World Book Day falls on April 23 every year. It was set up by UNESCO (联合国教科文组织) in 1955 to encourage people, especially teenagers, to discover the pleasure of reading.

Many countries celebrate World Book Day. On that day in the UK, millions of students can buy books of special price, much lower than usual in any bookstore. World Book Day is also celebrated in China. Reading can benefit (获益) people in many ways. Reading helps us become more knowledgeable and more intelligent. Reading helps us to follow the latest developments of science and technology. Reading provides us with information about other culture and places of the world. When we read, we may find many things that are unfamiliar to us. The more we read, the more we know, the smarter we become.

“Reading makes a full man.” Therefore, it’s necessary for us to form the habit of reading daily.

The horse-face skirt, or mamianqun in Chinese, holds a very special position in China’s traditional clothing culture. This skirt can give us a taste of the beauty of ancient Chinese clothing.

In the General History of Chinese Clothing, the horse-face skirt is described as follows, “There are folds on both sides. The skirt door and back are decorated with patterns, and there is the skirt waist and lace (花边) upon it.”

The horse-face skirt first appeared in the Song Dynasty. It grew popular during the Ming Dynasty, from the royal family to common people. The horse-face skirt in the Ming Dynasty was simple in color and pattern. In the Qing Dynasty, the horse-face skirt gradually became elegant (精美的). The colors and patterns became more and more colorful, especially the outer skirt door. People added many good symbolic patterns to the outer skirt door, such as flowers, birds and butterflies.

Besides, this overlapping (重叠的) design leaves openings in the front and back of the skirt, making it very suitable for horse-riding.

In the eyes of experts and people in the fashion industry, the horse-face skirt is one of the representatives (代表) of traditional Chinese clothing. It is an important symbol of Chinese civilization. It has also influenced Western fashion for many years.

Do you know when basketball was invented?

Basketball is a much-loved and active sport that is enjoyed by many for fun and exercise. It is over 100 years old and it is played by more than 100 million people in over 200 countries. It is believed that the first basketball game in history was played on December 21, 1891. Then in 1936 in Berlin, it became an event at the Olympics.

Basketball was invented by a Canadian doctor named James Naismith, who was born in 1861. When he was a college teacher, he was asked to think of a game that could be played in the winter. Dr. James Naismith created a game to be played inside on the hard floor. Dr. Janes Naismith divided the men in his class into two teams with five players on each team and he taught them to play his new game. Players on the same team must work together to get the ball in the other team’s basket. At the same time, they need to stop the competing team from getting the ball into their own basket.

Today, the popularity of basketball is rising around the world, with many young people dreaming of becoming famous players. In China, you can sometimes see people playing basketball in parks, schools and even factories. Basketball is not only a popular sport to play, but also a popular sport to watch. Although the America’s NBA games are the most famous, the CBA games are becoming more popular in China. The number of foreign players, including Chinese players, in the NBA is going up. There are also more and more foreign players in the CBA. Many young people look up to these basketball heroes and want to become like them. These stars encourage young people to work hard to achieve their dreams.