The term Xuan paper was first introduced in the book On Famous Paintings through the Ages by Tang Dynasty (618-907) scholar Zhang Yanyuan. In his book, Zhang described Xuan paper as an ideal     1     (carry) for calligraphy and painting. Handmade Xuan paper from Jingxian county, East China’s Anhui province,     2     (list) as a gift to the imperial court (朝廷) for its top-level quality during that period.

The traditional craft of making Xuan paper is     3     (extraordinary) demanding. It involves a three-year process     4     sandalwood bark (檀香树皮), native to southern China, undergoes 108 procedures together with rice straw (稻草) before it can be transformed     5     fine Xuan paper. The entire procedure is so complex that even the most skilled craftsman can only master     6     limited number of steps.

The flow of ink, both guided and resisted by water, determines the output of Chinese art, and Xuan paper stands out with its exceptional ability     7     (give) full play to ink. Changing the amount of bark versus straw during the papermaking process can produce different canvases (画布) tailored to artistic expression in freehand ink paintings or calligraphy.

Xuan paper     8     (accompany) the passionate brushstrokes of the Chinese literati (文人) for thousands of years. Unlike other forms of paper, it is very resistant to damage     9     (bring) by time. It is this durability     10     has made the preservation of many valuable works from ancient China possible.

The opening of a new exhibition building at the Sanxingdui Museum, in Guanghan, Sichuan province, made the place     1     popular tourist attraction. The golden masks and various sculptures reveal the     2     (mystery) faces of a culture dating back more than 3,000 years.

For those who can not go to Guanghan, an immersive (沉浸式的) exhibition     3     (equip) with digital technology, called “Hello, Sanxingdui”,     4     (offer) an individual way to help people enjoy the beauty of this Bronze Age culture.

The exhibition journey begins     5     a brief timeline of texts, photos and videos,     6     (indicate) how Sanxingdui was first discovered in the 1920s and local scientists got involved in the digging work. It also shows that there are a lot more myths and secrets in Sanxingdui remaining     7     (discover).

    8     (image) of these objects found at Sanxingdui and their patterns have been digitalized, animated and projected on screens     9     (successful), leading the audience into the ancient kingdom of Shu, a country     10     existed for centuries in the southwest during the Zhou Dynasty but disappeared suddenly, leaving many myths and legends.

The Chinese couplet (对联) refers to two poetic lines obeying certain rules, often     1     (write) on red paper for     2     (appreciate).

As a form of Chinese literature, the couplet     3     (vary) in content and style. Some express people’s love to their motherland, some describe the beauty of nature,     4     some convey best wishes for the coming year.

Chinese couplets originated in the Five Dynasties, and since then they     5     (become) commonplace everywhere in China. It was the custom for people     6     (hang) peach wood charms to drive away evil spirits during the Spring Festival. Nowadays, couplets are used in a similar way.

It was said that the     7     (early) couplet was created by Meng Chang, king of Later Shu and it was     8     (wide) popular in the Northern Song Dynasty. At present, writing couplets     9     (regard) as a mark of the cultured life of scholars.

The couplet has two equal-length lines. However,     10     number of characters in each line can be from four to seven or more. The first and the second lines have opposite tone patterns. The last character of the first line is of an oblique tone, and its opposite in the second line, is of a level tone.

Many years ago, a dance between clay and fire gave rise     1     a tangible piece of art: porcelain (瓷器). In the flames     2     (burn) in kilns (窑) around China in the Xia and Shang dynasties, porcelain was born. Porcelain     3     (make) by heating raw materials, often a mix between China stone     4     kaolin clay, in a kiln at a temperature as high as 1, 200 degrees Celsius. Temperature is the key to     5     (produce) porcelain.

Porcelain has also been     6     carrier for cultural exchanges. Along with China’s silk and tea, porcelain was one of the first goods     7     (receive) worldwide trade.

As it travelled around the globe through the ancient Maritime Silk Road, porcelain enjoyed great     8     (popular) among royal families and upper classes in Europe,     9     were attracted by these beautiful containers they named after China, a product that could be produced only in the far East. As a memory that can be felt with both hands, porcelain is     10     (absolute) the touchable history.

Qing Ming is     1     (popular) associated with Jie Zizhui,     2     lived in Shanxi province in 600 B. C. It is said that Jie saved his starving lord's life by serving a piece of his own leg. When the lord succeeded in becoming the ruler of a small country, he invited his faithful follower to join him.     3    , Jie declined his invitation,     4     (prefer) to lead a simple life with his mother in the mountains.

Believing that he could force Jie out by burning the mountain, the lord ordered his men to set fire to the forest. To his disappointment, Jie chose to remain where he was and was burnt to death.     5     (memorize) Jie, the lord ordered all fires in every home to be put out on the anniversary of Jie's death. Thus began the “cold food feast”, a day     6     no food could be cooked since no fire could be lit.

The “cold food” festival occurs on the eve of Qing Ming and     7     (consider) as part of the Qing Ming festival. As time passes, the Qing Ming festival has replaced the “cold food” festival. Whatever practice is observed, the basic observation of Qing Ming is to remember one's elders by making     8     special effort to visit their graves, ashes or ancestral tablets. To make the visit even more     9    (meaning), some time should be spent to remind the younger members of the family of the lives and contributions of their ancestors. One of the most important     10     (activity) on this day is to sweep graves to honor ancestors, dead relatives and friends.

Finally, in the 20th century, the     1     part of Ireland broke away from the UK, which     2     in the full name we have today: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Most people just use the     3     name: “the United Kingdom” or “the UK”. People from the UK are called “British”, which means the UK is also often     4     to as Britain or Great Britain.