Many people still remember the magic of Father Christmas from when they were children. As parents, they try to keep that magic alive for their children for as long as they can.

That is why Letters from Father Christmas could be the perfect book for those     1     regard Christmas     2     a special time of year. The man who wrote these letters is one of the most famous     3     (name)in English literature—J. R. R. Tolkien,       4     English writer, poet and university professor. The letters were Tolkien’s way of keeping Father Christmas alive for his four children, over a period of more than twenty years.

Every Christmas, an envelope with a North Pole stamp arrived. It     5     (address)to Tolkien’s children. The children must have been very     6     (excite)as they opened the letter to see who     7     could be from. Inside, they would find a handwritten letter from Father Christmas. The letters were also     8     (beautiful)illustrated—each must have taken its true author, Tolkien, a long time     9     (complete).

Letters from Father Christmas tells us that as well as     10     (enjoy)the adventures of Father Christmas, Polar Bear and other characters at the North Pole, we can all share the true spirit of giving at Christmas time.

While English speakers look back to the time of Shakespeare and Milton 400 years ago as a Golden age, Chinese look back far     1     (far), to the Tang dynasty 1, 200 years ago as their Golden age of literature.

A key feature of Chinese poetry is     2     it is concise (简洁的). Each character places a thought, an impression, an image. Emphasis is put on use of rhythm and sometimes in a     3     (balance) look of the characters so that it is     4     (visual) pleasing on paper.

Amazing 48, 000 poems have survived from the many Tang dynasty poets. After the Tang, poets struggled     5     (establish) a modern style that was not rooted in the glories of the past. Later the style of the Song dynasty did become a popular form. So many people enjoy such     6     (popular) because it was more fluent and less rigid than that of the Tang.

Many poems contain specific events from Chinese history, and that makes understanding these poems     7     challenge to non-Chinese. Translating Chinese poems into English     8     (cause) all sorts of problems. For many years, writers have tried to convey the spirit of poems     9     different ways. Although much is lost in translation, the core (核心) meaning can     10     (catch) and appreciated.