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.

    One of the biggest challenges {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (face) students today is how to concentrate on studies. Almost all of them are struggling for their concentration power. In an age {#blank#}2{#/blank#} mobile phones and Internet are eating up most of our time and energy, one can understand how different it is to focus attention and energy on studies.

    One of the most important {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (factor) for developing concentration on a task, whether it is study or anything else, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (be) to develop an interest in that task. We are able to focus {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (easy) and more long periods of time on tasks that we find more interesting. If you ever want to concentrate on anything and studies are no {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (except), you need {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(ensure) that the environmental around you is distraction (注意力分散) free. So the question is not how to concentrate on studies {#blank#}8{#/blank#} how to avoid distractions that have swallowed up mankind today. The only way to guarantee {#blank#}9{#/blank#} distraction free environment is by getting rid of all the unnecessary things around you, including the electronic gadgets (小器具) {#blank#}10{#/blank#} mobile phones.

    Yuan Longping is one of the most famous scientists in the world. He{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (struggle) for the past five decades for the Chinese farmers. He grows {#blank#}2{#/blank#} is called super hybrid rice. This special strain of rice makes {#blank#}3{#/blank#} possible to produce one third more of the crop in the same fields. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (use) his hybrid rice, farmers are producing harvests twice as large as before.

    Finding ways to grow more rice has been his life goal since he graduated from college in 1953. At that time, hunger was {#blank#}5{#/blank#} disturbing problem in many parts of the countryside. Therefore, he wanted to help his motherland rid of hunger {#blank#}6{#/blank#} increasing the rice output without {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (expand) the area of the fields, and he finally made it.

    {#blank#}8{#/blank#} a great scientist, he leads a very simple life. He believes that a person with too much money has more rather than {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (few) troubles. He has another dream {#blank#}10{#/blank#} his rice can be grown around the globe and no hunger is in the world.