People use their mouths for many things. They eat, talk, shout and sing. They smile and they kiss. In the English language, there are many expressions using the word “mouth.”

    For example, if you say bad things about a person, the person might protest and say “Do not bad mouth me.” Sometimes, people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret because it hurts that person's feelings. Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to tell. The speaker might say: “I really put my foot in my mouth this time.” If this should happen, the speaker might fee l down in the mouth. In other words, he might feel sad for saying the wrong thing.

    Another situation is when someone falsely claims another person said something. The other person might protest: “I did not say that. Do not put words in my mouth.”

    Some people have lots of money because they were born into a very rich family. There is an expression for this, too. You might say such a person, “was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.”

    This rich person is the opposite of a person who lives from hand to mouth. This person is very poor and only has enough money for the most important things in life, like food.

    Parents might sometimes withhold sweet food from a child as a form of punishment for saying bad things. For example, if a child says things she should not say to her parents, she might be described as a mouthy child. The parents might even tell the child to stop mouthing off.

    But enough of all this talk. I have been running my mouth long enough.

    Table manners are how to behave when you have a meal. They include how to handle knives, forks and spoons and how to eat in a polite manner. To behave well abroad, you should know some table manners.

    EATING MANNERS

    Japan: It is ＂perfectly＂ okay to slurp when you eat noodles. Unlike making big noises, slurping slightly is not rude. Japanese also say it tastes better if you slurp.

    Russia: Your wrists should be placed on the edge of the table while eating, fork in left hand, and knife in the right. It is not good manners to rest them on your lap. Keep your elbows off the table. Leave some food on your plate to show that the host has give you enough to eat.

    France: Never discuss money or religion over dinner. What is different from the manners in Russia is that finishing everything on your plate is considered good manners.

    Mexico: Whenever you catch the eye of someone who's eating, even a stranger, it's good manners to say ＂provecho＂, which means enjoy. In Mexico, dining is more than a meal. It's a social occasion — lunches are seldom quick and suppers can last for hours. Before you get seated, look for place cards, or wait until the host seats you. And you must say ＂enjoy your meal＂ before you leave the table.

    DRINKING MANNERS

    America: If you empty a bottle into someone's glass, it obliges that person to buy the next bottle. It's polite to put the last drops into your own glass.

    Australia: In a pub it's usual to buy a round of drinks for everyone in your group. When it's your turn, say ＂It's my round＂. When it's their round, they will buy it for you. Don't leave before you've bought a round.

    Japan: Don't fill your own glass of alcohol. Instead, you should pour for others and wait for them to do it for you.

    Manufacturing（制造业） is an important industry in the United States. However, for many years, Americans have expressed fear that the industry is in danger.

    Matthew Burnett knows this all too well. The American businessman started a watch company in 2007. At first, he had overseas（海外的） manufacturers make all his products. As a result, Burnett often faced shipping delays（延误）, a lack（缺乏） of quality control, and time zone problems. Later, he developed into leather goods. Still, he tried to find factories in the country to make the wallets, belts, and other products of his new brand. And he was not alone. Many American businessmen found it easier to go out of the country for manufacturing. There was no central marketplace for the industry.

    So, Matthew Burnett, and his business partner Tanya Menendez, created one. They called it Maker's Row. Since 2012, the online marketplace has been connecting businessmen with American manufacturers.

    Matthew Burnett explains. "What we try to do at Maker's Row is to encourage the brands to start producing in the United States so that you see more made in America products on the shelves. We used to produce 97 percent of the goods that we consume here in the United States, today it's less than three percent. So it makes it very challenging to find sometimes made in America products, but that's the situation we're trying to change, by bringing these brands back home to produce."

    Maker's Row helps brands and businesses find and organize their supply chains（供应链）in the country. Besides, Maker's Row can be especially helpful to new or part-time entrepreneurs（企业家）. The site, Makersrow.com, can provide a plan for turning an idea into a business. And co-founder Tanya Menendez says Maker's Row offers classes and training. "We have an online course. They're designed for people with busy lifestyles or those who may start off working 9-to-5." Today, the Maker's Row website has 80,000 registered users.

    The BCG company in Boston advises businesses around the world. It estimates（估计） the average cost to manufacture goods in the U.S. is only five-percent higher than in China. And the company predicts（预计） that by 2018 the cost difference will narrow further, to as little as two percent higher. Maker's Row and other similar efforts could play a big part in making that prediction come true.

    Many of us buy things from vending machines(自动售货机). Most machines sell food and drinks. But this one is special. It sells novels.

    You can see the special vending machines in France. You can find them easily in many places such as airports, train stations and shopping malls.

    The vending machines sell lots of novels. The novels are not the same. Some are long and some are short.

    It's easy to get a novel from the vending machines. First, you need to choose your reading time: 1 minute, 3 minutes or 5 minutes. Then, a piece of paper will come out of the vending machines. Finally, take away the paper and it is the novel you want.

    Lots of young people like the special vending machines. They say the novels from the vending machines can help them pass the time. They don't want to use their mobile phones to read novels. They prefer to read novels on paper.