In much of Asia, especially the so-called “rice bowl” cultures of China, Japan, Korea, ____61____ Vietnam, food is usually eaten with chopsticks.
Chopsticks are usually two long, thin pieces of wood or bamboo. They can also be made of plastic, animal bone or metal. Sometimes chopsticks are quite artistic. Truly elegant chopsticks might____62____(make) of gold and silver with Chinese characters. Skilled workers also combine (组合）various hardwoods and metal ____63____ (create) special designs.
The Chinese have used chopsticks for 5000 years. People probably cooked their food in large pots, ____64____(use) twigs(树枝）to remove it. Over time, ____65____ the population grew, people began cutting food into small pieces so it would cook more quickly. Food in small pieces could be eaten easily with twigs which ____66____(gradual) turned into chopsticks.
Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius, ____67____ lived from roughly 551-479 B.C., influenced the ____68____(develop) of chopsticks. Confucius believed knives would remind people of killings and ____69____ (be) too violent for use at the table.
Chopsticks are not used everywhere in Asia. In India, for example, most people traditionally eat ____70____ their hands.
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