Most people around the world are right-handed. This also seems to be true in history. In 1799, scientists studied works of art made at different times from 1,500 B.C. to the 1950s. Most of the people shown in these works are right-handed, so the scientists guessed that right-handedness has always been common through history. Today, only about 10% to 15% of the world's population is left-handed.

Why are there more right-handed people than left-handed ones? Scientists now know that a person's two hands each have their own jobs. For most people, the left hand is used to find things or hold things. The right hand is used to work with things. This is because of the different work of the two sides of the brain. The right side of the brain, which makes a person's hands and eyes work together, controls the left hand. The left side of the brain, which controls the right hand, is the centre for thinking and doing problems. These findings show that more artists should be left-handed, and studies have found that left-handedness is twice as common among artists as among people in other jobs.

No one really knows what makes a person become right-handed instead of left-handed. Scientists have found that almost 40% of the people become left-handed because their main brain is damaged when they are born. However, this doesn't happen to everyone, so scientists guess there must be another reason why people become left-handed. One idea is that people usually get right-handed from their parents. If a person does not receive the gene (基因) for right-handedness, he / she may become either right-handed or left-handed according to the chance and the people they work or live with.

Though right-handedness is more common than left-handedness, people no longer think left-handed people are strange or unusual. A long time ago, left-handed children were made to use their right hands like other children, but today they don't have to.

Kunqu Opera (昆曲),also known as Kun Opera, is a kind of Chinese musical drama (戏剧).But it is more than just drama. It is actually a kind of art{#blank#}1{#/blank#}history, music, dancing and others.

It is {#blank#}2{#/blank#}believed that Kunqu Opera is the beginning of all the other forms of Chinese opera. With a long history of over 600 years, Kunqu Opera started in the city of Kunshan at the end of the Yuan Rynasty. It became quite {#blank#}3{#/blank#}in the Ming and Qing dynasties. In 2001,Kunqu Opera was {#blank#}4{#/blank#}as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (人类口述和非物质遗产代表作).

    Imagine you are taking a walk on the beautiful beach. Just then, your feet step over something and you hear a crack (噼啪声) —an empty plastic bottle. Things like this are happening more often because of sea rubbish.

    Studies show that 80% of all the waste is from the land. The waste is mainly plastics (塑料制品) which are really hard to degrade (降解). So the rubbish will remain there for a long time. Some of the pollution is caused accidentally. For example, about 10,000 product-filled boxes are lost at sea every year from business ships. Sometimes people just throw things into the water from boats or land. Many large rubbish areas are formed in the North Pacific Ocean.

    Thankfully, the situation isn't ignored (忽视). Groups like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are taking action to help clean the sea. Since 2006,76 projects have cleared out 3,814 metric tons (公吨) of rubbish from the sea. Methods of rubbish cleaning include using machines to remove (移除) the waste away from the surface of sea water. Besides, special nets are set by the mouths of rivers to stop the rubbish before it reaches the sea. If everyone does his part, sea rubbish seems like a problem that can be solved.

Everyone wants to be successful, but failure (失败) is a common thing for us to meet with. 1, sometimes we fail the exams; sometimes in the sports meeting, others 2 but we fail. So almost 3 meets with the failure in his life.

However, different people have different 4 to deal with(处理)the failure. Some people lose hope when they fail. They seem to think that it is the 5 of the world. But others don't take failure 6. They seem to think that failure is the first step(步骤)to success. They will 7 and try their best to get the final success.

Now let's imagine( 猜想)the ends of the two ways. If we are afraid of the failure and always feel sad, and don't try our best to change ourselves, we may meet with more and more failures. But as 8 as we are hopeful and brave to face the failure, and never give up, we will become 9 and our dreams will come true some day.

So, please remember: Life doesn't give us the pleasure we want. But if we never give up and 10do little by little, it will make a big difference.

People love walking through a giant puzzle. In a corn maze(玉米迷宫), they can follow miles of paths and run into lots of dead ends before they finally find their way out. The corn maze has been growing for almost 30 years. 

Simple corn mazes began appearing in the 1980s. In 1993, the first big corn maze created for the public to enjoy was made in Annville Pennsylvania, by Don Frantz and Adrian Fischer. Then, in a corntield as big as two and a half football fields, Mr. Frantz created "The Amazing Maize Maze"with the help of his family and friends. When it was done, almost two miles of pathways snaked through the cornfield. Since then, thousands of corn mazes have been created around the world.

For many farmers, a corn maze means a boost(激增) of extra income. During the opening weekend, about 6, 000 visitors came to get lost in Mr. Frantz's maze. Charging only $5 per person, he earned almost $32, 000in two weeks.

Brett Herbst is also a maze designer. In 1999 he set a world record for the world's largest corn maze, an image of the solar system with nine planets in it. He now has a business called The Maize, which has designed more than 4, 000 mazes around the world. "Corn mazes help people connectwith their roots, "he says. "People are so far removed from farm life that they are drawn to something real, something organic. "

Today, a great number of people enjoy seeking fun in a corn maze. Mr. Herbst says, "When we see families on the farm having fun, we know that they are making memories that will last a lifetime. "

There are 24 solar terms(节气)in China. They can guide farming activities and are believed to be an outstanding achievement by ancient Chinese. 

Grain Rain" is the sixth solar term in the 24 solar terms and it is the last solar term in spring. It falls on April 20 this year. The term"Grain Rain" came from a folk story. When Cang Jie created writing characters, grain came down from sky like rainfall. Therefore, the Yellow Emperor named this day as the "Grain Rain". When this day comes, the number of rainfall increases. It is very important for the growth of the grain. 

Nowadays, different areas have different customs during "Grain Rain", Picking and cooking tea leaves: "Grain Rain Tea" is the name for the tea made around the time of "Grain Rain" in the south of China. it is considered as one of the best kinds of tea. it not only has a strong and good taste but also can last for a long time in water. 

Blessing(祈福)to the sea: "Grain Rain" is a perfect time for fishing. Since it gets warmer and warmer, the sea also gets warmer and more fishes swim in the sea. Fishermen in the north often bless for safety and success on the sea. 

Killing insects: As the weather gets warmer. insects become more active. Farmers in Shandong, Shanxi and Shaanxi often use different methods to kill insects. 

Taking a bath: In some of the north-west areas, people take the shower in the river during "Grain Rain" period. They think it can help them be far away from the bad luck.