①Do you have a lucky number? What is it? Many people have a special number that they hope will bring them good luck.

②In Chinese culture, __▲__ based on the Chinese word that the number sounds similar to.

③For example, the word for the number 8 sounds similar to the word for “making a fortune”. So, people consider it a very lucky number. Some people will even spend a lot of money to have 8s in their phone numbers or vehicle license plate (车牌照) numbers. The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics began at 8: 08 p. m. on Aug. 8, 2008.

④The number 9 is also a lucky number because of its connection to the emperors of China. There were nine dragons on emperors’ robes(龙袍) and Chinese myth held that the dragon has nine children. The number 9 also stands for “long lasting”. That’s why a man always proposes (求婚) to a woman with 99 or 999 roses.

⑤So what’s an unlucky number in China? One example is 4. Many Chinese people see 4 as an unlucky number because it sounds similar to the character for “death”.

⑥Because of this, many buildings skip (跳过) the fourth floor, and simply call it the fifth floor. In Hong Kong, some buildings even skip all floors numbered with 4, such as 4, 14, 24, 34 and all 40—49 floors. Some buildings also skip the 13th floor, as this is considered an unlucky number in the West. As a result, a building whose highest floor is 50 may have only 35 physical floors.

A．	B．
C．	D．

In the ancient Chinese culture, people believed health came from a balance between the yin and yang life forces. This balance was called qi. When people became sick, they must have an imbalance in the forces. Qi flowed through pathways in the body, which were accessible by certain points. Trained men and women would treat illnesses by inserting very thin needles into various points in a patient’s body. These needles were supposed to re-balance the patient’s energy flow and heal an illness. This treatment was known as acupuncture.

Acupuncture is still used today, and many people have found relief from it. It is mainly used to treat pain, especially from headaches, backaches, muscle aches, and arthritis. Some practitioners use it to help with discomfort that comes from major illnesses such as cancer.

There may be between 360 and 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body. An acupuncturist must know which points are associated with different areas of the body. After discussing a patient’s issues, the acupuncturist will skillfully insert thin needles into different points to reduce the patient’s pain. There is a slight sting (针刺) when the needles go in but beyond that, acupuncture is really painless. The needles stay in for between 5 and 30 minutes.

Research has not proven how or even if acupuncture really works. Acupuncture needles may release hormones (荷尔蒙) that give good feelings. When the patient is feeling happier and more relaxed, the pain goes away. Another idea is that the needles help increase blood flow which stimulates (促进) the body’s natural pain killers. Some people believe that the benefits are all in the patients’ minds; they think it will work, so they feel relief.

Beanstalks (豆萁) are burned to cook beans

The beans cry in the pot

We grow from the same root (根)

Why should we boil each other with such impatience?

The poem is thought to be written by Cao Zhi, the younger son of Cao Cao, who lived between 192 and 232 during the Three Kingdoms period.

It is said that after Cao Cao’s death, his oldest son Cao Pi became the emperor. Cao Pi was jealous (嫉妒的) of his younger brother Cao Zhi’s talent, so he wanted to find an excuse to kill him. One day, Cao Pi ordered Cao Zhi to make a poem about their relationship within seven steps, and was determined to have the younger brother killed if he failed. Cao Zhi then made the poem in front of him, which showed Cao Pi’s cruel idea to kill his own brother. Cao Pi, feeling ashamed, let Cao Zhi go in the end.

In China, the poem is taught to primary school students and is often used by people to describe unnecessary competitions or fighting between people, businesses, or organizations who are in the same area or want the same things.

Recently, the poem was posted on Tweeter by the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk, and it was given a title Humankind on purpose by Musk. The post drew tons of attention on both Western and Chinese social media, and internet users have been guessing what it was used for. People thought it could be an answer to the director of UN food organization, who mentioned that world hunger could be stopped if Elon Musk could give away 2% of his wealth.