The Laba Festival 【小题1】 (celebrate) on the eighth day of the twelfth month of the lunar(阴历的) Chinese calendar is a traditional Chinese holiday. "La" is the name of the month and 【小题2】 (pronounce) as "ba" in Chinese.

There are several stories about the origin of this festival and it's difficult for【小题3】 (we) to tell which one is true. But today【小题4】 we do know is that this festival began as a way to honour ancestors. It was also a time for the ancient Chinese 【小题5】   (pray) to heaven and earth that there would be a good harvest.

The majority of Chinese have long followed the tradition of 【小题6】 (eat) Laba porridge during the Laba Festival. 【小题7】 general, the porridge contains eight ingredients, including some beans and rice. 【小题8】(traditional), Laba porridge is the most important part of the festival. Also, 【小题9】 is important that family members eat the porridge together.

Another custom is soaking Laba garlic（泡腊八蒜）, 【小题10】   is the best seasoning（调味品）for the dumpling feast at the Spring Festival.

The Year of the Ox is coming In China, you will find various ox figures made of gold, wood, plastic, paper, shell and stone 【小题1】sale in stores and on streets 【小题2】(celebrate) the return.

But why was the ox 【小题3】(choose) to be one of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs (生肖)?

【小题4】(century) ago, most people earned 【小题5】living through farming. The ox was used to help plow, cultivate and carry heavy goods.

The ox 【小题6】(consider) to be a symbol of diligence and earnestness in Chinese culture. To this day, the phrase “the spirit of ox”sill refers to overcoming anything that may present itself as an obstacle.The spirit is 【小题7】(high) praised and many people follow it as their work rules. When someone achieves a great accomplishment through hard work, people often use“niu”【小题8】(mean)“awesome”, to describe him or her.

Oxen seldom bully the weak or fear the strong They work hard and make sacrifices (牺牲) This is reflected in a couplet from a poem by Lu Xun (1881-1936): “Fierce-browed, I coolly defy a thousand pointing fingers; Head bowed, like a willing ox I serve the children”, 【小题9】fully expresses the poet's loyally to the people.

So naturally, those who were born in the Year of the Ox are often expected to be hardworking,【小题10】(rely) and loyal.“They never seek to be the center of attention and do not look for praise,”the website China Highlights noted.

I attended the Naadam Festival in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region this year. The festival, 【小题1】 includes horse racing, wrestling and archery, falls on the 【小题2】 (four) day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, usually 【小题3】 (last) for three days.

I went to the games early with my friend   and found that many people 【小题4】 (make) preparations for the events. I was told that the festival had been popular with Mongolians for 【小题5】 (century). After the opening ceremony, the wrestling competition began, 【小题6】 (follow) by the archery and my favourite horse races. 【小题7】 my surprise, the riders were all children and I was concerned about their 【小题8】 (safe). My friend told me not 【小题9】 (worry) as they had been riding horses all their lives. Then I began to understand what “Horses are at the heart of Mongolian culture” meant.

Having been back home, I felt really tired, 【小题10】it was worthwhile to celebrate the festival with my friend.