Chopsticks are pairs of sticks with the same length that have been used as kitchenware in most of eastern Asian regions for over three thousand years. According to the relevant historical resources, the first chopsticks were thought to appear in China over 5,000 years ago. During the Spring and Autumn Period, chopsticks made of copper and iron developed gradually. Later the chopsticks with coating came in the Han Dynasty. Then gold and silver chopsticks followed.

Different materials have been used to make chopsticks until now, among which the most expensive ones are made of elephant tusks and the green stone. Those showed how wealthy the owners were.

It was said that silver chopsticks would turn black immediately if they touched poisoned food (but we know it was wrong today), so in history many kings and emperors used silver chopsticks to check whether the food was bad for them or not before eating. Chopsticks are also regarded as gifts to others. In China, chopsticks are traditionally given to a daughter when she marries to hope that they will have a child very soon, because the pronunciation of word “chopsticks” in Chinese is like “quick child”. Meanwhile, people often believe chopsticks have something to do with good luck. So many families will choose to put new chopsticks on the table at dinner on New Year’s Eve as a way of wishing for luck while dropping chopsticks is a sign of bad luck to come.

It’s believed that using chopsticks can increase fingers’ flexibility. That means if we use chopsticks frequently at dinner, it will make our fingers do everything freely. Some experts also prove that it can improve memory. Many westerners, businessmen and tourists put their knives and forks beside the bowls and plates but choose chopsticks in China.

7 . Starting a book club is easy—all you need is to love reading. Here’s the way to start a book club.

When you set up your book club, the first thing is to get members for your club. They could be friends, family, or those you know through different activities, but they should all love to read. A small group of seven to ten people is usually the perfect size for a book club.

Once you have a group, agree on how often you want to meet, usually clubs meet monthly. Pick a date and stick with it. That way, members can easily plan for it. Send out e-mails a week before the meeting to give people a written reminder (提醒). Set meeting time length (长度). An hour is a good start. Two hours is usually perfect.

Then, you need a good place. Libraries, parks and restaurants—all make good meeting places. For many clubs, homes are the best place as you don’t have to get dressed up, and noisy (吵闹的) public places can make talking hard.

Please don’t forget the most important thing—the book!Think about the books your club will enjoy. Stories? History books? Your club can choose books in different ways. You can take turns to recommend (推荐) books. Let everyone vote upon (投票) what book to read. Anyway, make sure to keep it fun.

After all this has been decided, your book club is ready. Now, it’s time to hold the first meeting. Enjoy your reading.

Whenever I’m invited to somebody’s house for the first time, I’ll take a close look at their bookshelves. What they keep on their shelves, in my eyes, is a reflection (反映) of their personal tastes and interests. The books on a bookshelf tell the story of a life.

My own shelves are a kind of roadmap through my life, telling a chronological (按时间先后顺序的) tale. First up come my favorite childhood reads, like Watership Down and His Dark Materials. The collection then moves on to teenage things I read in school—Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Handmaid’s Tale and A Clockwork Orange. Finally, we come out of full-time education and enter the real world, and this part is a reflection of my professional life, from the first exciting days of work experience to the present.

If you pointed to any book on my shelves, I could name the year l got it, where I was working, and probably where I was living at the time.

(1) ________ It is an easy way to get to know about his hopes, dreams and interests. And a big part of that story is how we arrange (排列) our books, and get on with them. It’s such a personal thing, different from each other. Some want to be with their books in every room, others have them on shelves, behind glass or simply lining their floors. Each home has a story to tell through the way they live with their books.

It’s often said that what we read says something about who we are. The way we fill our bookshelves might also send a message about ourselves. From the pile of books on your bedside table to your well-organized shelves, whether we notice it or not, our book collections are telling a story before a single page has been turned.

10 . Inventions make our life better, smarter and a bit more fun. TIME magazine in the US has picked the 100 best inventions of the year 2021. Let’s take a look at four of them!

	Purrble helps you find calm When you feel angry or unhappy, what will you do? Scientists say you can try to calm others. This can also help you calm down. That’s why Purrble was invented. This furry, bear—like toy has 9 sensors. It has a quick “heartbeat”. It can respond to your touch. As you hold and pet it, its heartbeat slows. And it purrs(发出咕噜声) like a cat. It sounds like it really enjoys your touch!
	Honey without bees Usually, honey is made by bees. But now, humans can make honey, too. A company in the US used technological methods to turn nectar(花蜜) into honey. This kind of new honey tastes just like the real one. It is healthy, too. Bees may need to find a new job soon.
	Less is more This is Paper Shoot. It’s a camera made mostly out of paper! Paper Shoot works just like any other camera. But it is much lighter and smaller. It’s about 1.2 centimeters thick and 10 centimeters long. You can take it around easily and capture(抓住) the fun moments of your life. It only needs two batteries(电池) and can hold 800 pictures. But, be careful when you take photos on rainy days. Don’t get it wet !
	Happy to be useful again Hey, I’m a recycled Lego brick. I used to be a plastic bottle. Scientists found me in a trash can. They took me to a lab and turned me into a Lego brick. Lego uses 100,000 tons of plastic every year. Making new plastic is quite wasteful. But now they can use me. It’s better for our planet. Don’t worry. I’m clean and safe. You may see me in your Lego sets soon.