While many countries love their tea, UK citizens are particularly proud of being “tea people”. The average UK citizen consumes nearly 2 kilograms of (dry) tea each year.

    Tea only made its way to England in large {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(quantity) in the first years of the 17th century. Tea from China and a few other Asian countries{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(sell) more widely in England at that time. Then tea was getting more and more popular among different social classes.

    There are many varieties of tea. They all come from the plant Camellia sinensis (茶树), and are{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(simple) processed in different ways. Black tea mixtures are still{#blank#}4{#/blank#}most common type drunk in the UK. The reason why black tea is dark in colour is {#blank#}5{#/blank#}the leaves have been allowed to oxidize (氧化) before drying. People usually serve {#blank#}6{#/blank#}with milk or lemon.

    You may still find tea made with loose tea leaves, served up in a pot, and {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(pour) into the best china cups with saucers for visitors, but behind closed doors it is likely to be served in a tall cup, and made with a tea bag.

    Tea is still a large part of daily life in the UK today, but it seems to be {#blank#}8{#/blank#}the decrease. Tea sales {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(fall) by 6% in 2014 alone.

    Still, what goes around comes around; it's sure{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(become) fashionable again.

    Everyone{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(love) snow. But when school stays open despite the snow, it can be really annoying. However, there is one upside of going to school{#blank#}2{#/blank#}a cold winter day: you might be smarter. So far, researchers who study the brain{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(find) that cold temperatures make us think more quickly since messages travel faster among our brain cells. So the scientists say{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(hang) out on a cold morning may boost the result of any test that day.

    On January 25, 2020, over a billion people in China and millions around the world will celebrate the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival. The ancient tradition, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} date is determined by the lunar calendar and falls somewhere between January 21 and February 20 each year, is the{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (long) and most important of all Chinese festivals.

The preparations will {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (official) begin with Little Year on January 17, 2019. It is observed with a day of memorial and prayer ceremonies. Other Little Year activities include cleaning the house {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(sweep) away bad luck and hanging spring couplets —red decorations hung in pairs —on doorways for wealth. Since red {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (believe) to keep misfortune and evil spirits away, it can be noticed in everything from clothing to {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(lantern) used to decorate houses.

    Often {#blank#}7{#/blank#}  (consider) the most important meal of the year, the reunion dinner is both delicious and rooted in Chinese tradition. {#blank#}8{#/blank#}whole chicken symbolizes family togetherness, while long uncut noodles show longevity (长寿). Wealth is represented by dumplings and spring rolls. Children receive red envelopes filled {#blank#}9{#/blank#} money and inspiring messages from elders and are often allowed to stay up late to watch the {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(amaze) fireworks shows.

    The two-week long celebrations will end on February 8 — the day of the full moon — with the Lantern Festival.

    During the past ten years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been gaining {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (popular) across the world. This style of health care has spread to 183 countries. Up to now, approximately 100 international agreements {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (sign) with Chinese government on TCM cooperation. One of the reasons for such a growing trend is probably due to the increase of {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (science) research into TCM. Since Tu Youyou, a Chinese scientist was awarded Nobel Prize for her discovery of the drug qinghaosu, TCM has become even more{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(globe) famous. While quite a few {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (explain) have been given to support TCM theories, it is still faced with the challenge in {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (prove) to the public that it has certain effects when used in medical treatment. That's to say, it is significant in {#blank#}7{#/blank#} long run for TCM to team up with Western medicine. Scientists hold the belief {#blank#}8{#/blank#} using the collective knowledge, rather than regarding the two approaches {#blank#}9{#/blank#} being in competition is where the potential for its enormous effects {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(lie) in.

One day, an old wise man was going to teach people in a village. The villagers there were very  {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(interest) in the wise man's ideas. Each person in the village had prepared well, thinking about  {#blank#}2{#/blank#} questions they might ask the wise man.

The wise man finally arrived and  {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(take) into a large room in the village, in {#blank#}4{#/blank#} people got together to ask their questions. There was great  {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(expect) and excitement.

The wise man walked silently around the room and sang a sweet song. One by one, people took up the song. Before long, everyone started to sing along with the wise man. As people became comfortable with  {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(he) song, the wise man started to dance  {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the music. He danced everywhere in the room, and one by one, people danced with him. Soon everyone in the whole village was dancing  {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(wild) together. Everyone danced with such big smiles on their faces that they totally forgot their worries in life.

Later at night, the wise man slowed the dance and finally stopped {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(dance). He looked into everyone's eyes and said gently," I believe that I {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(answer) all of your questions."