2 . After a long, cold and dry winter, life and color are starting to return. Flowers are everywhere, birds are singing and people are flying kites.Known as the birthplace of kites, Weifang in Shandong province has a long history of making kites.

It is believed that Weifang kite-making can be traced back (回溯) to 2, 000 years ago. At first, they were often used by the army for communication purposes. During the Ming Dynasty (1368—1644), kites started to be popular. Made from bamboo and covered with traditional Chinese paintings, Weifang kite-making was in the intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) lists in 2006. The International Kite Festival has been held in Wei fang every year since 1984.

Yang Hong wei, 56, is an inheritor (传承人) of the Wei fang kite-making. Born in a kite-making family, Yang often saw kites with bright colors and different shapes in her grandfather’s workshop. “Many places around the world have a tradition of flying kites,” Yang said. “ But I think behind our kites is the beauty of our nature and culture.”

On Yang’s kites, people can see not only common things like flowers and birds, but also some patterns (图案) telling about Chinese fairy tales and history. “It takes lots of time,” Yang added, “but when I explain the things on the kites to foreign customers, I feel a sense of great achievement.”

In her spare time, she also travels to different countries including Germany,   Australia, the US and New Zealand to tell people about Chinese stories seen on kites and the traditional ways of making kites. “I’m an inheritor of the culture. It is an important job of mine to spread the heritage around the world and onto the next generation (一代人).” she said.

The Double Ninth Festival is a special day for older people in China. It started long ago. The festival is on lunar September 9th. On this day, people show love and respect to their grandparents.

There are many ways in which Chinese people express their respect. When an older person enters a room, everyone stands. People are introduced from the oldest to the youngest. When we present a book to an older person, two hands are used. Young people always offer their seats to older people on a crowded subway or bus.

Respecting older people is a tradition in China. That’s because the Chinese know that older people have knowledge and experience that young people can learn. Chinese people are proud of being old.

In Western countries, however, older people seldom think they are old. They are called “seniors” instead of “old people”. They’d rather do everything themselves. Even after retirement (退休) they take up hobbies, part-time jobs and new activities to keep their bodies working well.

Westerners respect their older people, too. Usually, seniors don’t have to buy tickets for trains and buses. They are given discounts (打折) in stores and restaurants.

But Western seniors don’t often live with their children—they live alone. For holidays, the family usually gather at the grandparents’ home, and a great smile and a warm hug for their parents are enough for grown children to show their respect.

5 . The 2023 Shanghai Coffee Culture Week opened on May 13, with a variety of activities integrating industry, culture and lifestyle scheduled.

Shanghai, home to more than 8,00 coffee houses, has hosted the event since 2021. This year’s Coffee Culture Week is organized by the Shanghai Cultural and Creative Industry Promotion Association, and will run through to June 2.

Coffee has become a key part of Shanghai culture, showcasing the city’s characteristics of opening-up and inclusiveness(包容),local officials said at a news conference in early May.

On the event’s opening day, Yongpu Coffee, in collaboration with the food delivery platform Eleme and China Construction Bank, offered 30,000 cups of coffee for free. Multiple coffee brands such as Luckin Coffee and McCafe will also provide free coffee and coupons (优惠券) during the event.

From May 18 to 21, West Bund International Coffee and Lifestyle Festival is taking place in Xuhui Binjiang area, involving more than 100 coffee brand outlets (销售点) located along a 5-kilometer shoreline of the Huangpu River.

It is the first time that Shanghai has launched such a large coffee-themed market, organizers said. In addition to enjoying freshly brewed coffee, visitors can attend diverse activities such as exhibitions, performances and workshops to experience coffee culture.

Many cultural sites in the city are also participating in the coffee culture week. Sinan Mansions in downtown Shanghai is holding the Bonjour Coffee Art Fair from May 19 to 21,which has attracted some 20 coffee staff members and 80artists.

The Shanghai History Museum will launch the Square Coffee Festival, inviting fans and industry experts to share their knowledge about coffee. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Books and Periodicals Distribution Association will hold a coffee-themed book fair in more than 80 stores across the city.

Organizers said they hope these events will boost the consumption of coffee and cultural products, and promote the coordinated development of the two industries.

The Shanghai Coffee Industry Summit will take place on May 26, which includes two roundtable discussions and about 10 seminars. Corporate leaders will discuss the latest consumer trends and offer their insights into hot topics.

According to data from domestic tech and retail giant Meituan, the value of China’s freshly brewed coffee industry is expected to reach 15.79 billion yuan ($2.25 billion) this year. It was valued at 8.97billion yuan in 2021.

6 . Long, long ago, rain stopped falling in China. The people prayed(祈祷)for rain to the Jade Emperor, who controlled everything in heaven(天庭), on the land and in the sea, but no matter how much they prayed, rain did not fall.

Four dragons in the East China Sea saw what was happening, and saw people eating grass from the ground, for the people had nothing else left to eat.

They thought of a way to help. They started swimming this way and that, scooping up water with their bodies. Then all four flew into the sky. Black Dragon flew to the north, Long Dragon to the west, Pearl Dragon to the south of China, and Yellow Dragon to the center of the country. All at once, they let the water fall from their mouths, arms, legs, and even their tails.The people could not see the dragons,         _ .“Rain!” they cried happily, and all the people and animals ran out into the rain and started to dance.

When the Jade Emperor saw the rain, he was very angry. Then he saw the four dragons flying around in the sky. He ordered Mountain God to kill the dragons.

When the four mountains landed on top of them and tried to crush(压扁) the four dragons, a strange thing happened. Suddenly four rivers formed, spreading across the whole country.

This is how the four great rivers (the Yangtze, the Yellow, the Pearl and the Heilongjiang) of China were created.

7 . ①Confucianism (儒家思想) has been followed by Chinese people for more than two thousand years.

②To help people understand how to behave towards others, Confucianism teaches the Five Constants (五常). These are ren, yi, li, zhi and xin. They are general virtues (美德) around the world. The most important two are ren and li.

③Ren is the feeling of care and love we should have for others. Confucius explained ren could best be understood as loving others. He is famous for teaching people “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” It is quite similar to what is known in the West as the Golden Rule (treat others as you wish to be treated).

④While the meaning of ren is easy to understand, li is a little harder to express. It can be thought of as duty or even respect. Generally, li is the way we should connect with people in our everyday life. In Confucian writings, discussions about li include the proper way to drink tea and how to remember ancestors (祖先). While ren is mostly about our opinions and feelings, li is about how we express our opinions and feelings towards others and towards the world around us.

⑤Perhaps the most well-known Confucian virtue is xiao. This is the duty children have to their parents. Xiao means loving, respecting, obeying and taking care of one’s parents in their old age. In Confucianism, xiao is important for a harmonious (和谐的) society: Without it, the whole world would fall into a mess.

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8 . In ancient China, people created 24 solar terms (节气) to help with farming. At present, it still helps Chinese farmers. Of all these solar terms, Major Snow (大雪) is the 21st. During Major Snow, the snow is heavy and the temperature drops. Let’s learn more about it.

Snowy winter

The snow in the north sometimes lasts a whole day. The world turns white. “A snow year, a rich year.” As the snow covers the ground, the low temperature kills some pests (害虫). It is good for farmers to grow.

Playing with snow

In northern China, people usually go skating at the park or make snowmen. It is a popular activity to play with snow. Even if the weather is cold and icy, they still have fun.

Eating mutton

Mutton is the best choice for people. It tastes great and is good for the body. People in north like to have mutton soup with their family and friends.

Eating porridge

Hot porridge could make people warm in cold weather. In China, it’s a tradition to eat red bean porridge in Major Snow. It’s also a symbol of being together and keeping away from bad luck.

10 . When Chinese people think of wushu, what often comes to mind is wuxia novels, a kind of historical novel that involves wushu warriors.    1    . For example, the characters may have superhuman strength or the ability to fly. They may also be able to focus their inner spiritual strength and send it through the air, knocking people over or breaking down walls.

    2    . However, by far the most popular author in this genre(文体) was Zha Liangyong(1924-2018) who used the pen name Jin Yong and sold over 300 million books worldwide. His novels have also been translated into many languages and some have been made into movies and TV series.

    3    , and then he goes off to learn wushu. After becoming a wushu master, the hero begins travelling the jianghu, fighting evil wherever it may be found. Eventually, the main character proves to be an example of justice, kindness, courage, loyalty, truth, and honesty.    4    , which refers to a person who holds back the strong and helps the weak. Through hardship, self-discipline and a well-known teacher, one can be a wushu master. However, he coming a wuxia hero, one should always bear xia in mind. A wuxia hero always puts friends, his people, and his country first.     5    . Through superior martial arts skills pus fiends, qualities he and his fellows save the day.