In much of Asia, especially the so-called “rice-bowl” cultures of China, Japan, Korea, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Vietnam, food is usually eaten with chopsticks.

    Chopsticks are usually two long, thin pieces of wood or bamboo. They can also be made of plastic, animal bone or metal. Sometimes chopsticks are quite artistic. Truly elegant chopsticks might {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (make) of gold and silver with Chinese characters. Skilled workers also combine various hardwoods and metal {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (create) special design.

    The Chinese have used chopsticks for five thousand years. People probably cooked their food in large pots, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (use) twigs(树枝) to remove it. Over time, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} the population grew, people began cutting food into small pieces so it would cook more quickly. Food in small pieces could be eaten easily with twigs which {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (gradual) turned into chopsticks.

    Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} lived from roughly 551 to 479 B.C., influenced the {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (develop) of chopsticks. Confucius believed knives would remind people of killings and {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (be) too violent for use at the table.

    Chopsticks are not used everywhere in Asia. In India, for example, most people traditionally eat {#blank#}10{#/blank#} their hands.

    Generally speaking, joy {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (express) by laughter. But as it turns out, it reveals a lot more than the fact {#blank#}2{#/blank#} you are happy. It enables listeners, even those who cannot observe you, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (realize) if you are having a good time with a close friend or laughing {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (polite) with a complete stranger.

    At least, this is the conclusion {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (reach) by a team of scientists led by Greg Bryant, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} assistant professor of Communication Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. The researchers began by {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(request) volunteers from across the world to send them audio clips(音频剪辑) of people laughing. The 48 tapes they received {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (range) from recent recordings of laughter between two college friends {#blank#}9{#/blank#} ones from conversations made ten years ago. The clips also had all possible {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (combine)--communications between friends, strangers, all-male groups, all-female groups, etc.

    Bryan says that the results of this cross-cultural examination show that people all over the world know laughter in similar ways.

    Any bird that crossed his path would be eaten by Rex, a German shepherd. Rex{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(rescue) from his previous shelter, where he was going to be put down after a biting incident. Last year, he{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(eventual) arrived at Puriton Horse and Animal Rescue.

    Geraldine was a goose abandoned by owners who could no longer put up {#blank#}3{#/blank#} her. She wasn't exactly the picture of {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(warm), either, when she arrived at the same shelter three months ago. The dog and the goose were individually given labels like cruel and dangerous. Neither seemed particularly harmonious with humans or even members of their own species.

    But when the two {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(annoy) creatures were offered a chance to hang out together, something magical happened. They chased each other when first {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(introduce), but Geraldine stood up for herself and that was that. They just fell in love with each other.

    “I've been doing rescue work since 1997 and seen all {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(kind) of strange animal behavior, but I've never seen anything like this,” said Sheila Brislin, {#blank#}8{#/blank#}is the founder of the shelter. “It's so amusing to see them because they love each other to bits. They are very affectionate. She just{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(run) around alongside him all day long and whenever we take him for {#blank#}10{#/blank#}walk in the woods she has to come, too.”