2 . Tea is a simple drink, and one that has long been central to the lives of millions of people, originally in the East, and now almost worldwide. There are six major types of tea in China—green tea, black tea, Oolong tea, dark tea, white tea, and reprocessed tea, distinguished(区分) mainly by different methods of production.

China, the homeland of tea, is a leading producer and customer, and the discovery and usage of tea have a history of four or five thousand years. Tea developed from the earliest fresh-boiled tea taken as a kind of soup, to later dried-and-preserved teas, and from simple green tea to the blending(融合) of six major kinds of tea.

Drinking tea first started to become popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and has continued into contemporary(当代的) times. The flavour of tea, which may be drunk weak or strong, contains both bitter and sweet elements. The origin of tea is lost among history and legend. What can be roughly confirmed is that tea originated in southwest China. In Yunnan, and elsewhere, there are still some wild tea trees that are over 1,000 years old.

It is said that the first person to discover the effects of tea was Shen Nong—the father of agriculture and herbal medicine in China. In ancient times, people knew very little about plants. In order to find out which plants could be eaten safely, Shen Nong tasted various kinds of plants to test them as food or medicine. After he had eaten the plants, Shen Nong observed their reactions in his stomach—he is said to have had a “transparent stomach”!

With the popularization of tea, people in different regions and of different nationalities developed their own unique customs of taking tea. In Guangdong, for example, people like drinking morning tea, while people of the Bai nationality treat their guests with “Three-Course Tea”. Tibetan people prefer buttered tea and those from Inner Mongolia like milk tea.

These various tea customs make up the rich and profound(深厚的) Chinese tea culture. Many traditional Chinese families drink tea after dinner or when greeting visitors. This is not only a healthy habit but also reflects rich culture and history.

3 . Every life in Britain

The weather is the most common topic in Britain.    1    Because in Britain the weather changes a lot. Wind, rain, sun, cloud, snow---they can all happen in Britain.

    2    At banks, cinemas, shops, bus stops you can always see people in queues. They stand and wait quietly, often for a long time. Each new person stands at the end of the queue---sometimes in rain,wind or snow. They never complain and they will get quite upset when someone jumps the queue.

Men always shake hands when they meet.     3    They shook hands to show that they didn't have sword(剑). Now shaking hands is a customer most countries. In Britain you don't shake hands with your friends or family members. But you do shake hands when you meet a person for the first time.

    4    And they always send birthday cards or presents. There are also other cards like Christmascards, goodluckcards, congratulations on your new baby cards and get well soon cards. They have everything for every important moment.

British people are very superstitious(迷信). They believe in all sorts of signs they see. For them black cats are luck    5    The more leaves you catch, the more lucky you will be. However, never open an umbrella in the house and never break a mirror because they mean seven years of bad luck.

4 . Fans, with different materials and shapes, are not only a means to cool down in the hot days but also a part of the culture for the Chinese. Here are some of the interesting cultural meanings for the fans in China.

Feather fans

It is the earliest form of fans. Its most famous user is Zhuge Liang of the Three Kingdoms period, who was the best adviser to a king. He always carried a white feather fan around. Since then the feather fans have become a symbol of wisdom in the Chinese classic literature, traditional paintings. They even appear in today's TV series and films now and then.

Round fans

If feather fans were loved mostly by men, round fans were Chinese women's best friends. The round fans, originated in the West Han Dynasty, were usually made of bamboo frames of round or oval shapes, and white fine silk. Therefore, they could only be afforded by wealthy families back in those days. In Chinese culture, the round fans are closely linked with elegance (优雅) and beauty of women, as well as their happiness and sorrow.

Folding(折叠) fans

The folding fans are quite familiar to us. In fact, the folding fans originated in Japan, and were introduced to China in the Northern Song Dynasty. The popularity of the folding fans owed greatly to the Chinese scholars(文人), who loved to paint and write on the folding fans and turned them into art pieces.

Big leaf fans

The big leaf fans are a link to the traditional lifestyle. Many elderly Chinese can still remember those summer days, when neighbors sat together, waving their big leaf fans, drinking tea while telling the stories of their daily lives.