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.

    Laughter Yoga is a new form of exercise that promotes the use of laughter as a form of physical exercise. It {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (create) in the mid-1990s as a social experiment. Although it came from India and {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (certain) includes some yoga, don't expect it to have much in common with the yoga classes {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (offer) at your local studio or gym. Laughter Yoga attaches {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (much) importance to the former than to the latter.

    The method began in 1995 when Dr. Madan Kataria called on a group of students in a park {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (test) whether introducing regular laughter into people's lives would improve their well-being. Kataria also introduced deep breathing and simple stretches into the exercises.

    Medical research has suggested that laughing is {#blank#}6{#/blank#} good way to reduce stress and help people feel good. Kataria's Laughter Clubs are popping up in response {#blank#}7{#/blank#} people's need to handle {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (press).

    Kataria also offers books and DVDs to people {#blank#}9{#/blank#} don't have access to a local Laughter Club. However, connecting with other humans is a big part of Laughter Yoga's success in {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (help) people feel better and experience more joy.

    Liu Sijiang(teacher):The Net improves the speed of communication， but there are many people who lie on it Therefore, it is natural that some people are {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(worry)about the girl in Nanjing, who made friends with an American teacher by email.

    Xu Yong (student) : These days, {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(make) friends online is a part of many people's lives. I think we can make good and helpful friends online, just like the girl from Nanjing. So don't be afraid to do {#blank#}3{#/blank#} you think is right.

    Ding Yixiang ( student ): As the most {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(importance) communication tool at present, the Internet helps us to know and understand world affairs. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} is also easy to make friends with foreigners through your keyboard {#blank#}6{#/blank#}, a “ friend” might lie to you. Only if young people can control themselves well and know what is good and what is bad, making friends on the Net should not be {#blank#}7{#/blank#} problem at all.

    Zhou Jian( student) : It is hard to say {#blank#}8{#/blank#} or not it is good to make friends on the Internet In fact, some bad and harmful things have indeed happened. However, I like to make friends online. I often share my happiness and sadness {#blank#}9{#/blank#} my friends there. They can offer me some advice {#blank#}10{#/blank#} tell me how to solve problems when I am in trouble.

Are you a tea drinker? If so, you're not alone. Every day around the world, millions of cups of this popular brew {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(drink), and it's been that way for thousands of years.

The oldest discovered tea is from the Han Dynasty, {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(date) from 206 BC to 220 AD. But it's thought that the tea trend really took off during the Tang Dynasty in the 8th Century, when it {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(become) China's national drink.

Much of the early growing of tea in China was by small farms and plantations, many of {#blank#}4{#/blank#}were tended by Buddhist monks, on the land high on the mountain tops. So the Chinese have always held the {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(believe) that famous teas come from high in the mountains, and indeed, many of the {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(fine) and best-known teas have often come from these mountain plantations

Today, China produces about 20% of the world tea exports. {#blank#}7{#/blank#}great variety of teas are grown and produced in 16 different regions of China. There's said {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(be) over 8, 000 different classifications, most of which are for green tea alone, with a few black and oolong teas {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(include).

Many of China's finest teas are still made by hand, and the skills needed for their manufacture have been passed down {#blank#}10{#/blank#}generations, from one to the other.