Chopsticks, or kuaizi in Chinese, are a pair of small sticks of equal length. The two chopsticks can work well together. ①
It is believed that the first chopsticks appeared over 5,000 years ago in ancient China.They were used for cooking and serving, but not as eating tools. It was not until the Ming Dynasty that chopsticks came into normal use for both serving and eating. The earliest evidence (证据) of a pair of chopsticks made out of bronze (黄铜) was found at Yinxu in Anyang, Henan, dating back to roughly 1200 B. C. Nowadays, bamboo and wood chopsticks are the most popular ones in Chinese homes.
② Chinese chopsticks are usually about 22~24 centimeters long. They are round on the eating end, which represents (代表) heaven. The other end is usually square, representing earth. This is because the greatest concern between heaven and earth is to keep enough supplies of food. There is an old custom in China. It is believed that chopsticks should be part of a girl’s dowry (嫁妆) since the pronunciation (发音) of kuaizi is similar to that of the words for “soon” and “son” in Chinese. It is still a popular good wish in China for newly married couples to have babies “soon”.
According to modern science, the long-term use of chopsticks makes one’s fingers flexible (灵活的). That is good for people’s health. ③ So, among the different kinds of tableware (餐具) today, chopsticks have special power. The culture of using kuaizi has spread to many other Asian countries. In Japan, people celebrate the Chopsticks Day on August 4 every year.
④ As an old saying goes, “A chopstick can be broken easily. Ten pairs of chopsticks, held together, are hard to break.” For thousands of years, Chinese people have favoured chopsticks not only because they are easy to use but also because they represent the great spirit of the Chinese people.
【小题1】What can we know from the second paragraph?| A．Chopsticks were used for eating over 5,000 years ago. |
| B．People first used chopsticks for cooking and serving. |
| C．People made chopsticks out of bamboo and wood first. |
| D．Only rich people could use chopsticks in ancient China. |
| A．① | B．② | C．③ | D．④ |
| A．Chopsticks represent the unity spirit of the Chinese people. |
| B．Chopsticks are very important to Japanese people, too. |
| C．People can make chopsticks out of different materials. |
| D．Japanese people only use chopsticks on August 4. |
| A．A symbol of Chinese culture—chopsticks | B．The ways to use chopsticks |
| C．The first use of chopsticks | D．The Chinese spirit and chopsticks |
