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 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.

    I was visiting Australia a few weeks ago. I knew I couldn't leave the surf capital of the world {#blank#}1{#/blank#} having a try myself. I booked a group surf lesson when I was in Byron Bay, which is a really popular place for {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (skill) surfers to go and catch some waves!

    We started off with a warm-up by doing some stretches and going for a jog along {#blank#}3{#/blank#} beach. Then we all {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (lie) down on our surfboards on the sand and practiced {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (jump) up to the standing position. After this, we were ready to go out and try it out on the water. Well, surfing is much {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (hard) than it looks—when you watch people from the beach they make {#blank#}7{#/blank#} look so easy! I had tried a couple of times but failed before one of the {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (coach) came to help me and held my board steady.

    Finally I started to get the hang of it and by the end of the lesson I managed {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (stand) up on the board by myself, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} was a pretty awesome feeling. Now I can't wait to try it again, although I'll definitely need to wear a wetsuit if I'm surfing in the UK!

    Every year, A large number of people go back home for Christmas. Joe's plane landed on time at Heathrow Airport. He had {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (exact)one hour to get out of the airport and go across the centre of the airport and the centre of London to catch his train to Manchester. He hurried through the airport, and then raced {#blank#}2{#/blank#} the taxi sign.

    Unfortunately, at that moment, {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (he)luggage broke and dirty socks, shirts and underwear were all over the airport floor. Joe was so {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (embarrass)that he quickly put everything back into his luggage. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (push)his way through the crowds of people, he finally made it to the taxi rank. He jumped into the nearest taxi, shouting, “Euston Station, quickly, please!” The taxi set off at such {#blank#}6{#/blank#} high speed that Joe was thrown backward, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} made him hit his head against the glass. The taxi sped on and finally arrived in the city centre, and also the middle of a traffic jam! It would be quicker to walk there. Joe offered {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (pay)the driver, got out of the taxi, and ran along the pavement and past all the shop {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (window). At last, he could see the station opposite.

    He reached the station just as his train was leaving. He {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (get)on the train with seconds to spare. He sighed with relief—he would be home in time for Christmas.

    Traditional Chinese medicine has been practised for around 3, 000 years, but it {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (be) relatively recent in the West, and acupuncture(针灸)only really became well known in the West in the 1970s as people began to travel {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (much)frequently between the two areas of the world.

    A significant event in the history of acupuncture {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (come)in 1971, when a journalist from the New York Times had his appendix(阑尾) {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (remove)in China, when on a trip to the country with Henry Kissinger, the Secretary of State for the USA. Surgeons used acupuncture to deaden the pain of the operation, {#blank#}5{#/blank#}greatly impressed Kissinger.

    Although at first doctors in the West were often sceptical of the {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (medicine)value of acupuncture, in the last few years it has become more established {#blank#}7{#/blank#} an alternative to Western medical treatments, since clinical tests have shown that acupuncture is effective for  {#blank#}8{#/blank#} number of conditions.

    In the West, the treatment is often used {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (relieve)headaches, dental pain, back pain and arthritis, and to treat depression, asthma, stress, high blood pressure and anxiety. Cherie Blair, a well-known human rights lawyer and the wife of the British Prime Minister, was recently spotted {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (wear)an acupuncture needle in her ear, suggesting that she uses the treatment to deal with stress.

    The Dragon Boat Festival is a {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(tradition) holiday that commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan.

    It is a day when many people eat zongzi and race dragon boats. In ancient  China,  the festival {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (celebrate) as "Poets' Day" in honor of Qu Yuan,  {#blank#}3{#/blank#} was known as China's first poet.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} is commonly believed that the local people began {#blank#}5{#/blank#} tradition of throwing sacrificial cooked rice into the river for Qu Yuan, while others hoped that the rice would prevent Qu Yuan's body from being eaten by the fishes in the river. At first, the locals decided {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (make) zongzi in hopes that it would sink into the river and reach Qu Yuan's body. However, the tradition of wrapping the rice in bamboo {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (leaf) to make zongzi began the following year.

    A dragon boat, usually made of wood to various designs and sizes, is a human-powered boat. They often have brightly decorated designs that range anywhere from 40 feet in length {#blank#}8{#/blank#} 100 feet, with the front end shaped like open-mouthed dragons, and the back end with a scaly tail. The boat can have up to 80 rowers to power the boat, {#blank#}9{#/blank#}depend) on the length. A sacred ceremony is performed before any competition in order to "bring the boat to life" by painting the eyes. The first team {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (gain) a flag at the end of the course wins the race.