Yangko, a rural Chinese folk dance with a history     1     (date) back thousands of years, originates from farming life in ancient times. The dance relates to sacrifices to the farmland god when people prayed for a good harvest. As time passed, the     2     (origin) dance developed, taking in various artistic forms and skills, including opera, acrobatics and martial arts, and eventually turned into the type of Yangko     3     is seen today.

    4     (preserve) this Chinese folk culture, it was included in the inaugural(首批的)items of national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. It is     5     (common) performed in northern China during festivals, especially for Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival. Performances or competitions     6     (organize) in towns and villages to express people’s joy and their hope for a better life.

Yangko employs drumming, Suona, dancing and singing. Content is based     7     folk stories and legends. Costumes are richly-colored and opera-styled, enabling     8     (character) to be easily identified. During a performance, the actors will dance and sing, following lively rhythms. Highly. skilled and interesting acts such as stilt(高跷)walking     9     carrying a wedding sedan chair(花轿)are also included. As a part of traditional Chinese culture, Yangko     10     (concentrate) the group consciousness of the Chinese people, and has outstanding historical and cultural value.

It is believed that Chinese knotting, also known as zhongguojie, originated for recording information and exchanging messages     1     writing was invented. Over the past thousands of years, knots     2     (play) an important part in the life of Chinese.    3     (initial), Chinese knots acted as good -luck charms to drive away evil spirits. Today, Chinese knots are widely used to decorate homes during festivities.

A major characteristic of Chinese knots is that they are often tied from a single continuous length of string. The knots are commonly named     4     the shape it takes. Chinese knots are created in a     5     (various) of colors such as gold, green, blue, or black, though the most commonly used color is red,    6     symbolizes good luck and prosperity.

Crafting the Chinese knot is a three-step process     7     (involve) tying knots, tightening them and adding the finishing touches. The knots     8     (pull) tightly together and are strong enough to be used for binding or wrapping, making them very practical.

Today, most of such knots are often mass manufactured in factories. Skilled knot artists weave complex knots that you might see     9     (sell) as souvenirs that you can take back with you. If you have time, why not try your hand at it? Perhaps these age-old charms can add     10     touch of good luck to your daily life?

The Chinese zodiac, also known as Sheng Xiao or Shu Xiang, is a     1     (repeat) circle of 12 years. Each year     2     (represent) by an animal. Chinese New Year 2024 is a year of the Loong.

Chinese Zodiac Loong is the     3     (five) of the 12 zodiac animals, following the Rot, Ox, Tiger and Rabbit. People born in the year of the Loong — an animal no one knows if it existed in real world—are enveloped in mystery, and very charming.

Back in the pre-Qin period over 2,200 years ago, there was already the Chinese zodiac signs theory. So it is     4     (reason) that Chinese Zodiac years are in agreement with the beginning of Chinese Lunar New Year. If you have an idea of Lunar Calendar, you will know     5     Chinese zodiac year often starts from late January and ends in middle February of the next year.

Therefore, to see what your Chinese zodiac animal is,     6     to confirm whether you are a Loong, you need to change your Gregorian calendar birthday to Lunar Calendar of the year you were born. For example, if you were born     7     February 16, 1988 (a year of the Loong), the Lunar New Year’s Eve, which was very close to Loong year, but you are a Rabbit.

    8     is also worth mentioning is that if two people were born in the different Loong years, they may have very different     9     (personality), and horoscope, due to the Five Elements, which are Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Each element     10     (come) in a 60-year cycle.

Falling on December 7 this year, Major Snow, also known as “Da Xue” in Chinese, is the     1     (three) solar term of winter. As its name implies, Major Snow reflects the phenomenon of precipitation,     2     (indicate) the time and intensity of snowfall.

Plum blossoms usually flower in mid-to-late December in some southern cities of China, and sometimes bloom even     3     (early). The plum blossom, along with the pine and bamboo,     4     (consider) one of the Three Friends of Winter.

In some areas, eating lamb is excellent for nourishing the body, promoting blood circulation and providing protection     5     the cold. In     6     (add), people often eat lotus (莲花) root,     7     can clear away heat in the chest and prevent dryness-heat.

During Major Snow, it is suggested that people     8     (keep) their feet clean and dry, wash and massage their feet every day     9     (stay) healthy, and try to reduce outdoor activities. Also, drinking a bowl of warm porridge in the morning is     10     excellent way to nourish the stomach.

World Tai Chi and Qigong Day is celebrated every last Saturday of April each year. This day aims to promote Tai Chi and Qigong. Tai Chi is a Chinese Martial Art practice of defense and training and     1    (have) health benefits. On the other hand, Qigong is a system of coordinated (协调的) body posture,     2    (move), breathing, and meditation (冥想) used for the purposes of martial arts training, spirituality, and health.

The first celebration of World Tai Chi and Qigong Day was held in Kansas, City Missouri in 1998. The first mass Tai Chi exhibition     3    (organize) by the Kansas City Tai Chi Club. News about this event soon exploded until World Tai Chi and Qigong Day became a national and an international observance.

The main reason why you should celebrate this day is that you will be able to experience both Tai Chi     4     Qigong, which are both good activities to do for your body.     5    (Practice) martial arts will yet be another exercise     6     you to keep good physical health. On the other hand, the meditation aspects of these activities will also improve     7    (you) mental health.

During World Tai Chi and Qigong Day, people conduct     8    (difference) activities that let them do both of these activities for the day. For one, people join mass Tai Chi exhibitions held. Those     9     are not familiar with these activities can join the classes intended for them     10    (learn). People also shout out on social media how they are celebrating this day.