1 . At the beginning of human history, people could only eat food they found. But then people learned to find more ways to get food. About 10, 000 years ago, people started to farm the land. After that, people developed farming skills.

People eat different food in different areas. In China, rice is the main food for people in the south while the people in the north eat noodles. People who live in European countries near the sea eat lots of fish. But in Central Europe, people are away from the sea. So they don’t eat so much fish. They eat more meat instead.

People eat food with different tools in different areas. In China, people always like using chopsticks while in North America, Australia and Europe, people always like using knives and forks. To our surprise, in India and the Middle East, people always pick up food with their own fingers.

Now people can eat different food from different areas. As we can see, it is possible to convey food easily from one part of the world to another. We can almost eat whatever we like at any place of the world. For example, people in Britain can eat bananas from Africa and rice from India. Food is becoming a very big business now.

3 . Most people are afraid of snakes. They may think snakes are dangerous and ugly. With more and more rain falling and the hot weather, it’s time for snakes to be active. Living in the city, it never crosses your mind that we might meet them face to face.

There are more than 2,000 kinds of snakes on the earth. Most of them live in mountains or forests, and in cities sometimes we can find them in grass or other dark places. Snakes can’t walk or run because they have no legs or feet, but these long and thin animals can move very fast on their stomachs. Snakes usually have green, yellow or black skins, which make it difficult for their enemies to find them. In winter they hibernate in holes. They look for a hole to stay inside, on the ground, or in a rock or a tree. They do not wake up again until spring comes. Snakes feed on mice, frogs, bird eggs and so on.

Snakes play an important part in nature. We can make useful medicines with them. Without their help, the rodents (啮齿动物) will be out of control. But many of them are in danger of disappearing. Houses and buildings take up the land where snakes live. Many snakes lose their lives in traffic, and people often kill snakes for their skins or meat.

4 . What color of wearing do you like? Do you know “dopamine dressing (多巴胺穿搭)”? It’s one of the most talked about fashion trends (趋势) for 2023. However, is there any science behind this?

“Dopamine dressing” came out from the book Dress Your Best Life. American fashion psychologist (心理学家), Dawnn Karen wrote this book in 2020. In the book, dopamine dressing is about wearing colorful clothing to get more dopamine.

Dopamine is a chemical in our brain. This kind of chemical makes people feel good. Our brain gives it out when we eat delicious food, play with our pets, listen to our favorite songs, after we exercise or when we win a game.

According to Science Focus Magazine, there are studies that show a relationship between the colors of the clothes we wear and how we act and feel. One study found that wearing red can bring better physical performance. It also showed bright colors can make people feel active. One more study showed that wearing green can help people relax because it is the color of nature. Yellow, the color of summer and warmth, can bring people happiness. But there are some problems with these studies, as people from different cultures have different ideas about dressing and colors.

In a word, “dopamine dressing” shows that we can wear colorful clothes to get more dopamine and feel good. Dressing is more than just a trend. It’s also a way of showing ourselves. So, next time you’re getting dressed, think about which colors will bring out yourself best.

Clothing is an important part of any culture. Chinese culture is more than 5,000 years old, so the traditional Chinese clothing also has a long history.

Hanfu

Hanfu is the traditional clothing of the Han people. It first appeared in China more than 3,000 years ago. But it disappeared with the beginning of the Qing Dynasty. Now more and more young people start to enjoy wearing it.

Zhongshan suit

Zhongshan suit is the traditional Chinese clothing named after Sun Yat-sen. It is also known to foreigners. It first appeared in the 1920s.

Tangzhuang

Tangzhuang is a type of traditional Chinese costume. It got the name from the overseas Chinese. The Tang Dynasty was famous in the world, so at that time the overseas Chinese were called “Tang people”, and their clothes were called “Tangzhuang”.

Qipao

Qipao is a traditional Chinese dress. It first appeared in China in the 1920s. Qipao is usually made of silk, and Chinese women like to wear it because it can show their beauty.

6 . Chopsticks are a pair of small equal-length sticks, usually made of wood, used for eating Asian food. It is believed that the first chopsticks were developed in China. Chopsticks play an important role in Chinese food culture. Chinese chopsticks are usually 9 to 10 inches long. They are round on the eating end which means heaven (天), and the other end is square which means earth (地). The appearance (出现) of chopsticks said goodbye to those days when our Chinese ancestors had to use their hands to eat.

Besides, the use of chopsticks has also been a part of Chinese food culture. There are some taboos that you must pay great attention to when you use chopsticks. Firstly, don’t use them to hit your bowl or plate. Secondly, never use them to point at others. Thirdly, don’t put them in different food without taking something. Fourthly, don’t cross the chopsticks on the table. And lastly don’t leave your chopsticks standing in the rice. Chinese people do this only when they honour the dead.

Nowadays, chopsticks have many new usages. For example, you can buy a pair as a gift to your friends and relatives. In Chinese, it reads “kuaizi”, which means having sons soon, so a newly-married couple will be very happy to accept it as their wedding gift.

8 . World Sleep Day is on March 21 this year. How is your sleep these days? The CMDA (中国医师协会) asked 2,000 people in China about their sleep. About 36 percent of them often sleep badly.

The study also finds that many students have only 5 hours of sleep a day. What makes their sleeping time so short? The most important reason is homework. It seems that they always have endless homework to do.

But bad sleeping habits also play a role. Do you like to have a look at your mobile phone before going to bed? It reports that 60 percent of people check on their phones before they sleep. They read news, check their WeChat or talk with QQ friends.

It’s important for us to get enough sleep. We’ll feel tired and think slowly without enough sleep. And tired kids are often unhappy, too. We can’t change our school time. But there are still ways to get better sleep. Stay away from Coke and coffee at night. They make it hard to fall asleep. Watch fewer TV series, leave your mobile phone and computer on your desk. Then you will improve your sleep. And you will live a better and healthier life.