Sugar painting, as 【小题1】（it）name suggests, is made of sugar．The history of it can be traced back to Ming Dynasty,【小题2】 sugar tigers, sugar lions or figures of ministers were sacrificed to gods and ancestors in royal court．Then the handicraft spread in the folk and evolved into sugar painting．Now it can be found in various 【小题3】（area）of China along the streets or in the parks．There, you may find 【小题4】 artist at a wooden stand with a large marble, a wheel with animal patterns and a pot of melted sugar．Most artists have a wheel for people to spin, which 【小题5】（determine）which animal he or she will draw based 【小题6】 where the arrow lands．

This is how sugar paintings are made．Boil sugar in fire until it can draw wire．Then scoop up（舀）a spoon of melted sugar juice, cast quickly on a marble back and forth to create a shape．After the accomplishment, scoop up the sugar painting with a shovel．Then use a wooden stick 【小题7】（hold）the figure．

As a symbol of Chinese 【小题8】（cultural）, nowadays, the charm of sugar painting has been 【小题9】（gradual）getting more and more attention and recognition．So far, Chengdu Sugar Painting 【小题10】（list）into "National Intangible（非物质）Cultural Heritage"．

The year 2024 celebrates the Year of Dragon. Among 【小题1】 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac (生肖), the dragon is the only fictional one; yet it is a sacred one that Chinese people 【小题2】 (fascinate) with for thousands of years.

What may be surprising, however, is that dragons share similar origins, despite varied cultural 【小题3】 (interpret). Both Eastern and Western records describe dragons as having snake-like characteristics. One of the 【小题4】 (early) archaeological (考古的) pieces of evidence of dragons can be traced back to the carved jade figures in China 【小题5】 (date) back more than 5,000 years.

But why are dragons so fascinating to people? This question was explored by Carl Sagan, a famous American scientist. He firmly believed that people created dragon stories out of a human need 【小题6】 (mix) scientific observation of 【小题7】 (real) with an irrational fear for nature. While the dragon 【小题8】 (different) in Eastern and Western cultures, they play a similar role in stories around the world. In China, the dragon is seen as a sign of good luck and is believed to have control 【小题9】 rain and thunder. In the West, dragons are usually seen as evil, but they also appear in so many stories 【小题10】 teach people important lessons.

Hanfu, or traditional Chinese clothing, has a long history dating back【小题1】thousands of years. It represents the traditional cultural heritage of the Han ethnic group in China. Hanfu embodies the elegance, grace, and beauty of ancient Chinese civilization. In the last few years it【小题2】(make) a comeback. It is estimated that by the end of this year, the number of people using hanfu products in China will reach 6.89 million, with total sales【小题3】(expect) to reach 10.16 billion yuan.

【小题4】(satisfy) the diverse tastes of today’s youth, sellers are putting fancy decorations on this ancient costume. Certain hanfu has a【小题5】(color) reflective effect, as shiny decorative powders【小题6】(stamp) into the cloth. Although the young fans of hanfu generally agree【小题7】is no need to strictly follow the ancient rules, their opinions differ significantly. Some said they can match hanfu from different dynasties together, or with modern clothing, according to their own【小题8】(prefer).

But others said clothing with fancy and modern decorations can’t be seen as hanfu at all. Meanwhile, fans disagree on【小题9】often one should wear the clothing, every day or on special occasions like festivals and weddings. But one thing is for sure, young people have become【小题10】(increasing) interested in activities to promote and display the traditional Chinese culture.