A Chinese knot is a knot     1     is tied and woven from a single length of cord or rope to be various complexity. Each shape has its own meaning. Nowadays you can find them as decoration, gifts for special     2     (occasion) and adornments on clothes.

Most Knots are double layered and have two cords entering the knot from the top and two leaving from the bottom. Each kind of knot     3     (name) after its shape or the meaning that it carries.

Knot weavers can use a     4     (vary) of colors, but they usually weave deep red ones and the color red signifies good fortune

Chinese knots bold emotional value when     5     (give) as gifts or passed down through families. For example, in ancient times and even now, lovers may give a knot     6     a representation of their love. The ‘true love knot’ and the ‘double happiness knot’ are used at weddings     7     (express) mutual love and growing old together in fidelity(忠诚).

Knots are     8     means of fastening traditional garments instead of buttons or wooden pegs(挂钩). Now, silk is most     9     (wide) used to make these clothing knots and     10     are used as jewelry such as even rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces.

Shaanxi kuaiban is a traditional Chinese form of storytelling in the Shaanxi dialect to the rhythm of bamboo clappers. In June, it     1     (recognize) as an intangible(非物质的) cultural heritage at the national level. It can be performed by a group or alone.

The art form can date back to the late Qing Dynasty. According to its performers, the art was     2     (origin) used by farmers to share their knowledge and earn money.     3     now, more people perform Shaanxi kuaiban on different occasions—for example, at a great many festival     4     (celebrate) , parties and art shows.

Yang Jinlong, 45, is an     5     (experience) Shaanxi Kuaiban artist. He first learned the art at the age of 9. Before that, he often went with his father, an amateur performer,     6     (watch) kuaiban performances.

“As a young boy, I was attached     7     the art form because many of the stories are about heroes. The performer tells stories while playing kuaiban, and it is easy for the audience to remember the stories since all the lines rhyme,” Yang said. Since 2003, he     8     (teach) the art form to young people.

“Art education is playing     9     important role in students in China. Just as many students learn to play Western musical instruments, there are many people     10     (learn) traditional Chinese folk arts, including Shaanxi kuaiban.” Yang said.

5 . In October, our student union held an online culture cafe to allow our schoolmates to learn how to make Chinese dumplings together. The international group ________ members from China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia.

After ________ the process of making dumplings, we wrapped the meat filling into the center of the dumpling. Some foreign schoolmates were quite ________ because they didn’t know how to do that. Therefore, we Chinese people taught our schoolmates step by step. To make a beautiful dumpling, it’s important to pinch (捏) its edges a little ________ and push the sides toward the center to seal (封入) them to ________ that the filling will not ________ while they are being ________.

One schoolmate from Australia said she ________ knew how much fun it was to make dumplings before, and she was curious about why dumplings are so ________ Chinese people. Born in a traditional Chinese family, I shared my ________ with her.

When I was a kid, my grandma told me the culture of dumplings is its inclusiveness (包容性) and ________. Different types of fillings suit different eating ________ for Chinese people. For example, there is no one ________ filling for all types of dumplings. Furthermore, dumplings will come with a ________ of fillings, such as pork, cabbage, chicken, mushroom and shrimp fillings. No matter what types of fillings are in dumplings, people focus more on their ________ and expectation.

The online session (课程) was ________. Not only did we have an enjoyable ________ about making dumplings, but we also ________ a positive and inclusive attitude toward cultural diversity. It was a positive ________, and the foreign schoolmates got a better understanding of Chinese ________ and culture.

My Mid-Autumn Festival Experience

8 . If you have a chance to talk with a historical figure, who would you like it to be? What would you like to know about the past or share from today? China in the Classics, a new TV show based on Chinese classics started by China Central Television (CCTV) in February, is exploring such possibilities.

In the first episode, the host of the show, Sa Beining, meets ancient Confucian scholar Fu Sheng, who interpreted Shangshu — The Book of Documents. Regarded as one of the five classics of ancient Chinese Confucianism masterpieces, the book records many firsts in the country. Even the expression zhongguo (China) is used there first.

The episode ends with the host bringing Fu to today’s modern society, where the scholar is happy to find children learning the same things he had learned in his childhood. It increased the rating of the series with viewers giving it 9 out of 10 on Douban, a film and TV show reviewing website popular among young people.

The success of China in the Classics doesn’t surprise Shen Haixiong, head of the China Media Group. Shen said in an article in the journal Qiushi, “We are happy to see the program is popular among the public, but we are prouder to find that innovative interpretation of Chinese classics is arousing young people’s interest in Chinese culture.”

Therefore, TV channels have been making bold attempts in recent years to attract today’s younger generations. The Nation’s Greatest Treasures, CCTV’s cultural show in 2017, showcased China’s history and culture through antiques in the top-class museums, and fired up the audience. The treasures include the 3,300-year-old Yinxu Ruins in Henan Province and the 1,300-year-old Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region.

CCTV should make a variety of programs showcasing classics and cultural traditions to appeal to the young generation’s aesthetics, said Zhou, a professor at the School of Arts and Communication, Beijing Normal University.