The site of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes is located in northwest China’s Gansu Province. The Mogao Grottoes, also known as the “Caves of a Thousand Buddhas”, is a shining pearl on the ancient Silk Road,     1     (combine) painting, sculpture and architecture.

According to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) records, a monk named Lezun saw a thousand Buddhas under showers of golden rays. Thus     2     (inspire), he began to build a temple,     3     spans ten dynasties.

For more than a thousand years,     4     total of 735 caves and 45,000 square meters of murals    5     (create). These murals also show diverse cultures, recording ancient folk customs     6     historical changes. Therefore, they are also called “An Encyclopedia on the Wall”.

The Mogao Grottoes consist     7     large grotto temples showcasing paintings, sculptures, architectural designs and murals.     8     (protect) Dunhuang culture, the Dunhuang Academy has been exploring ways of protecting the cultural heritage through digital technology since the late 1980s.

Through digital     9     (interact) programs, you can visit the caves and murals online with people from all over the world. Now, the ancient Dunhuang culture     10     (attract) more and more young people in the digital world.

Alcohol or liquor, also called baijiu in Chinese, may be featured on special occasions    1     (ease) the expression of diners’ thoughts and feelings. But in the long process of Chinese history, it is not just an objective existence,    2     a cultural symbol. China is one of the earliest countries in the world to make alcohol and the history can date    3     prehistoric times. Since its appearance,    4     has been reflected in social life, literature, and aesthetic (美学的) ideas is its spiritual and cultural value. In this sense, to drink alcohol     5     (be) actually to taste a culture.

According to the    6     (history) records, as early as in the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC), Chinese people began to drink alcohol and use it to worship gods (祭神). All kinds of alcohol except yellow rice wine developed    7     (great) after the Han (206 BC–220) and Tang (618–907) dynasties.

Chinese alcohol has a wide variety of kinds. By the type of products, they can include yellow rice wine, white wine, medicinal liquor, fruit liquor and beer. By the alcoholic content, they can    8     (group) into 3 categories: strong, medium and low alcohol liquor. With the Chinese wine-making industry    9     (develop) every day, alcohol, over a thousand years,    10     (integrate) into the brilliant Chinese civilization as a basic necessity in people’s life.

Intangible cultural inheritors and folk     1     (artist) from nine provinces and regions along the Yellow River gathered in Dongying, East China’s Shandong province, at a festival    2     (display) the rich cultures cultivated along the river basin.

Bi Wenjing’s booth (摊位) presenting Huanghekou Huamo was     3     popular attraction. The craftswoman created a flower-shaped steamed bun. She     4     (place) a huge sample of her handiwork, weighing 30 kilograms, in the booth, attracting tourists to take photos. Bi said she started work     5     9 am and visitors were still coming to view it as darkness fell.

In addition, more than 100     6     (agriculture) products were on sale, while delicious food was also available, including barbecued delights from Zibo, Shandong province,     7     was recently popular on social media.

Sun Zhaohai, a resident of Dongying, said people could taste mouthwatering food while learning about folk customs at the festival, making it perfect for children. The Yellow River, the second     8     (long) river in China, originates on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and flows through nine provinces and regions from west to east,     9     (eventual) reaching the Bohai Sea. It     10     (call) the cradle (摇篮) of Chinese civilization, too.

What you need to know about the sandstorm in Beijing

A: sandstorm swept across Beijing and several northern areas in China on Monday.Where did the sandstorm come from? How long will it last? Lets take     1     look.

Q: Where did the sandstorm come from?

A: The sandstorm originated in the Gobi Desert areas of Mongolia. Strong winds picked up the sand and dust,     2     were then transported southward and eastward at high altitudes and eventually settled in downstream (顺流的) are as such as Beijing,    3     (result) in the sandstorm.

Q: When will the dusty weather     4     (weak)? Should we expect more sandstorms this week?

A: According to the National Meteorological Center, the sandstorm     5     (moderate) starting from next Tuesday.

Q: Why are sandstorms in North China so frequent this year?

A: There are multiple     6     (reason).The cold air activity has remained active in March     7     April. Mongolian cyclones (旋风) and cold fronts (冷锋) have transported sand and dust from the sand source areas downstream to even more southern and farther areas.

Q: Is a yellowish sky always an indicator of a sandstorm?

A: Not exactly. Only when the sandy and dusty weather reaches a certain     8     (intense) can it be called a sandstorm.

Q: What precautions to take in dusty weather?

A: Stay indoors as much as possible, and keep windows and doors closed. Use air purifiers, sprinkle water, use humidifiers, and mop the floor with a wet cloth     9     (remove) dust.Wear masks when going outdoors, and clean your face and nose when returning home; When driving, reduce speed, turn on headlights, and drive     10     caution.

“Food is the first necessity of the people,” said historian Sima Qian. Today, these words still ring true. The Chinese respect and passion for food are rooted     1     the cultural landscape.

The Central Plains is where     2     story of noodles began. The Yellow River flows through this ancient cradle (发源地) of Chinese civilization, and its floods     3     (slow) created the rich soil perfect for the growth of wheat. Noodle-making     4     (become) the cooking feature of nearby Shanxi so far. Daoxiao mian is a     5     (type) one among them.

The Mongolians established the Yuan dynasty in the 13th century     6     the Han people didn’t own knives. Later several families, with only one knife     7     (share) , found noodle-making impossible. One day, a smart cook decided     8     (use) a small piece of metal to slice the dough (生面团) directly into the pot, so daoxiao mian was made.

Wheat is the main staple in Shanxi, so people craft the dough into all sorts of fun shapes: pinching it into a cat’s ears or little fish,     9     (roll) it into tiny shells with the thumb, and making it into floral or animal shapes. They use their imagination to make their     10     (family) eat the same thing every day.

The Hangzhou Asian Games served as not just a platform for Asian athletes    1    (compete) in sports, but also a crucial stage to present the cultural     2    (diverse) of Asian nations.

“The Hangzhou Asian Games provided    3    unique opportunity for people from 45 countries and regions to come together.” Yasuhiro Inomata said.

“This holds significant importance in promoting intercultural exchanges, as well as developing peace regionally and    4     (globe),”Inomata added.

“The massive scale of this year’s Asian Games not only reflects the development         5    (achievement) in sports throughout Asia, but also     6     ( symbolize) the unity of Asian people,” Raja Randhir Sing said, noting that the Hangzhou Asian Games presents a positive image of the mutual love and friendship    7     (share) by Asian people.

“     8    spectators, we felt that the message of unity and love was not just words but a feeling that reminded us that, despite our differences, we are all interconnected and    9    (harmony) like one big family,” Kharaz, a reporter from Palestine, said.

“The Asian Games are an important platform    10    diverse traditions and cultures met,” Samir al-Musawi, head of the Iraqi delegation to Hangzhou, said to Xinhua.

Light pollution is a serious problem. This became completely obvious when the World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness, a computer-created map based on thousands of satellite (卫星) photos,     1     (publish) in 2016. The map shows how and where     2    (we) world is lit up at night. Large areas of North America, Europe, and Asia are glowing (发光) with light, while only the most remote (偏远的) places on Earth are in total darkness. Some of the most light-polluted    3     (country) in the world are Singapore, Qatar, and Kuwait.

Sky glow is the brightening of the night sky, mostly over cities, because    4    the electric lights of cars, streetlamps, offices, factories and buildings, turning night into day.

People     5     live in cities with high levels of sky glow have a hard time     6     (see) stars at night. Scientists are     7     (particular) worried about sky glow pollution as it influences their ability     8     (view) space.

According to research, more    9     80% of the world’s population, and 99% of Americans and Europeans, live under sky glow. It sounds pretty, but sky glow    10    (cause) by human activities is one of the most common forms of light pollution.

Tommy Bell was the best friend. Those who are familiar    1    our adventures, admire our brotherly bond. Born 10 metres apart in the same hospital, we were brought up in the same town,    2    was a paradise for both of us. By the time we were teenagers, we were business partners selling imported luxury goods. In our twenties, I followed him into the Great War. As the battle unfolded, there were horrible scenes in our    3    (surrounding). I ought to have died when a bomb    4    (strike) something near us. Tommy struggled to drag me to safety on his back. Despite    5    (lose) my leg, I survived and I owe him my life.

    6    (make) his fortune and work out his destiny after the war, Tommy went to so much trouble to the West. We seldom corresponded, but never did he forget his old pal. Unusually I’d always receive a pack of money each month on my doorstep. I never proved my guess that it came from him. I never asked him about it, and I think he preferred that I didn’t.

When I received news of his passing away, I was    7    (bitter) ashamed that I didn’t keep in contact with him more regularly. Meetings    8    (postpone) for one reason or another. Now I’m here at this    9    (appoint) place and time, to pour some whiskey, his favourite drink, and raise a glass to Tommy Bell. It’s plain to see he was    10     impressive, inspiring, and ambitious fellow. Wherever he is, I sincerely wish he could find comfort and rest easy.

The Qiaoxi Historical and Cultural Block in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, is perfect for visitors     1     (experience) China’s rich culture. The area is known     2     “Qiaoxi,” which means to the west of a bridge. Because its     3     (locate) is on the western side of Hangzhou’s famous Gongchen Bridge, an ancient structure     4     (lay) across the Grand Canal.

Once a busy market for local trade in ancient times and     5     industrial area in modern times, the Qiaoxi Block has now become a tourism district. Visitors can enjoy Chinese culture up close through a blend (混合) of     6     (tradition) business trade, scenic spots and residential areas. It is also a place     7     several museums meet together, including the China Knives, Scissors and Swords Museum, the China Umbrella Museum, and the China Fan Museum and so on.

    8     (walk) along the street, visitors can encounter street performances featuring local folk arts, or take their children to a Chinese medicine workshop,     9     try their hand at gaining cultural heritage skills at the Handicraft Dynamic Museum.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal     10     (list) on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014, where the two heritage sites of the Gongchen Bridge and the Qiaoxi Historical and Cultural Block were included in the project as well.

KUNMING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The Dai ethnic group in southwest China’s Yunnan Province has been busy     1     (celebrate) its New Year, with local Dai people and crowds of tourists observing a grand water-splashing festival. After being suspended (暂停) for three years because of the COVID-19 pandemic,     2     traditional water-sprinkling festival has come back.

The three-day festival, from Thursday to Saturday,     3     (regard) as the most important festival observed by the Dai people. During the festival, local people dress up and splash (泼) water on each other as a way     4     (express) good wishes and wash away all the bad luck from the previous year, thus beginning a new year of     5     (happy) and good fortune.

The water festival is celebrated by over 1.3 million Dai people living in China, mainly in Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture     6     in the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture. The Dai people live in the rich lowland agricultural     7     (area) along the major rivers such as the Mekong River. Their culture is much like Thai culture, and they are     8     (close) related to Thai. Along     9     lowland rice agriculture, the Dai grow rubber trees and specialty teas, especially the expensive Pu’er variety.

    10     (vary) activities were also staged during the festival, such as colorful dragon boat races and spectacular dance and musical performances.