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阅读理解
Paper-cutting is a very typical visual art of Chinese handicrafts(手工艺品)．It originated from the 6th century when women used to paste the silver cuttings onto their hair．Later, they were used during festivals to decorate gates and windows．After hundreds of years'development, now they have become a very popular means of decoration among country people, especially women．
The main cutting tools are simple：paper and scissors or a cutting knife, but clever and skillful craftspeople are really good at cutting in the theme of daily life．When you look at items made in this method carefully, you will be amazed by the true expressions of the figure's, emotion and appearance, or natural plants and animals'diverse gestures．Patterns of flowers display the beautiful petals(花瓣), pied magpies show their tiny feathers, and others such as a married daughter returning to her parents'home, or young people paying a New Year call to their grandparents．
It is easy to learn about cutting a piece of paper, but very difficult to master it with perfection．One must grasp the knife in an upright fashion and press steadily on the paper with some strength．Flexibility is required but any hesitation or wiggling will lead to imprecision or damage the whole cutting．Cutters stress the cutting lines in several styles．They attempt to carve a circle like the moon, a straight line like a stem of wheat, a square like a brick, and jaggedly like the beard．
People find hope and comfort in expressing wishes with paper cuttings．For example：for a wedding ceremony, red paper cuttings are a traditional and required decoration on the tea set, the dressing table glass, and on other furniture．A big red paper character 'Xi'(happiness)is a traditional must on the newlywed's door．Upon the birthday party of a senior, the character 'Shou'represents long life and will add delight to the whole celebration; while a pattern of chubby(胖乎乎的)children holding fish signifies that every year they will be rich in wealth．
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