Literature is a word used to describe written as well as spoken material. Generally speaking, it is often used to describe anything from creative imagination, including works of poetry, drama and fiction.

    Then why read literature, since it is often imaginary and seems unconnected with real life?

    A lot of us read literature for enjoyment and relaxation. It's always pleasant to read some interesting books in our spare time. In a modern life full of stress, it is our common wish to read some imaginary works and look for relaxation from the stress in life.

    Reading literature is more than fun, it also allows us to get knowledge. As a general rule, literature represents a language of a people, and it often helps us know more about the traditions, attitudes and values of the age in which it was written.

    Sometimes literature can even offer us new, creative ways to have a better understanding of the world. It introduces us to new worlds of experiences. We enjoy the comedy and the tragedy of poems, stories and plays, and we may even grow through our literary journey with books. At last we may discover meaning in literature by looking at what the writer says and how he or she says it. In some ways, we explore the human condition and study the way they think and feel the way they feel. Literature helps us think clearly and encourages us to open minds.

    So we can certainly say literature is of great importance to us. Why not get going with one poem, drama or fiction at once?

This is my first time in Japan. One day some new colleagues invited me to eat out. At first, I felt quite pleased and learnt to use chopsticks with them, but later the problems started.

My cold was not quite finished and my nose was still running a little so I took out a tissue (纸巾)，turned away from the table and blew my nose(抠鼻涕). My colleagues, who were talking

about how to arrange (安排) the final exams of pupils, were looking at me strangely. They explained to me that in Japan, people don't blow their noses in public especially at the table.

When I was trying to stick my chopsticks in my bowl of rice, one of my colleagues said, “Don't do that. Just leave them on the table.” Later, I found that leaving your chopsticks in your rice means death in Japanese culture!

The next time I needed to blow my nose, I left the table and went to the toilet. When I returned, it was nearly time to leave. I noticed there were some little bowls of tea with lemon next to everybody's place on the table. It was hot, and I started drinking it before it got cold. Then I noticed some of my friends were covering their mouths and looking at each other. They were trying not to laugh. “What's wrong?” I asked the friend next to me. “That's not for drinking,” he explained. “It's for washing your fingers.” For a moment, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

    Among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the oldest one is the Great Pyramid of Giza. There are three large pyramids at Giza, outside the modern capital of Egypt, Cairo. The largest and most famous one is called the Great Pyramid. The workers built it as s tomb（坟墓）for the Pharaoh Khufu（法老胡夫）.

    It took more than twenty years to build the Great Pyramid When it was built, the pyramid was about 146.5 metres high. Over the years it has lost about eight metres off its top.

    The pyramid is made of large stone blocks（石块） 一 2, 300,000 of them! Each of these blocks weighs over 2, 000 kilograms. The ancient Egyptians did not have any modern machines. How did they build the pyramid? The pyramid shows that the ancient people were intelligent and had great skills.

    People once thought that the Egyptians made slaves(奴隶) do all the work on the Great Pyramid. But in fact, they used farmers.

    The Silk Road is the name of different roads that long ago connected Europe, Africa and Asia. People reached these different places along these roads. Scientists believe people began to travel the Silk Road about 3000 years ago. By the time the Chinese silk trade became important in the world. The Silk Road covered almost 6500 kilometers. It went from Rome to China, which is from the West to the Far East.

    Merchants travelled along the Silk Road to carry silk, of course. They also carried and traded other things like spices (香料), cloth, jewels and gold.

    Along and around these ancient path(小路), have come many fascinating and mysterious stories.

    It is said that Roman soldiers who lost a war travelled through central Asia. They decided to live somewhere near the ancient Chinese villages. Some of these Romans married local Chinese women and the legend of the blond-haired, blue-eyed tribes of China was started.

    Some historians believe that the people of Kashmir were taken away from their country Israel. They were prisoners (俘虏) of war almost 2800 years ago. People say that these people travelled along the Silk Road. They kept their Jewish way of life for a long time.

    During its busiest period, the Silk Road allowed people from many different cultures and countries to meet each other and mix. The Silk Road allowed the sharing of valuable things and new ideas. It included people and trading goods from different areas. All these peoples travelled the Silk Road. And they shared goods, stories, languages, and cultures.

    In modern times, the old Silk Road routes (路线) are still used, but now they are crossed by trains instead of camels and horses. There is even silk route museum in Jiuquan in China. It has over 35, 000 objects from all along the Silk Road. In this way, China protects the history of many countries and peoples.

    Some people in the West like to stay at home during their weekends. They work in the garden, visit their friends, read books or watch television. Many families take their lunch to a park or some where far from the city. They like to eat under some trees or near a nice lake. If they live near the sea, they often go to the seaside. There they can fish, swim or enjoy the sunshine.

    Some people in the West like travelling. They think travelling and outdoor activities are interesting and exciting. They work hard to save money, but their main purpose is to travel.

    Most Western students often make use of their weekends to camp. There are thousands of interesting camp bases in Western countries. They can swim, go fishing, attend lectures, and take part in many other activities there. It can help them quest for the secrets of nature and teach them how to be self-reliant(自立的).