粽子 - zòngzi - glutinous rice and choice of filling wrapped in leaves and boiled
村民 - cūnmín - villager
过上 - guòshàng - to experience / to live
生活 - shēnghuó - to live / life / activity / livelihood
糯米 - nuòmǐ - glutinous rice
芦苇 - lúwěi - reed
包 - bāo - to cover / to wrap / package / wrapper / container / bag
成 - chéng - to become / to turn into
煮 - zhǔ - to cook / to boil
特别 - tèbié - especially / special / particular / unusual
斤 - jīn - weight equal to 0.5 kg
政府 - zhèngfǔ - government
黄 - huáng - yellow
米 - mǐ - rice
做法 - zuòfǎ - way of handling sth / method for making / work method / recipe / practice
村里 - cūnlǐ - village
赚 - zhuàn - to earn / to make a profit

Subject + 让 + Sb / Sth + Verb / Verb Phrase - Expressing "to make or let sb / sth to do sth" with "Subject + ràng + sb / sth + Verb / Verb Phrase" (causative verb)
粽子让山西清塘村民过上了好生活

Verb + 上 - Expressing that the result of the action attains / achieves something or provides satisfaction with "Verb + shàng" (result complement)
粽子让山西清塘村民过上了好生活

初 + Number - Expression indicates number of days into the new month according to the lunar calendar with "chū + Number"
五月初五是中国的端午节。

Subject + 把 + Object + Verb - Expressed to specify that the result of an action affects a particular object but not the action itself with "bǎ"
把洗好的糯米用芦苇包起来就成了粽子。

用 + Verb / Noun Phrase + (来) + Verb Phrase 2 - Expressing a way or a method to do sth with "yòng + Verb / Noun Phrase 1 + lái + Verb Phrase 2" (in this phrase 来 is optional)
把洗好的糯米用芦苇包起来就成了粽子。
青塘村的芦苇非常多，而且长得很好，用它包粽子特别好吃。

Verb / Adj. + 起来 - Expressed after verbs or adjectives for abstract concepts of bringing things together to have a desired result with "Verb / Adj. + qǐlái"
把洗好的糯米用芦苇包起来就成了粽子。

Characters of an adjective repeated (one after another) - Expressing greater emphasis similar to adding "extremely / really / so" before the adjective (sometimes similar to adding "-ly" onto the end of an adj.)
包好的粽子再慢慢地煮一个小时，就可以吃了。

而且… - Expressing "in addition / furthermore…" with "érqiě…"
青塘村的芦苇非常多，而且长得很好，用它包粽子特别好吃。

Time or Verb Phrase + (以)前 - Expressing "before" a specific time or action with "Time or Verb Phrase + (yǐ)​qián"
但是在十年前，这里的芦苇1斤最多只能卖2块钱。
十年前，村里每人每年只赚2000元，现在能有2万元了。
一个村里人说，三年前他和妻子卖粽子每年赚5万元，现在有15万了，生活比以前好多了。

在 + sb / sth + 的 + Action + 下 - Expressing "under sb / sth's..." with "zài + sb / sth + de + Action + xià"
在政府的帮助下，青塘村的粽子走了出去。

Verb + 出去 - Expressed after a verb to indicate coming out and away from the speaker / location with "Verb + chū​qù"
在政府的帮助下，青塘村的粽子走了出去。

Adj. + 极了 - Expressing "extremely / exceedingly…" with "Adj. + jí ​le"
因为有非常好的芦苇和黄米，还有非常特别的做法，青塘的粽子卖得好极了。

A + 比 + B + Adj. + 多了 / 得多 / 很多 - Expressing "A is far greater than B" in with "A + bǐ + B + Adj. + duōle / deduō / hěnduō"
一个村里人说，三年前他和妻子卖粽子每年赚5万元，现在有15万了，生活比以前好多了。

山西 - Shānxī - Shaanxi (Province)
端午节 - Duānwǔ Jié - Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month)
青塘村 - Qīngtáng cūn - Qingtang village (Shanxi Province)