In China, the history of people planting and using bamboo can date back to as far as 7,000 years. As early as the Shang Dynasty, bamboo was being used in ancient people's daily lives. It was used for food, clothing, housing, transportation, {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(music) instruments and even weapons.

    The {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(apply) of bamboo in science and technology is thrilling. In 251 BC, Li Bing, in Sichuan, {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(lead) the local people in building the Dujiang Weirs(都江堰), the first irrigation network in the world, in which bamboo played {#blank#}4{#/blank#} important role. The world's oldest water pipe was also {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(make) of bamboo. During the Han Dynasty, the people in Sichuan {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(success) sank a 1600-metre-deep well with thick bamboo ropes. This technology did not spread to Europe {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the 19^th century, and it was by using the technology {#blank#}8{#/blank#} the Americans drilled the first oil well in Pennsylvania in 1859.

    In Chinese culture, bamboo is well-known as {#blank#}9{#/blank#} of the “four gentlemen” in plants. To many famous men, bamboo is a symbol of goodness and honesty. It is always closely related to people of positive spirits. Bamboo culture contributes to encouraging people to hold on when {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(face) tough situations.

    In much of Asia, especially the stalled “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 (结合) various hardwoods and metal{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(create) special designs.

    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.

    Once James Thornhill, a famous English painter, was asked {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(paint) some pictures on the walls of the king's palace in English. Then workers were sent for and {#blank#}2{#/blank#}big platform(平台) was made {#blank#}3{#/blank#} the help of a worker, Thornhill started painting on the platform. They worked for a whole year {#blank#}4{#/blank#} at last the pictures were ready.

    Thornhill was happy when he looked at the pictures, for they were {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (real) beautiful. He looked at them for a long time, and then took one step back and looked again. Now the pictures were even {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (much) beautiful. He took another step, then another. Finally, he was at the very edge of the platform, but he did not know it because he {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (think) of his pictures.

    The worker saw everything. "{#blank#}8{#/blank#} should I do?" he thought. "Thornhill is at the very edge of the platform. If I cry out, he will take another step, fall off the platform and surely be killed." So the worker quickly took some paint and threw {#blank#}9{#/blank#} at the picture. "What are you doing?" cried the painter, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (run) quickly forward to his pictures.

David will never forget what happened to him the day before yesterday. He was eating something at home{#blank#}1{#/blank#} he received a strange phone call from a hospital. The caller said that his son{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(fall) to the ground unconscious on the way to school. It was he {#blank#}3{#/blank#}took him to the hospital. David hung up his cell phone and rushed to his son's classroom, only to find him listening to the teacher attentively. He suddenly realized that he had been cheated, but he felt {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(relieve). Just at that time the phone rang again, saying, "Your son is in great danger and he needs {#blank#}5{#/blank#}immediate operation which costs 48,000 yuan. The doctors here say they will not operate {#blank#}6{#/blank#}your son until they receive the money." When{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(ask) from where the caller had taken his son to hospital, the caller rang off. David gave a big smile and said. "What a pity!"

If the cheater thought he could get money from David in such a（an）{#blank#}8{#/blank#}(honest)way, he was wrong. Such phone calls are common these days. A few of them might have fallen victims to such tricks. Most parents are sensitive to {#blank#}9{#/blank#}. It was really silly to cheat well—educated men like David.

    Believe it or not, it's a true story. The{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(colleague)in his office can confirm it, such as Tom, Peter and so on.