whole different ball game doing same thing with tea. Over the past several years, Han Zheming, a 40-year-old Shanghai resident,     1       (manage) to perfect the skill, creating tea art in cups, or dian cha in Chinese. “It is similar     2     the foam (泡沫) on top of a cup of coffee, except that it is made of tea rather than milk. ”

Chinese tea culture started to enjoy     3       (popular) during the Tang Dynasty. After hundreds of years of evolution, it thrived throughout the Song Dynasty,     4       tea had become a necessity for almost everyone, just like other items as rice, oil and salt. In the eyes of people of that time, good tea should be white and fine. The better the tea, the whiter it should be, and the     5     (long) the foam should last.

Han is curious about the patterns     6     (create) on the tea foam and he often goes to museums to observe Song paintings. “    7     (usual), it takes a year of practice for one to fully grasp tea-whisking.” It is through trial and error that Han gets going. Now, he can deliver a piece of tea-whisking art in “one take”.

“It’s like     8     (add) bells and whistles to tea and giving people     9     stronger sense of occasion, so drinking tea is more fun,” Han says. It’s also his intention     10     (bring) the old ritual (礼仪) and culture back for more people to appreciate.

Bai Tinggui, who was born in the 1990s, is     1     attendant for the high-speed trains on the Chongqing section of China Railway Chengdu Bureau Group Co Ltd. This     2     (year) Spring Festival travel rush marks a decade of her dedicated service.

Every time she met elderly passengers     3     traveled alone, she would think of her grandparents, which made her start to think about how to provide more assistance for the elderly.

Gradually, through her work, Bai became familiar     4     more public welfare work and was     5     (active) engaged in related projects. In the last three years, she     6     (participate) in various activities as a volunteer, offering help to those in need. In addition to her daily work, Bai also uses her time off     7     (help) key groups such as the elderly and children at the railway station.

Bai Tinggui’s story is a beacon(灯塔) of hope     8     a reminder of the impact one individual can make. Her dedication to service extends beyond her professional responsibilities. Her involvement in volunteer activities     9     (be) a testament to her belief in giving back to the community. And there surely will be a growing trend among individuals in the railway sector to participate in social welfare activities,     10     (contribute) to a more inclusive and supportive society.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the world’s    1     (old) medical system with a long history. It is    2    system of healing based on the Chinese philosophy of the connection between nature and human beings,     3    theories refer to yin and yang, the Five Elements, etc.

TCM has two main    4     (feature), an overall point of view and treatment according to a differentiation of syndromes (综合症). The therapeutic (治疗的) methods of TCM involve different approaches, such as acupuncture, herbal medicine and qi gong,     5     (allow) the body to heal itself in a natural way.

Western medicine    6     (introduce) into China in the middle of the 17th century. During the first two centuries, several different views,     7     (relate) to the future of TCM and the relation between TCM and Western medicine, appeared. Some advocated complete westernization of Chinese medicine, others were in favor of keeping it complete.

Nowadays, more and more people realize each of the two medical traditions has its own advantages and advise that the two systems should benefit     8     each other’s strong points.

In the future, diverse forms — including TCM, Western medicine and possibly other variants (变种) — can work together with each other rather than in    9     (compete). This combined approach will    10     (eventual) become safer, faster and more effective.

The Lunar New Year is a major holiday in several Asian countries. And people celebrate over several days or even weeks. It is     1     (wide) known as the Spring Festival in China, Tet in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea. Because the holiday is based on the moon, it falls somewhere     2     the end of January and the end of February.

The lunar calendar is based on 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac (生肖). They are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. In the Vietnamese zodiac, the cat     3     (replace) the rabbit and the buffalo is in place of the ox. For 2024, it is the year of the dragon for both.

One well-known ancient story speaks of Nian,     4     terrible monster that eats human flesh on New Year’s Day. But Nian has three fears     5     weaken him. He fears the color red, loud noises and fire. So, the Lunar New Year     6     (activity) include putting up red paper dragons on the doors of homes. People also light red lanterns all night and set off firecrackers     7     (scare) away the monster.

Nowadays, the Lunar New Year celebration is centered on     8     (remove) bad luck and welcome all that is good and successful. Red     9     (consider) as a lucky color to ring in a new year. In many Asian cultures, the color symbolizes a good future and     10     (happy). People wear red clothing, decorate their homes with red paper lanterns and use red envelopes to present loved ones with gifts of money.

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.

Plants are actually grown in space already. Do you know the fact    1    astronauts aboard the ISS(国际空间站)ate the first space-grown salad on August 10, 2015? And yes, they liked what they ate.

Growing a plant in space is not an easy task.    2    (normal), growing eatable and nutritious plants is difficult enough here on Earth, so imagine how challenging it would be    3    (grow) those greens in microgravity (微重力) and under highly    4    (control) soil conditions, humidity(湿度), light, and various gases.

Traditionally, roots grow and spread downwards due to gravity. Still, in space, where    5     effect of gravity is slight, things change, and they do so quite strongly. Can you imagine a plant floating in a spaceship, with its roots    6     (stick) out in every direction? Therefore, keeping this entire system in a good condition is very important. To achieve this, Rick Mastracchio, the    7    (found) of a special container named “Veggie", made great efforts with his partner    8    a few years.

Cultivating a plant in space is just one part of a more complex and    9    (large) effort. Astronaut farmers must ensure that the plants grow in such artificial conditions are safe to consume, have no side effects and    10    (be) pleasant to eat... at least a little.

Elephant Trunk Hill lies     1     two rivers meet, one of them is the famous Li River of

Guilin city in Guangxi, and it is the symbol of Guilin. The hill was     2     (former) named Li Hill and resembles (像) a giant elephant standing in the river, drinking water through its trunk. Thus, the mountain was named Elephant Trunk Hill.     3     (date) back to as early as the Tang and Song dynasties, the hill has been a famous tourist     4     (attract) over 1,000 years of history. The scenic area combines unique rocks, beautiful waterways, special caves and numerous cliff stone carvings, which make it enjoy a high reputation worldwide.

Ranging     5     historical significance to cultural richness, we are grateful to witness such a breathtaking landscape. The     6     (commerce) value of this site is undeniable, attracting visitors from all corners of the globe who take advantage of its beauty.    7     (be)frank, few places offer such a diverse blend of natural and historical elements. Visitors may occasionally complain about crowds, but     8     response from the authorities has been positive, aiming to enhance the overall experience. The     9     (reject) of modern developments preserves its natural beauty. The site continues to inspire future generations to come. Energetic and flexible, it     10     (adapt) to the changing times while maintaining its essence (本质).

A pair of scissors, a piece of paper, and a pair of dexterous (灵巧的) hands. That’s     1     is needed to create delicate works of paper-cuttings.

    2    (originate) in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, this ancient form of art has not only survived through generations but has also become     3     important part of Chinese culture. It is often associated with the     4     (celebrate) of the Spring Festival, where complex patterns of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals     5     (create) to bring good luck and fortune for the new year.

The art of paper-cuttings goes beyond mere craftsmanship. It is a form of expression deeply     6    (root) in Chinese history and tradition. Artists, without the need for any drawn draft, use their imagination to create     7    (variety) patterns and images with scissors and burins. Animals, flowers, mythological and historical figures are meticulously (细致地) cut and carved, each carrying its own symbolism and meanings.

Today, paper-cuttings continue to decorate Chinese homes,     8    (especial) during the Spring Festival. The windows and walls come alive with vibrant patterns and scenes of family reunions and temple fairs. It serves     9     a reminder of the rich cultural heritage that the Chinese people cherish     10     pass down from one generation to another.

“The Secret of Your Memory” has helped me understand how my memory works. Before     1     (read) the text, I didn’t know that there are so many interesting things about our memory.

Now I understand why we remember the events in childhood     2     (good) than those that happened recently. I also learned that some people have     3     (amaze) memories. Most of us will have to make     4     effort when trying to remember things. What’s more, it is astonishing to know how a person’s memory changes     5     age. Our memory reaches its full power at the age of 25,     6     shows my memory is at its best state at the moment.

Getting to know the secrets of our memory     7     (mean) leaning not only the facts about it,     8     the ways to improve it. I think I will follow the advice     9     (provide) and try to strengthen my memory. Moreover, I must also learn to do “spaced review”,     10     (especial) during the first day after learning. I am sure these methods will help me improve my learning.