The summer solstice (夏至) has been widely recognized 【小题1】 a festival throughout the world.

The word solstice originates from the Latin sol and sistere,【小题2】 (mean) “sun-standing”. As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems 【小题3】 (stand) still in the sky. It is one of the great turning 【小题4】 (point) of the year, when the sun is at its 【小题5】 (high) point in the sky during a year.

Today, the day is celebrated around the world. In England thousands gather to welcome the sunrise on the summer solstice. Throughout Europe groups light a fire and stay up all night to welcome the dawn. In Paris, the day 【小题6】 (mark) with free concerts during the every year’s Fete de la Musique. When it comes 【小题7】 the U.S., the city of Santa Barbara in California holds the country’s biggest celebration 【小题8】 lasts a full three-day time. On the East Coast, New York City 【小题9】 (traditional) welcomes the summer solstice with a music concert at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.

In the southern part of China, Eating lychees (荔枝) druing the summer solstice is a long tradition because eating lychees will cause less “heat” to the body. There is a saying in Shangdong Province that 【小题10】 (go), “Eating dumplings on the winter solstice day and eating noodles on the summer solstice day.”

Mid-Autumn Festival, or Mid-autumn Day, is the second grandest festival in China after the Chinese New Year. It is named so for that it is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, 【小题1】 is always in the middle of the autumn season in China.

The day is also known as the Moon Festival. In Chinese culture, full moon 【小题2】 (symbolize) reunion, so that they reunite with their families 【小题3】 celebrations. They worship the moon together, appreciate the moon together, enjoy reunion dinner and even share one mooncake 【小题4】 (celebrate) the reunion.

As less people choose to make sugar paintings, the traditional Chinese folk craft might have become a【小题1】(distance) memory in some ways. However, a 38-year-old craftsman, Li Jiangzhong, is committed to【小题2】(keep) the art of sugar painting alive.

Li worked as a miner for more than ten years. After【小题3】mine closed down, Li turned【小题4】housing decoration, until he【小题5】(force) to give that up due to a finger injury. Earlier this year, he discovered sugar painting, something he really had an interest in.

Since there was no sugar painting craftsman in his village, he studied by【小题6】(he) through large quantities of videos and information on the Internet. Li loved painting when he was young, and he found it easy to learn the skill in sugar painting. He soon mastered the skill and could make a【小题7】(vary) of sugar paintings. A sugar painting is made with【小题8】(melt) brown or white sugar. Craftsman【小题9】(normal) paint animals and flowers on a stone board with the syrup (糖浆). When the sugar cools down,【小题10】appears is a piece of sugar art.