Xu Yuanchong was a famous Chinese translator, best known for translating Chinese ancient poems into English and French. Xu was born in 1921 in Nanchang, Jiangxi. His mother, who was well educated and good at painting, had great impact on Xu in his     1     (pursue) of beauty and literature. When studying at Provincial Nanchang No. 2 High School, he excelled at English. In 1938, he     2     (admit) to the Department of Foreign Languages, Naitonal Southwest Associated University, a school     3     graduates have played a central role in modern China. At university, Xu gave outstanding performances in English, Russian, French, while even hosting Shakespeare classes, clearly showing a gift for translation.

After his graduation, Xu devoted     4     (him) to education and translation. He was the first Chinese translator     5     (translate) Chinese poetry into English and French verse. He also translated many     6     (masterpiece) into Chinese including The Red and the Black and Jean-Christophe.

In his last days, the hundred-year-old scholar was still working on the translation of Shakespeare’s complete works. Seven hours of work in front of a computer every day is     7     unbearable task for young adults.    8     (surprising), this 100-year-old scholar is never bored with his work, passionately typing his translation word by word, day after day.    9     the morning of June 17, Xu passed away in Beijing at the age of 100. The respectable translator enjoyed a life worth     10     (remember).

Just like spoken language, body language varies from culture to culture. The gesture for “OK” has different     1     (meaning) in different cultures. In Japan, someone who witnesses another person employing the gesture might think it means money. In France, a person encountering an identical gesture may interpret it as meaning zero. However, you should avoid     2    (make) this gesture in Brazil and Germany, as it     3     (consider) impolite.

The world of Chinese literature is one that is familiar     1     us all. But have you ever stopped to wonder     2     works are read outside of China and how they are received？Today，four Sinologists and translators share their experience of Chinese literature     3     us.

Petko: The Shaolin Temple I watched gave me so many reasons     4     fall in love with China. I particularly like classical Chinese literature, especially works from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Annelous: I became interested in languages at a young age.     5     (start) high school, I began reading     6     (book) about Chinese history and culture.

Joachim: At the age of 15, my mother bought me a copy of the classic Shi Ji. After     7    (read) it, I realised the true genius of China's “Grand Historian”, Sima Qian. His     8     (write) had a profound effect on me.

Mai: I     9     (gradual) fell in love with Chinese literature when I started working as a translator. I don't care if a writer is popular or not. What interests me most is the work     10     (it).

English is getting more and more important in China, while Chinese is becoming more and more popular among foreign kids. But Chinese can be more difficult     1     （learn）. Although many foreign kids think that Chinese characters have too many strokes（笔画）, they still want to learn them. Some students in South Korea begin to learn     2     （write）Chinese characters on their first day at school.     3     （help）students learn Chinese, South Korea holds competitions for high school students every year.

The Ministry of Education in our country     4     （say）in the interview yesterday that last year，nearly 33 million people from 142 countries and regions     5     （learn）Chinese. Some even try     6     （write）and speak in Chinese in their spare time.

China is developing     7     fast that foreign countries intend     8     （understand）China better so as to help them with their business. The Chinese government is also helping the world learn Chinese. So far, it     9     （send）more than 20 thousand Chinese teachers to more than 60 countries in the world. Nowadays, more and more Confucius Institutes     10     （set）up in foreign countries.

Language is the best approach to    1    ( understand) a country. We know that language is a bridge for people to communicate. Chinese is one of the most beautiful languages in the world as well as    2    most-spoken one.

The beauty of Chinese language lies in its form, structure and rhythm. Every sound, stroke, word and sentence have their own stories. In the process of learning Chinese，I hope you will learn to appreciate the Chinese language and its profound cultural heritage. Some foreign friends say that Chinese is difficult    3    ( learn). It shows that those who learn Chinese have great courage and    4    ( wise).

Only after learning Chinese will you know the meaning    5    ( contain) in the Chinese characters. For example, the Chinese character “人”which means “people” consists    6     two supporting strokes, showing people need to support each other. The Chinese character “大”which means “big or great” is like the Chinese character“人”opening arms. This means people opening arms are of great vision. The Chinese character“天”is like “人”standing against the sky. That’s the reason    7    it has the meaning of “sky”. The Chinese character“信”means “trust”. Its left side is “人” and the right side “言” which means “words”. When the two parts    8    ( put) together, it means people keeping their words win trust. You can understand the philosophy at first glance.

There are many    9    ( example) like this. There is no other language in the world that can create so much beauty with just two thousand    10    ( common) used characters. When you try to learn Chinese，you will feel China, understand China better, and even fall in love with China.

Some body language has many different uses, the best example of which is     1     (smile). A smile can help us get     2     difficulties, break down barriers, and so on. If you feel down or lonely, there is nothing     3     (good) than seeing the smiling face of a good friend.

Just like spoken language, body language    1    (vary) from culture to culture. The gestures we use for “yes” and “no”    2    (different) around the world. Some body language has many different uses. Perhaps the best example is smiling. A smile can break    3    barriers. Experts suggest smiling at yourself in the mirror to make yourself feel happier.