In modern society, people use money every day. It seems that it is very important in our life. That’s because without money you can’t buy any goods (商品 ) you want . But I think few people know the history of money.

Long ago, people did not need money. They lived on wild animals, fruits and other plants. As time passed, people learned to raise animals and crops. Sometimes, families produced more than they need, so they started to trade with other families. Later, people began to use money as a means of exchange. However, it was not the kind of money we use today. They used shells, rice, salt, large stones, etc.

During 600 BC, people began using coins as money. They soon found that coins were easier to carry than goods and lasted a long time. Later, countries began to make their own coins.

The Chinese were first to use paper money, probably as early as the 11th century. The Italian traveller Barco Polo saw the Chinese using money when he visited China in the 1200s. However, European countries didn’t start using paper money until the 1600s.

Today, we have many ways to pay for things. We do not use coins or paper money. People often prefer to pay for things with a card. Paying with a card is easier and safer than carrying around a lot of “real” money.

Does your mouth itch (发痒) after eating mangoes? Be careful! You might be allergic (过敏的) to mangoes. A new study showed that food allergies are increasing among Chinese people!

Why it happens

Allergies happen because the body mistakes the food for something harmful and starts fighting. For some people, an allergic reaction (反应) may not be too serious. It could go away soon. But some people could have serious reactions like finding it hard to breathe or even passing out. These are life-threatening reactions and people need to see a doctor as soon as possible.

What you can do to avoid it

You are more likely to be allergic to certain food if some members of your family are. And if you’re already allergic to one food, it may be more likely that you’ll be allergic lo another, according to the US hospital Mayo Clinic.

There’s still no way to help people avoid food allergies today. The best way to deal with it is to avoid the allergens (过敏原). Here are two tips for help.

Tip 1 : Know your body

You can have an allergy test to learn whether your body is allergic to something.

Tip 2: ________

You should also read the information on food bags carefully to protect yourself from eating the allergens.

The most common food allergens

Chinese scientists wrote in a new study that Chinese people are more likely to be allergic to seafood, and less likely to be allergic to peanuts compared to people in the United States and Europe. Let’s lake a look at top 7 food allergens. It is based on a study of 21,000 people in China.

Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics souvenirs(纪念品) are getting popular around the world now. The mascot pin(吉祥物徽章) is famous for its beauty. The Winter Olympics pins mix Chinese traditional culture with art. Let’s enjoy some kinds of them.

People think the souvenir pins are special and wonderful. The pins show how the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics follows the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. If collectors get all the countdown(倒计时) pins, they can put them together in the shape of a big “0”, showing the end of countdown and the beginning of the winter games.

Ancient myth pins put the Chinese traditional stories into the design, like Nuwa patching the sky, Kuafu chasing the sun and so on. These colorful pins can make you want to know more about the beautiful Chinese stories. Only 2,022 of each myth were made.

There are also other kinds of pins. Some ancient paintings of the Ming and Qing Dynasties are on the pins, too. Other pins are about traditional games, such as the ancient Chinese ball game, cuju, and an old sport in North China, ice play. If you are art or sports lover, you can’t miss them.

Beijing is the host of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. These colorful pins are made to spread our great Chinese culture to the world!