Paper cutting is one of China's most popular folk arts. Archaeological (考古学上的) finds show that the tradition started in the 6th century; it is even supposed that the beginning of paper cutting is even a few centuries earlier.
Paper cuts have special importance at festivals and on holidays. To get rid of (摆脱) the old and bring good luck, people put up paper cuts on the windows on the Eve of the Spring Festival.
Paper cuts are not produced by machine, but by hand. They are done all over China, but are different in the method in different areas. There are two methods of making paper cuts — by using scissors (剪刀) or knives. As the name suggests, scissors cuttings are made with scissors. Several pieces of paper (up to eight pieces) are placed together. The patterns are then cut with pointed scissors. Knife cuttings are made by putting several pieces of paper on a table. Following a pattern, the artist cuts the patterns into the paper with a knife.
In the past, paper cuts are usually made only by women and girls. They use scissors and paper to cut all kinds of pictures such as apple trees, peach blossoms, mice, fighting roosters (公鸡) and rabbits eating carrots.
This used to be one of the skills that every girl was to master. Professional paper cutting artists are, on the other hand, almost always men who can make a living by working together in workshops.
It happened years ago when I was a poor freshman. I chose a cheap airline (航空公司) to fly back to1after Christmas break. The airline 2 my flight to Spokane and I was left overnight in Seattle.
As a 16yearold young girl, I felt 3 because I didn't have enough money for a4 and how to spend a night became a problem. I stood at the customer service counter, 5, trying to fight back tears. Then a woman 6 me and said she'd like to take me to her home and she'd get me 7to the airport in the morning. Having gotten off the same flight as me, she had her own two kids to 8, but she said, as a mother, she 9 o leave me alone to spend the night in the airport.
She took me to her home and 10 me to a good meal. And then she had her own kids 11 one bedroom so that there was an extra room for me 12 she gave me all her contact information and told me to 13 my mom and let her know where I would stay.
Now I have two kids of my own, living a super 14 but happy life. Therefore, I 15 even more the fact that a 16, who had two children at home, was willing to help me in spite of the 17. College was my dream, but my family faced a really tough situation and I was 18 dropping out (辍学) then. It was this woman who made a 19 in my life and her act caused me to have the courage to 20 my studies. At last, I got a doctor degree.
Do you know polar bears well? In this article, we will discuss some (amaze) facts about polar bears.
Black skin and white fur. Interestingly, polar bears usually have black skin which (cover) with fur. When you see the bear white, it is because (it) fur is a hollow transparent tube (中空透明管) that only (reflect) light. This feature gives polar bears great advantage in their environment especially when they are hunting.
Polar bears live in cold (place). The natural habitat (栖息地) of polar bears is in the Arctic in Canada, Russia, and so on. While the Arctic is known for extremely freezing temperatures, bears still manage to remain warm thanks the 10 cm thick layer of fat under their skin and their thick furry coat.
Their population. It is estimated (估计) that there are about 20,000 polar bears. Polar bears are used to freezing temperatures. However, because the global temperature is rising, ice on the sea melts a bit (fast) than usual. This way, bears don't have enough time (hunt) for food, so they are easy to get hurt. Each of the countries bears have their natural habitat follows strict rules on hunting polar bears to prevent them from (face) extinction.
