People send birthday wishes using cards and postcards in many cultures. It is not known when and where the tradition of     1     (send) birthday cards began, however, it is believed     2     it was in England in the early nineteenth century. In those days people sent birthday cards because they couldn’t wish somebody     3     happy birthday in person.

In 1840, the first postage stamp was issued (发行) in Britain and sending birthday cards became     4     (cheap) and therefore more popular. The development of colour printing processes in the 1930s also helped to increase sales of cards.

Today usually cards     5     (give) with a present, even when people can send     6     (they) wishes in person. In recent times, e-cards have also become popular: many people are starting to use these instead       7     traditional cards as they are free, environmentally     8     (friend) and arrive more quickly. So will e-cards take the place of paper cards in ten or twenty years? Probably not. For young     9     (child) and old people or for very formal occasions (正式场合) e-cards are not proper and some people     10     (simple) don’t use the Internet.

A comforting cup of tea is an essential part of the day for hundreds of millions of people around the globe. Worldwide, three cups of tea     1     (consume) for every cup of coffee. To fully appreciate the ancient roots of the     2     (herb) drink, a visit to the China National Tea Museum might be     3     order. The institution has a long history.

    4     (locate) in Hangzhou, the museum occupies a parklike setting. Inside, various halls demonstrate the story of tea, its ceremonies (仪式) and its tools. Records of tea drinking date as far back as the tenth century B.C. in China.    5     (original) the leaves were baked into a brick, a part of     6     could be broken off and made into a powder (粉状物). Tea spread into northern China during the Tang Dynasty; by the Song Dynasty it     7     (acquire) a loose-leaf production as well as the ceremonies that made its consumption     8     art form.

The art of tea extended to its fancy     9     (contain), which are on display at the museum. Gracefully rounded kettles date back 5,000 years; tea bowls from the Tang Dynasty have a beautiful simplicity. Today visitors can observe a tea ceremony that might be enough     10     (change) even the most passionate coffee drinker.

Hanfu, or traditional Chinese clothing, has a long history dating back    1    thousands of years. It represents the traditional cultural heritage of the Han ethnic group in China. Hanfu embodies the elegance, grace, and beauty of ancient Chinese civilization. In the last few years it    2    (make) a comeback. It is estimated that by the end of this year, the number of people using hanfu products in China will reach 6.89 million, with total sales    3    (expect) to reach 10.16 billion yuan.

    4    (satisfy) the diverse tastes of today’s youth, sellers are putting fancy decorations on this ancient costume. Certain hanfu has a    5    (color) reflective effect, as shiny decorative powders    6    (stamp) into the cloth. Although the young fans of hanfu generally agree    7    is no need to strictly follow the ancient rules, their opinions differ significantly. Some said they can match hanfu from different dynasties together, or with modern clothing, according to their own    8    (prefer).

But others said clothing with fancy and modern decorations can’t be seen as hanfu at all. Meanwhile, fans disagree on    9    often one should wear the clothing, every day or on special occasions like festivals and weddings. But one thing is for sure, young people have become    10    (increasing) interested in activities to promote and display the traditional Chinese culture.

The United Kingdom, Great Britain, Britain, England—many people are     1     (confuse) by what these different names mean. So what is the     2     (different) between them, if any?     3     (get) to know     4     little bit about British history will help you solve this puzzle.

In the 16th century, the nearby country of Wales was joined to the Kingdom of England. Later, in the 18th century, the country Scotland was joined     5    (create) the Kingdom of Great Britain. In the 19th century, the Kingdom of Ireland was added to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.     6    (final), in the 20th century, the southern part of Ireland     7     (break) away from the UK, which resulted     8     the full name we have today: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Most people just use the shortened name: “the United Kingdom” or “the UK”. People from the UK are called “British”,     9     means the UK is also often     10     (refer) to as Britain or Great Britain.

Due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), people all over the world are wearing masks     1    (reduce) the risk of infection. It’s a very simple     2     incredibly effective method to protect oneself from a     3     (various) of harmful things. The fact is     4     masks have been helping mankind for centuries. In the first century, many people in Roman Empire     5     (work) underground in mines to support their families. But most of them suffered     6     and even eventually died of respiratory (呼吸的) illnesses. To address this problem, Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD), a Roman philosopher and naturalist, recommended the use of animal bladder (膀胱) skins to stop dust from being breathed in. Although primitive, his idea     7     (consider) the very first recorded mask invention.

With several outbreaks of     8     (infect) diseases and the flu, and the rise of pollution caused by industrial waste, the materials in masks have continued to evolve to     9     (well) protect its wearer. For example, in 2012 when China suffered from smog, mask models such as N95 and KN90, which can filter out this fine particulate (微粒) matter, became highly popular. In the future, masks will continue to improve, hopefully     10     will the habits of humans.

Jade is found in mountains and riverbeds, and the Chinese people consider jade     1     (be) “the essence of heaven and earth”. In Chinese culture, jade has its cultural meaning.    2     (traditional), the Chinese people thought jade is the most precious stone, a material containing the essence of virtue.

The     3    (early) Chinese jade is from the early New Stone Age Hemudu culture in Zhejiang province. The history of jade in China    4    (date) back to Shang dynasty when jade was used as a medium of exchange.

Jade is important to Chinese culture because of its beauty, practical use and social value. In Book of Rites, Confucius said that there are 11 virtues    5    (represent) in jade: kindness, justice, propriety, truth,    6    (honest), music, loyalty, heaven, earth, morality and intelligence.

Jade is so deep-rooted in Chinese culture     7    there are famous stories about it, such as "He Shi Zhi Bi”. In the story, Bian He found a piece of raw jade and tried to give    8     to the King of Chu State. However, two generations of kings didn't recognize its value and cut off his feet    9     a punishment for his trying to present an unworthy stone to them. Eventually, King of Wen found it was a rare treasure. It     10    (carve) into a disc and named after Bian He.