The sound from Miranda’s alarm clock would not stop in the morning. Miranda reached over and stopped the noise ringing in her room. The action brought her a few minutes of peace and quietness.

On a usual day, Miranda jumped out of bed even before the alarm clock could ring. She did not mind getting up early. She loved morning because she could complete her two-mile run before most of her family members got up. She ran every morning so that she would realize her dream of being the best runner in the school. However, this morning was different. She would go and find out whether the pain in her leg was something that could be easily treated or would stop her from doing something she loved most: running with the school track team(田径队).

As the alarm clock rang out again, Miranda knew she had to get up. She cut off the annoying noise and rose from her bed. She could hear the sound from the kitchen where her mother was making her favorite breakfast.

Sighing(叹气) deeply in the quiet room, she tried to stand up. She felt the pain in her right leg. It was serious but she could stand it. Surely, Miranda thought, it would not be as bad as she had imagined.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and got ready to join her mother. As she walked into the kitchen, her mother gave her a big smile. At once, she felt that she was not alone in this world and that would make all the difference, no matter what the day would bring.

The shadow play (皮影戏) is a folk drama. During the performance, the artists act behind the white cloth, controlling the silhouette (剪影) to act, sing and talk with the music.

According to historical records, the shadow play appeared as early as in Warring States, developed in the Han Dynasty and became popular in the Song Dynasty.

There are many different forms of shadow play in different places of China, but the ways to make silhouettes are almost the same.

The first step is choosing skin. Cow skin is the most popular material because it is not too thin or too thick. The chosen skin should be processed to become clean and then a picture of a character is drawn on it. After that, the skin is colored, air-dried, and then carefully cut into pieces according to the body parts. The last step is combination. All the pieces are sewn (缝) together to make the character move freely. Then it is put onto a bamboo stick so that it can be held easily.

Like many other traditional folk arts, its artists always want to pass on the art only to men not women in the past. Also, young people today don’t want to take up the tradition because they cannot make enough money to live through it. What can we do to help the development of Chinese traditional art?

A well-known poem by Tang dynasty poet Du Mu tells of a scene in early April: “Rains fall heavily as Qingming comes, and pedestrians with lowered spirits go.”

This scene takes place on Tomb Sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival. Tomb Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival. It began in the Zhou Dynasty, over 2,500 years ago. Chinese people celebrate it to remember and honor their ancestors. This year, it falls on April 4th. Tomb Sweeping Day became a public holiday in the Chinese main land in 2008. People have one day off for that day.

On this day, families bring flowers, food and wine to the grave sites (墓地) of their ancestors. They place cakes, fruits in front of the grave and some may burn joss paper (纸钱) as money for the dead. After that, they sweep the tombs and cherish (怀念) the memories of their dead family members.

Tomb Sweeping Day gives us a chance to show respect to our ancestors and family members who have passed away and show that we miss them. This tradition shows that family values are an important part of Chinese culture.

Tomb Sweeping Day is also the beginning of the time for gardening and outdoor activities in China. Families often get together for a short trip or to fly kites at this time.