How do you keep cool during summer? Air conditioners or electric fans are good 1 in modern society. But 2 that, people could only use fans.
Over 3,000 years ago, fans began to 3 They were made of feathers (羽毛), bamboo or silk. They came in different 4 , including round and square.
Later, with the invention of paper, folding(可折叠) paper fans became popular5 the Song Dynasty. There are usually beautiful 6on fans. Some are landscapes (风景). Others are flowers and animals. Moreover, many great people including Su Dongpo, a poet of the Song Dynasty, and Tang Yin, a scholar (学者) and painter of the Ming Dynasty, once painted their masterpieces(杰作) on fans. This made fans not only 7 tools in daily life but also great artworks.
So, with its value of beauty, people take fans as a 8 of status(地位). That's why in old China, emperors and scholars often held fans.
Today, fans are also great collectors' items(藏品) and gifts. On the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, folding fans were9 to leaders and officials (官员) of other countries. While they were 10 fans to get cool, they were also experiencing Chinese culture.
More than fifty years ago, Barbie Millicent Roberts first appeared in the world of toys. Since then, Barbie doll, as everyone called her, has become the most successful toy doll in history. Her parent, the Mattel Company, said that 90G of all American girls between 3 and 10 have at least one Barbie at home.
However, Barbie is facing some trouble at present. There are many similar dolls on the market in competition with her. Another doll named Bratz, for example, came to life about sixteen years ago. She looks more like today's pop stars with heavy makeup(浓妆) and miniskirts. And her company offers more kinds of clothes.
It seems that Barbie has lost her magic among older girls. "For younger girls, playing with a Barbie is much funnier. But when you get older, you want something smarter and more modern," says Vera Shepherd, a shop assistant of a toy store in New York.
It is good news that on the international market, Barbie is still No. 1. Although Mattel is selling fewer Barbies in the United States these years, sales in other countries are still going up. Mattel opened its first Barbie store in Shanghai, where girls can shop, eat, drink or even become fashion designers for their own Barbies.
Mattel is planning big celebrations for Barbie's 58th birthday. Fashion designers from all over the world have been called to make new dresses for Barbie. How long will Barbie stay popular in the world of toy dolls? It is hard to say, but 58 is surely not the age to retire(退休).
Dragon Dance(舞龙) is a kind of traditional dance in Chinese culture. It has been spread all over China and to the whole world.
Traditionally, dragons were made of wood and cloth. However, in the modern times, dragons are much lighter because they are made of lighter materials like plastic. The length(长度) of dragons can be from around 25 to 35 metres for acrobatic(杂技) models, and up to 50 to 70 metres for the largest parade(游行) styles because people believe that the longer the dragon is, the more luck it will bring. A small organization cannot run a very long dragon because it requires great human power, much money and special skills.
The Dragon Dance itself began during the Han Dynasty. And it was started by the Chinese who had shown great respect towards the dragon. It was already a popular event during the Song Dynasty. At that time, it became a popular activity like the Lion Dance. People could often see it during some important festivals. In the Qing Dynasty, the Dragon Dance Team of Fuzhou was invited to put on a show in Beijing. And the emperor(黄帝) spoke highly of it. The emperors of ancient China thought of themselves as the dragons.
内容提示：⑴剪纸有长达两千年的历史；
⑵主要流行于中国北方，并且为老年人所喜爱；
⑶剪纸有各种形状，比如：动植物、象征健康或好运的中国人物角色等；
⑷人们常常在春节或结婚时将剪纸贴于门窗上。
要求：⑴条理清晰，意思连贯，语句通顺，标点正确，逻辑严谨
⑵80词左右；开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数，可适当扩展。
Dear Ann,
How are you doing? …
Yours,
Lingling
