Most Americans think of New Year as a single day on January lst. However, Chinese-Americans and people from other{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(culture) that use different calendars each have another celebration as well. A good example of this is the Chinese New Year celebration in San Francisco, which is similar to{#blank#}2{#/blank#}we do in Shanghai.

    The most famous part of Chinese New Year in San Francisco is the parade, which{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(watch) by over three million people every year. Over a hundred entries take part in the parade{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(march) through downtown and Chinatown. In the course of the parade, cheering from the crowd is mixed {#blank#}5{#/blank#}music as local community groups wave banners, flags, and carry lanterns. Chinese themed floats will “float” by, including {#blank#}6{#/blank#}long Golden Dragon float that {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(take) one hundred people to operate. Local kung fu schools will perform lion dances when firecrackers explode around their feet.

    For many Americans, celebrating{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(they) ancestral culture is as {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (importance) as American culture, and they celebrate both. If you have a chance {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (visit) the United States, you may have the chance to see some of the celebrations yourself.

    As victor Hugo once said, “{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(laugh) is the sun that drives winter from the human face”, and up to now nobody has been able to do this {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(well) than Charlie Chaplin. He {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(bright) the lives of Americans and British through two world wars and the hard years in between. He made people laugh at a time when they felt depressed, so they could feel more content {#blank#}4{#/blank#} their lives. No one was ever bored watching him—his subtle acting made everything {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(entertain).  As time {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(go) by, he began making films. He grew more and more popular as his charming character, the little tramp, became known throughout the world. He walked around stiffly {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(carry) a walking stick. This character was {#blank#}8{#/blank#} social failure but was loved for his optimism and determination to overcome all {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(difficult). Charlie Chaplin wrote, directed and produced the films he starred in. In 1972 he was given a special Oscar for his outstanding work in films. He is loved and remembered as a great actor {#blank#}10{#/blank#} could inspire people with great confidence.

    The falling stars challenge, which began in Russia, invites participants{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(share) their best fake fall and recommend their friends to do the same, and people have been going to make their falls as dramatic as possible. At first, the falling stars challenge{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(regard) as a way for the wealthy to show their{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(possession). People were photographing themselves falling from cars, boats and even their own private jets,{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(lie) face-down with luxurious jewelry, expensive items from high-end brands surrounding them.

    However, as the challenge spread, it transformed from being a way of showing off to a creative way to show {#blank#}5{#/blank#}people consider important in their lives. The social media craze soon made{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(it) way to Weibo, a Chinese social media platform. A major difference with the Chinese version of the challenge {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(be) that professionals from different industries participated to show their daily routine. These include a firefighter lying in front of a row of fire trucks and {#blank#}8{#/blank#}officer at an emergency call center on the ground with documents thrown in all directions.

    While some pictures are intended {#blank#}9{#/blank#}fun online, Chinese authorities are taking it {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (serious). Some people who have participated in the trend have received tickets for breaking traffic laws to get the perfect photo.

    Beijing's Forbidden City is a place full of wonders. From its thousands of rooms to its many beautiful artifacts, it's no wonder it is one of China's most popular scenic {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(spot).But even more than 600 years after it {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (build), it's still managing to serve up surprises.

    The Forbidden City draws visitors because of its rich history and {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(culture) significance, but perhaps it should add one more thing to its list of attractions: earthquake shelter. While most structures aren't made {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (survive) natural disasters, the Forbidden City seems to withstand anything.

    To show how strong the ancient Chinese architecture really is, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} model of one of the Forbidden City's palaces was put to the test. It survived a simulated(模拟的) earthquake of 9.5 on the Richter scale—equal to the  {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (1arge)ever recorded quake. Instead of falling apart, the model was just moved gently during the test.

    According to experts, the key {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the Forbidden City's strength, as well as other ancient Chinese structures, {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (lie)in dougong (斗栱)—a centuries-old building method invented in China. Ancient Chinese craftsmen created structures {#blank#}9{#/blank#} were both enduring(耐用)and elegant, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (show)their advanced understanding of mathematics, architecture, materials, and structural science.