奇速英语

The year 2024 celebrates the Chinese Year of the Dragon. It is respected as a ___1___ (luck) year, full of hope for all.

Chinese people respect the dragon, and even see themselves as the descendants (后代) of the dragon. In Chinese culture, the dragon is a symbol of power and good luck. People believe it controls the water and brings a good harvest. So they ___2___ (admire) the dragon since ancient times. And people who are born in the dragon year are thought to be confident and unafraid to take risks.

But how did the dragon become one of the twelve ___3___ (animal) in the Chinese zodiac (生肖)? According to the legend, there was a party, the order of the zodiac animals would be decided by the order in which they arrived. The dragon, although it had the ability ___4___ (fly), didn’t come first because it stopped to make rain for farmers on ___5___ (it) way. So, it was the ___6___ (five) one to arrive.

To show great respect towards the dragon, Dragon Dance ___7___ (start) by the Chinese during the Han Dynasty. Now it has been spread all over the world. The length of dragons can be 50 to 70 meters because people believe that the ___8___ (long) the dragon is, the more luck it will bring. But a small group ___9___ (not run) a very long dragon because it needs great human power, much money, and special skills.

The dragon is not just an animal in the Chinese zodiac, it’s also a powerful symbol that is rooted (根植) ___10___ (deep) in Chinese history and customs.