The word “toad” (癞蛤蟆) would be very easy in an English-language spelling bee, but not in a nationally televised contest in China.

In Chinese, toad has three characters that are made up of 46 individual strokes(笔画). Yu Shuang,     1     8-year-old contestant, quickly wrote the characters on a screen that     2     (project) her effort on a big display above her head. When she finished, one of three judges hit the bell signaling a correct answer.     3     the other two didn’t agree,     4     (point) out that the young girl had missed a single dot in the third character.

Yu wasn’t alone. The show tested a group of adults in the audience, just 30% of     5     could write toad correctly.

Since the first show on a minor TV channel about educational programming, the “Chinese Characters Dictation Competition”     6     (explode) in popularity. The show shied to a Friday evening time on CCTV 1, even challenging the popularity of the country’s most     7     (watch) shows, including China’s version of “The Voice”.

Its creator, Guan Zhengwen said, “The hope is     8     the show could arouse people’s     9     (enthusiastic) for the language, which is one of the most spectacular treasures of Chinese civilization and the fifth big invention the Chinese people have given to humanity. The so-called four great inventions from China     10     (typical) are lite das paper, gunpowder, the compass and printing.

With roots     1     (date) back thousands of years, Chinese seals (印章) are more than just a unique image; they are symbolic of identity, status, and culture. A Chinese seal is a seal or stamp used to mark important documents, pieces of art, contracts, or any other item that     2    (require) a signature.

The seal was first created in 221 BC. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, ordered his first imperial (皇帝的) seal to be carved using beautiful white jade (玉).     3     (call) the“Xi”, the imperial seal was only used by those in power. It wasn’t until the Ming and Qing dynasties     4     the seal’s usage moved from the imperial to the personal, due to the     5     (expand) of arts. Artists began using a stylized seal carving of their names to mark ownership of their works.     6     (individual) also began using a personalized stamp for important documents. These non-official stamps were called “Yin”.

    7    (typical), the seals are carved into stone, but they can also     8     (make) of wood, bamboo, or bone. Seals are carved in one of two ways: the material is carved away from the character, leaving a red ink outline when used on paper,     9     the character is carved into the material, leaving the character     10    white among a red background.

Decorative stove artwork attracts a growing number of     1     (admire), who enjoy the memories it evokes, Yang Feiyue reports. The distinctive art form in Jiaxing     2     (list) as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2011.

An old wooden stove,     3     (bear) rich vivid images, took center stage at a village Spring Festival gala in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, in early February. The images feature historical and legendary figures, fairy tales, animals and flowers, all of     4     are depicted in bright colors and have a way of claiming attention from viewers.

It was once common for farmhouses, especially those along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River,     5     (have) a zaotou that was painted with floral figures. Locals burned firewood and straw in it to cook     6     gas burners or microwave ovens were available. “Historical evidence shows the art has     7     history of at least 300 years,” says Zhao from Haiyan’s Tongyuan town.

Most of those engaged     8     zaotou painting were bricklayers in rural areas where they were often hired by villagers to build a mud stove in     9     (they) new home. Tools used to produce such art included a selection of brushes, rulers, and paint. As people’s aesthetic appreciation grew, watercolors were applied, mostly red, yellow and blue. “But no matter what material is used, the stove painting is always     10     (symbol) and harbors good wishes for the owners,” Zhao says.

Last Tuesday, China’s traditional tea-making     1     (add) to the intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗址) list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). China now has 43 items on the list,     2     (top) the other countries in the world.

The tea processing techniques and social practices in China consist     3     knowledge, skills, and practices about the     4     (manage) of tea plantations, picking of tea leaves, manual (人工) processing, drinking, and sharing of tea.

Since ancient times, Chinese people     5     (plant), picking, making and drinking tea based on natural conditions and local customs. Chinese tea producers have developed six kinds of tea - green, yellow, dark white, oolong and black and there are other     6     (variety) like flower-scented teas, and more than 2,000 tea products.

The traditional tea making techniques are     7     (main) concentrated in the four tea regions in China.     8    , social practices are spread throughout the country and shared by multiple ethnic groups.

Tea appears in many places in Chinese daily life, such as home, workplace, teahouses, restaurants and temples     9     tea is made or boiled. It is also     10     important part of social life and ceremonies.

In ancient times, builders and     1     (architect) in Beijing relied on five colors to add life to their creations: red, yellow, blue, white, and gray. These colors were connected     2     five different elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The Chinese sage (圣贤) Laozi said that five colors make people blind, so in architectural art, it’s suggested that no more than three main colors should     3     (use) for a design; otherwise, it would look too busy. Then red, yellow and blue gradually     4     (become) the main colors in the Forbidden City.

Red, the color of fire and blood, has long been important in Chinese symbolism. Traditionally, red represents     5     (warm) and the highest amount of energy. The association of red with good fortune is the reason     6     the color red is important in weddings, New Years, and other important celebrations.

Yellow was another obvious color in old Beijing,     7     (stand) for the power of emperor. The Yellow Emperor is the mythological (神话的) forefather of the Chinese nation while archaeologists find the     8     (early) examples of Chinese civilization to the Yellow River Basin.

The color blue symbolized heaven and heavenly blessings with the best example of the rooftops of structures at the Temple of Heaven.     9     was discovered that blue had a unique sensitivity to light, and was the perfect color used     10     (create) copies of drawings.