Bian Lian is the art of face-changing. Performers wear bright, dramatic costumes including vividly colored masks and move【小题1】 quick, rhythmic music. As they move, the performers’ faces change quickly from one mask to next.

The art of Bian Lian, 【小题2】 (originate) in Sichuan, is one of the most well- known subgenres(子类) of Sichuan opera. The face-changing【小题3】 (do) for many purposes, sometimes【小题4】 (indicate) a change of emotion of the character, such as fear, anger, love etc; and sometimes the face-changing indicates context as well.

The subject matter of Sichuan opera is【小题5】 (wild) varied. Different performances bring out the different 【小题6】 (strength) of the opera itself and Bian Lian. Observers may see the Nightmare of Shi Haivu, partly a love story and partly a ghost story, 【小题7】 the face changing will reflect fear and love. Opera- goers might also see the Golden Snake’s Wild Dance, or the Cuckoo Song, which will have more of a musical and【小题8】 (humor) focus.

Many observers compare it less to an operatic performance and【小题9】 (much) to magic. Both Chinese opera goers who are familiar with the cultural context【小题10】 the observers who are unfamiliar with Chinese history or traditions usually feel awe and wonder about the speed and number of face changes. Bian Lian is undoubtedly the most mysterious art of the Sichuan opera.

Oracle bone script (or jiaguwen), the earliest-known Chinese characters 【小题1】 (carve) on tortoise shells (龟壳) and animal bones, today has made its way into modern life. Chen Nan, an 【小题2】 (enthusiast) professor with the Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University, is among those responsible for its resuscitation (复兴).

The protection of Chinese character culture 【小题3】 (achieve) good progress in recent years. And the ancient characters have also gained growing global influence. In 2017, the script 【小题4】 (official) entered the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. Oracle bone script calligraphy exhibitions even took place in Morocco and Japan in 2018-19. International experts, too, have participated 【小题5】 the research on and promotion of the characters. One such expert is Adam D. Smith from the U.S., who said he once visited Anyang 【小题6】 (see) the unearthed script and further introduced the ancient characters through lectures and workshops abroad. He suggested 【小题7】 (take) the research online so 【小题8】 more people can better understand the roots of Chinese culture.

For Chen, the global promotion of oracle bone script culture is far from sufficient, given people from other cultural 【小题9】 (background) may still consider it mysterious and abstract. “I hope modern designs can break down cultural barriers,” said Chen, 【小题10】 newly made designs have been published and exhibited overseas.

The Mid-Autumn Festival or the Moon Festival traditionally falls on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar.

In the past, the Moon Festival 【小题1】 (observe) at harvest time. Ancient Chinese emperors worshiped (敬奉) the moon in autumn to give thanks 【小题2】 the harvest. The ordinary people took the Mid-Autumn Festival to be a celebration of 【小题3】 (they) hard work and harvest. Nowadays, people 【小题4】 (main) celebrate the Moon Festival as a time for family reunions. They have long believed that worshiping the moon and eating together around 【小题5】 round table will bring them good luck and happiness.

The common customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival include family 【小题6】 (member) eating dinner together, sharing mooncakes, worshiping the moon with gifts and displaying lanterns.

Mooncakes are the must-eat Mid-Autumn food in China. Other foods 【小题7】 (eat) during the festival are harvest foods, such as crabs, pumpkins and grapes. People enjoy them when they are in the 【小题8】 (fresh) and most nutritious state, and nice meanings are particularly connected with round foods.

Festival food traditions are changing. The younger generation have their own choices about 【小题9】 they eat. Many of them don’t like mooncakes very much and choose 【小题10】 (enjoy) their favorite foods.