“I can't see clearly, because I don't wear my glasses today.” We always hear people saying something like this. Glasses are very important to many people. Do you know how they were invented and developed?

    Glasses took a long time to develop into what you can find in the glasses store today. The Chinese first used colored glasses as fashion. They thought that those glasses had magic, but they didn't think that glasses could help eyes to see clearly.

    In 1262, the inventor, Roger Bacon, discovered the amazing function(功能) of lenses(镜片), and he thought that glasses could be used to help people to see. Twenty years later, in Florence, Italy, the inventor, Alessandro di Spina, made the first pair of glasses that could help people to see.

Although these glasses worked, scientists didn't understand how glasses helped eyes to see. They thought that eyes sent out light onto whatever a person was looking at, and then the light came back to the eyes. Johannes Kepler finally found out how glasses worked.

Inventors continued to improve glasses. In 1784, Ben Franklin created glasses that had bifocal(双焦的) lenses. Many years later, in 1827, George Airy made circle-shaped glasses to correct astigmatism, an eye problem that stops the eyes from seeing things clearly.

Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising there are many expressions about cats. Do you know any of them? Now let me introduce some to you.

Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries. If someone looks very proud or satisfied with himself, we say he looks like the cat that ate the canary.

Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small animal it catches. So if you play cat and mouse with someone, you change between different kinds of behavior when dealing with another person. For example, a child might offer something sweet to her little brother, and then take it away when she reaches for it.

A cat will often catch a small animal and present it to its owner. The saying that looks like something the cat dragged in describes something in bad condition.

A fat cat is a person with a lot of money.

There are many other expressions about cats in America. How interesting! Which kind of cat are you, or which kind would you like to be?

    Many people go to different countries and live in different places in their lifetime. In different countries, they may meet with different manners. Sometimes they are puzzled by the different manners, and perhaps they may make a joke about those manners. So when we go to a strange country, we should pay attention to something new or dissimilar. For example, most Westerners are not concerned about protocol(礼仪) in social matters. But there are a few table manners the Easterners should try to observe(遵守)at all times.

    To start with, put the napkin on your lap. It protects your clothes from food or is used to wipe your hands or mouth when necessary.

    Hold the knife in your right hand and the fork in your left hand, and cut the meat or fish into pieces as you eat. Always use your fork to put food into your mouth. Use your spoon only for soup or other liquids.

    Do not put your own utensils (fork, knife, spoon) into the serving bowl. Use the utensil in the bowl to put some of the food on your own plate. And then return the serving utensil to the bowl.

    Do not spit food anywhere. If you have hones in your mouth, take them out with your fingers and place them on the edge of your plate, never on the table or floor.

    Do not reach across the table or in front of another person. Ask someone to pass whatever you want.

    Do not sneeze, cough or blow your nose anywhere except into a handkerchief or Kleenex (纸巾). Then you throw it into a waste paper basket or garbage can. If you cough, try to cover your mouth with your hand.

    Australia as a nation is less than 250 years old if the year 1770 when James Cook discovered the land is regarded as a starting point for its modern history. The short history has not produced a big wealth of cultural heritages. For this reason, Australia spare no efforts to protect its culture. The cottage of James Cook is a perfect example of the government and people's effort.

    Built in 1755, Cooks' Cottage is the oldest building in Australia, with a fascinating past. It's a must when exploring Melbourne. Originally located in Yorkshire, England, the cottage was brought to the Fitzroy Gardens by Sir Russell Grimwade in 1934. In 1901 Australia came into being with its capital in Melbourne. To celebrate the birth of the nation, a statue of Captain Cook was built in Sydney where Cook had sailed in and set his steps onto the land. Stamps were printed in honor of the English explorer. However, Australian people would have to travel all the way to Britain to admire the life of the discoverer, so Sir Russell Grimwade, an Australian businessman, offered to buy the old house of James Cook in Yorkshire and relocate it to Melbourne when Melbourne celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1934. Amazingly, each piece was carefully numbered, packed into boxes and then shipped to Australia, along with cuttings of the original coverings. It took nearly a month to reach Melbourne.

    In fact, explorer Captain James Cook never lived in the cottage-he'd been away from home for almost ten years when his father built it-but this connection to the Cook family was enough to prompt Grimwade to transport the cottage to the other side of the world.