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.

    “Be careful, doctor. I can stand anything {#blank#}1{#/blank#} pain.” When returning from the hospital, I thought about what my previous patient said. Aren't we all like that? We'll do anything{#blank#}2{#/blank#} (avoid) pain.

    We look for weight loss programmes {#blank#}3{#/blank#}don't require us to count calories or give up our favorite foods, and exercise programmes that won't make us sweat toe much or feel {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (tire). We avoid the strict teachers and the tough classes in school {#blank#}5{#/blank#}we don't want to deal with the difficult tasks.

    When it comes right down to it, we don't like the hard work {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (require) to accomplish the goals we truly want in our lives. Why can't we {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(nature) take the path that we know is best for us? Our earthly nature is to avoid the pain of diet, exercise, difficult classes, and hard work.

    Only if we change our nature, can we choose the tough, troublesome, and trying pathway. Because it is in {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(face) the difficult choices that we will truly grow, and our being will be advanced once we decide to face the tough tasks.

    We {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(give) a choice when we comes across cur earthly nature. We can overcome the problems that challenge us or we can enjoy {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(we) by avoiding all difficulties in following our earthly nature. It's our choice. My hope is that we'll step forward in faith.

    Home of the copper drum

    Hechi's copper drum culture goes back as far as the Han Dynasty (206 BC—AD 220){#blank#}1{#/blank#} the people living in the area considered copper drums sacred and Hechi is still one of China's {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(large) copper drum sites. A 2003 survey by cultural heritage departments{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (find) more than 1, 400 copper drums in the area, with at least 1,300 copper drums {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (be) used by local folk artists. In this way, ethnic groups in Hechi have produced a{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (unique) rich and diverse cultural form and customs for festivals, weddings, celebrations, funerals, and religious {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (activity) of local people, with ballads and for rice-planting and frogs. That same year, a copper drum conservation project along the Hongshui River basin joined the Culture Ministry's Top 10 conservation project list for ethnic and folk cultures.

    In 2006, the Zhuang People's Copper Drum Practices{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(add) to the national cultural heritage list by the State Council. In 2008, the Culture Ministry declared Donglan county and{#blank#}8{#/blank#}city of Hechi the “Home of Chinese Copper Drum Art”{#blank#}9{#/blank#} in 2009, its “Copper Drum Practice” became a candidate for the Human Cultural Heritage. There are now more than 2,400 copper drums in the world, at least 1,400 of {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (they) in Hechi, making it a Copper Drum Cultural and Ecological Reserve with recognition across Guangxi.

    When police found Barely, 19 years old, living in a tent, instead of a dormitory in Gordon State University, they were prepared to drive him away.

    Then they heard his story. Barely {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(plan) to walk to college {#blank#}2{#/blank#} he couldn't afford a bus ticket, but it would be too {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(tire). So he rode six hours from his hometown on his little brother's bike, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(carry) all his possessions—a bag, a tent, two bottles of water {#blank#}5{#/blank#} a box of food—in order to start his second year {#blank#}6{#/blank#} a biology major. He arrived early to look for a job, but no luck. {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(touch) by his story, Officer Richard and his partner put Barely up at a motel with their own money. Word spread and soon people donated clothes; school supplies and money {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(cover) the rest of his motel stay—he was even given a job. And then there was Casey, who started a GoFundMe page for Barely after spending time with him. "This kid, though weak in {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(appear), rode a bike for 6 hours in the hot weather. I thought that he is determined." She wrote on her Facebook page. The fund reached $184,000, all of {#blank#}10{#/blank#} went into an education trust for Barely.

    Mr.Johnson lived in the woods with his wife and children. He owned {#blank#}1{#/blank#} farm, which looked almost abandoned. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (lucky), he also had a cow which produced milk every day. He sold or exchanged some of the milk in the towns nearby {#blank#}3{#/blank#} other food and made cheese and butter for the family with what {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (leave).The cow was their only means of support, in fact. One day, the cow was eating grass {#blank#}5{#/blank#} it began to rain heavily. While making great efforts to run away, she {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (fall) over the hill and died. Then the Johnsons had to make a living {#blank#}7{#/blank#} the cow. In order to support his family, Mr. Johnson began to plant herbs and vegetables. Since the plants took a while to grow, he started cutting down trees {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (sell) the wood. Thinking about his children's clothes, he started growing cotton too. When harvest came around, he was already selling herbs, vegetables and cotton in the market{#blank#}9{#/blank#} people from the towns met regularly. Now it occurred to {#blank#}10{#/blank#} that his farm had much potential and that the death of the cow was a bit of luck.