1 . The Rise of “China-chic”

Over past years, guochao, or “China-chic” has been gaining popularity among Chinese consumers. Guochao conveys the cultural heritage and values of China.     1    . “China-chic” is rising, but what is it?

The idea of guochao was first borrowed from some international brands, and began to win over Chinese consumers in 2015.     2    . In 2018, Chinese sportswear band Li-Ning presented its Wu Dao (the principles of Taoism) collection at the New York Fashion Week. It featured bright red color and Chinese characters. More brands have since followed, heralding (预示) the early period of guochao.

    3    . This was a period when applications of big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and 5G technology hit the market one after another. Domestic tech companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and DJI made headlines.

In its third stage, guochao became more common in everyday life. Over the past decade, guochao has expanded from consumer goods to experiential products. As consumers are showing greater interest in cultural identity and creativity, productions like the TV program National Treasure, and the dance show Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace integrate cultural and historical elements with the latest audio-visual technologies.     4    .

Nowadays, guochao is moving to the next stage. No matter how the trend evolves, Chinese people’s positive attitude toward the country’s development and their recognition of and growing confidence in national culture won’t change.     5    . Seen from a broader perspective, guochao mirrors the rise of China, a country eager to make its presence felt globally. Guochao is a style, but more importantly, it transmits culture and values.

When it comes to foods that are more than worthy of being posted all over social media, Chinese sugar painting, a traditional Chinese form of folk art, deserves some time in the spotlight. Hot liquid sugar is used     1     (create) two-dimensional figures like small animals. Sugar art is pretty popular     2     children, but it’s beautiful enough to interest anyone.

Hot sugar is poured from a small spoon onto a flat surface where the outline of the figure     3     (draw) with a thick stream of sugar. Then     4     (relative) thinner sugar is added to support the outline and fill in the figure of the body in a     5     (combine) of zig-zags or other patterns, supported by a wooden stick. “Painting” artistic pieces from melted sugar     6     (differ) from regular painting. Because the hot sugar cools down very quickly, the painter has to work quickly,     7     (make) sure he gets every shape just right.

Customers traditionally spin     8     arrow on a wheel. It lands on a certain figure     9     is inspired by nature or wildlife in forms of a dragon, fish, monkey, bird or flower basket. This ancient Sichuan art form might not be as common` as it once was, but it still has the power to amaze     10     (tourist) who come across talented street artists that make these amazing creations.

Chinese fans seem to have special meanings in Chinese culture. I’ve     1    (receive) a number of them as gifts from my Chinese friends. The fans are very pretty. You may have noticed that almost all female figures in     2     (tradition) Chinese paintings carry a silk fan. In the movies of     3    1930s and 1940s, fans are a very visible article for Shanghai women.     4    (usual) the structure of the fans is made of sand wood and the faces are made of silk or paper. Because the fans always have sweet smell, women     5     use them appear even more attractive. Fans are probably one of the most appropriate     6    (expression) of noble female.

Men also use fans. But these fans are quite often much     7    (big). Men’s fans often use valuable materials for that structure and the faces are always     8    (paint) with plants or landscapes. As a result     9    open-door policy, fans have become popular again not for people to use at home,     10     as a gift for foreigners. I heard westerners appreciate these gifts. As fans are small, inexpensive and typically Chinese, many people like to use them as gifts from the overseas trips.

Poetry    1     (communicate) in words. To do that    2     (successful), it must have something important to say, expressing it in a unique way. Whether you are writing poetry yourself or analysing (分析) poems     3     (write) by someone else, you should be thinking about these two broad categories: what is being said, and how it is being expressed.

What is being said may be something unforgettable or something funny, something deeply emotional or something that has just made the writer stop and think. Whatever it is, the theme of the poem will be something worth     4     (say). If you are writing a poem yourself and are not very    5     (experience), it’s best to choose a topic you feel deeply about. Writing a poem     6     begins with ‘I remember’ is a good way to focus your attention       7     something really memorable.

However, two poems could easily have     8     same theme and yet be completely different. What makes     9     (they) different? How they are expressed is the key. It is the way the poet writes that you need to analyse if you are writing about a poem, and if you are writing one yourself, you must choose the form and the words which suit what you want     10     (express).

The Old Town of Lijiang, lying in the northwest of Yunnan Province, is one of the last     1     (survive) ancient towns in China. The architecture of the Old Town of Lijiang is noteworthy for the     2     (combine) of elements from several cultures, and its ancient water-supply system still functions     3     (effective) today.

The Yulong Snow Mountain to the north-west     4     (serve) as the source of the rivers and springs. This town is made up     5     three parts: Dayan Old Town established in the Ming Dynasty as a commercial centre, Baisha housing cluster established earlier during the Song and Yuan dynasties, and Shuhe housing clusters located 4 km north-west of Dayan Old Town. These settlements lying in mountains and     6     (surround) by water display the mixture of local cultures, folk customs and traditions over several centuries.

It     7     (design) as a town around the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty. From 1253 on, the Naxi people of Lijiang developed     8     unique social system, customs and culture of their own. In the 18th century, the Qing Dynasty rulers carried out a policy of     9     (culture) interaction, and the Naxi people adopted the customs of the Tibetan     10     Han peoples. Despite several earthquakes, most of the old town keeps its original structure.

Siheyuan is a special type of building found in China that represents the country’s rich traditions. These buildings     1     (exist) around for a very long time and are mainly located in the northern parts of China. Exploring a Siheyuan allows you     2     (step) back in time and experience the peace and history of ancient China.

Siheyuan has     3     unique layout with a square courtyard in the middle,     4     (surround) by buildings on all four sides. This design provides privacy for the people living there and shows a balance     5     human-made structures and nature.

The main entrance of a Siheyuan     6     (usual) faces south, and the most important rooms are positioned in the north. The courtyards are often decorated with beautiful gardens, plants, and fancy stone carvings,     7     show how much the Chinese appreciate nature and beauty.

Beyond its physical form, Siheyuan represents the Chinese     8     (tradition) way of life and family values. In these buildings, extended families live together,     9     the courtyard becomes a gathering place for family members. This helps to strengthen family bonds and maintain connections between different     10     (generation).

Visitors to Chengdu will find many tea houses scattering(分布于) throughout the city. Drinking tea has become     1     essential part of Chengdu people’s daily life. Because of this, Chengdu has formed a special tea culture of its own.

For the     2    (local), the best place to have the proper atmosphere is a tea house,     3     they spend their leisure time while sipping their favorite tea. What often appeals to visitors is the brass teapot with a three foot-long spout(壶嘴), from which the tea can     4    (shoot) at a very long distance. Visitors who have the opportunity     5    (witness) this performance of pouring tea never forget it. Apart from being experts in the art of tea, the tea doctors are also very familiar     6     the local culture and are the perfect source to find out Chengdu’s local lifestyle.

The design of the tea houses varies according to the owner’s tastes. Besides tea, tea houses in Chengdu also have a     7    (various) of local snacks on the menu. Since many people in Chengdu spend many hours in the tea houses, food is a necessity.

The most unique part of Chengdu’s tea houses is the community atmosphere. Everyone comes to the tea houses to relax, do business     8     just drink tea. There are also people     9    (wander) the tea houses offering to clean out customers’ ears or cut their fingernails.

Chengdu is one of the few remaining places with true teahouse culture left in China. The only way we can     10     (true) understand it is to experience it.

Applause (掌声) rang across Zhaxizom town last month. The air was filled     1     excitement as players sang and danced     2     (happy). The event marked the beginning of the town’s music and food festival. Zhaxizom is at an altitude of 4,200 meters at the foot of Mount Qomolangma, the world’s highest peak, which is known in English as Mount Everest.

“I planned     3     (head) straight to Mount Qomolangma Base Camp, but when I arrived in this small town, the     4     (amaze) festival caught my eye and I decided to stay for several more days to enjoy the music and food here before     5     (continue) my journey,” said one traveler Zhang, who is from Liaoning province.

Migmar Lhamo, a college student     6     lives in Zhaxizom, said, “The festival will allow people to learn about our town. It will become a new     7     (attract) for people.” Migmar Lhamo believes the festival will play     8     important role in improving the development of the local culture and tourism.

According to the county government, more activities such as live music shows, firework displays and food fairs     9     (organize) as part of future festivals to provide both locals and     10     (tourist) with an extremely impressive experience of local culture. “The music and food festival will help the growth of the local economy,” Zhu said.

Xueqiang, a local ethnic (民族的) dance in Derong County of Sichuan Province, has won national fame among cultural workers and researchers. It was listed     1     a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008.

Over time, Xueqiang became standard entertainment at gatherings and     2    (party). Especially at night during the harvest festival, people would dance the Xueqiang around a bonfire while drinking and singing. Some would risk     3     (jump) the bonfire, making the night even more     4     (excite). Xueqiang has no accompaniment or tools. Its main features are the stomping (跺脚) and stepping rhythms that are sometimes strong and powerful, sometimes soft and free.

Xueqiang singing is complicated in its tune structure, which is     5     (usual) divided into four parts — intro, bridge, verse, and outro. The intervals are full of ups and downs, while the melody (旋律) is bright and     6     (nature). At the end of the melody, dancers stomp their feet to fill the pause, creating a remarkable ending.

As for the origins of Xueqiang, it can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty    7     Princess Wencheng was sent to marry the King of Tubo,     8     ancient kingdom in Tibet. The local artists got together to compose songs and dances     9     (greet) the princess as she passed through. Eventually, Xueqiang     10     (create), combining the artistic spirits of different ethnic groups co-existing at the time.

10 . Minor Snow, or “Xiaoxue” in Chinese, is the 20th of the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms, and will last from November 22 to December 6 this year. It is the second solar term of winter, and indicates that snow is about to arrive. From this solar term onwards, people in South China will begin to feel the coming of winter.     1    

In Nanjing, it’s customary to make pickle during the Minor Snow period, and then salted meat during Major Snow. During Minor Snow,     2     In Hangzhou, people will start to make sauced duck and Chinese bacon.

In many areas of Southern China, people eat glutinous rice cakes during Minor Snow. In these places, there’s a saying: “十月朝，糍粑碌碌烧.” In this saying, “碌 (lu)” means that people use their chopsticks to pick up a glutinous rice cake and roll it like a wheel in a bowl full of sesame and peanut sugar, and “烧 (shao)” indicates that the glutinous rice cakes are steaming hot.

During Minor Snow, people in many regions of China will kill pigs, while during Major Snow, they will kill sheep. No matter which household kills the animal, neighbors and friends will all come to help. After the animal has been slaughtered (屠宰),     3    

Eating more porridge and soup in winter is good for your health. For instance, wheat porridge can nourish the heart, while radish porridge can improve digestion and reduce phlegm that often arrives with the changing weather. Soups also help keep people healthy and can improve the immune system.     4    

We already know that drinking more water is beneficial for metabolism. During the winter months, it is highly recommended to drink a cup of warm water on an empty stomach in the early morning. In this way, blood viscosity can be reduced, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases can be prevented. During Minor Snow, honey water, white radish water and pear water are excellent choices, as honey water can moisten dryness and help detoxify, white radish water can clear heat, while pear can moisten the lungs and relieve stubborn coughs.

The weather is cold, but not yet too cold. Therefore, many people forget to put on their hats and scarves,     5    . If one wants to keep healthy, they should change their clothes in accordance with the weather.