The Discovery of Chinese Silk and the Silk Road

The Discovery of Chinese Silk and the Silk Road It is well known that silk is discovered in China as one of the best materials for clothing- it has a look and feels of richness that no other materials can match. However, very few people know when or where or how it is discovered. Actually, it could date back to the 30th Century BC when Huang Di (Yellow Emperor) came into power. There are many legends about the discovery of silk; some of them are both romantic and mysterious. The Legend Legend has it that once there lived a father with his daughter, they had a magic horse, which could not only fly in the sky but also understand human language. One day, the father went out on business and did not come back for quite some time. The daughter made him a promise: If the horse could find her father, she would marry him. Finally, her father came back with the horse, but he was shocked at his daughters promise. Unwilling to let his daughter marry a horse, he killed the innocent horse. And then a miracle happened! The horses skin carried the girl flying away. They flew and flew, at last, they stopped on a tree, and the moment the girl touched the tree, she turned into a silkworm. Every day, she spits long and thin silks. The silks just represented her feeling of missing him. Finding Silk by Chance Another less romantic but more convincing explanation is that some ancient Chinese women found this wonderful silk by chance. When they were picking up fruits from the trees, they found a special kind of fruit, white but too hard to eat, so they boiled the fruit in hot water but they still could hardly eat it. At last, they lost their patience and began to beat them with big sticks. In this way, silks and silkworms were discovered. And the white hard fruit is a cocoon! The business of raising silkworms and unwinding cocoons is now known as silk culture or sericulture. It takes an average of 25-28 days for a silkworm, which is no bigger than an ant, to grow old enough to spin a cocoon. Then the women farmers will pick them up one by one to piles of straws, then the silkworm will attach itself to the straw, with its legs to the outside and begin to spin. The next step is unwinding the cocoons; it is done by reeling girls. The cocoons are heated to kill the pupae, this must be done at the right time, otherwise, the pupas are bound to turn into moths, and moths will make a hole in the cocoons, which will be useless for reeling. To unwind the cocoons, first put them in a basin filled with hot water, find the loose end of the cocoon, and then twist them, carry them to a small wheel, thus the cocoons will be unwound. At last, two workers measure them into a certain length, twist them, they are called raw silk, then they are dyed and woven into cloth. An Interesting Fact An interesting fact is that we can unwind about 1,000 meters long silk from one cocoon, while 111 cocoons are needed for a mans tie, and 630 cocoons are needed for a womans blouse. Chinese people developed new way by using silk to make clothes since the discovery of silk. This kind of clothes became popular soon. At that time, Chinas technology was developing fast. Emperor Wu Di of western Han Dynasty decided to develop trade with other countries. To build a road becomes a priority to trade silk. For nearly 60 years of war, the world famous ancient Silk Road was built up at cost of many losses of life and treasures. It started from Changan (now Xian), across Middle Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. Many countries of Asia and Europe were connected. Chinese Silk: a Global Love From then on, Chinese silk, along with many other Chinese inventions, were passed to Europe. Romans, especially women, were crazy for Chinese silk. Before that, Romans used to make clothes with a linen cloth, animal skin, and wool fabric. Now they all turned to silk. It was a symbol of wealth and high social status for them to wear silk clothes. One day, an Indian monk came to visit the Emperor. This monk had been living in China for several years and knew the method of raising silkworms. The Emperor promised a high profit of the monk, the monk hid several cocoons in his cane and took it to Rome. Then, the technology of raising silkworms spread out. Thousands of years have passed since China first discovered silkworms. Nowadays, silk, in some sense, is still some kind of luxury. Some countries are trying some new ways to make silk without silkworms. Hopefully, they can be successful. But whatever the result, nobody should forget that silk was, still is, and will always be a priceless treasure.

Revive a Verb for Conciseness

Revive a Verb for Conciseness Revive a Verb for Conciseness Revive a Verb for Conciseness By Mark Nichol One simple method for making a more compact, efficient sentence is to clear the way for the primary verb to do its job. In each of the examples below, other parts of speech obstruct a verb. Discussion after each sentence explains the problem, and a revision offers a solution. 1. As much as we love kids and pets, they are unpredictable and can cause a driver to be distracted. In this sentence, cause is positioned as the key verb, but the action at the core of the statement is distraction, so tighten the second half of the main clause by replacing cause with distract and omitting the weak phrase to be distracted, thereby reducing the sentence by three words: â€Å"As much as we love kids and pets, they are unpredictable and can distract a driver.† 2. Funds targeted toward treatment and prevention of these behaviors saw an increase of $2.55 billion to $3.6 billion. Here, a buried verb is unearthed to produce a more concise sentence- saw is deleted, and the noun increase is converted to a verb, reducing the tired four-word phrase â€Å"saw an increase of† to a single active verb: â€Å"Funds targeted toward treatment and prevention of these behaviors increased $2.55 billion to $3.6 billion.† 3. However, there is additional language that has suggested alternative ways to avoid the extrajudicial ban on personal data transfer. In this case, omit the weak expletive â€Å"there is† and the associated conjunction that so that suggested stands out more prominently as the first verb in the sentence, cutting the word count by three words: â€Å"However, additional language has suggested alternative ways to avoid the extrajudicial ban on personal data transfer.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Creative Writing 101"Have" vs "Having" in Certain ExpressionsInspiring vs. Inspirational

The Food that Makes People Heed Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Food that Makes People Heed - Assignment Example The power that he has is based from the craving for good food the customers want to sate. It is actually the power of knowing that giving the best service in exchange for people’s money to satisfy them that the book possesses. As he portrayed with his words, he is not satisfied by just the things he already knows but also enriches himself by reading many books. His hard work is not concentrated in his kitchen but also in the kitchen of others through their books. Moreover, he considers the nutritional value of his food so that even doctors and nurses approve of his cooking, therefore, making them regular customers as well. The article was well written to present the positive and negative attributes of Mr. Yeganeh but not to the effect of putting the man down. Instead, his negative attributes present logical reasons which make readers appreciate the cook even more.

Tuberculosis Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tuberculosis Disease - Essay Example In the same vein, elderly people are seen as vulnerable victims due to failing immune system (Landau, 1995). According to research, in their early years, carriers already had the bacterium in them but the development is slow and manifesting lately in their older years. The nature of the disease can take years to become active, so an older person may have acquired the disease earlier in their life, but the bacterium can be active in the latter years (Landau, 1995). Pathophysiology. TB is a disease caused by germs that could be transmitted from person to person via airborne droplets that is infected with the Mycobacterium. The bacteria when inhaled travels directly to the alveoli through respiration (Landau, 1995). Inhaling the droplets via airborne from the person infected with TB by other person standing close to the carrier will surely make the person the new TB bacteria carrier. The belief that TB is transmittable by contact with a person's clothing, bed linens, or dishes and cooking utensils was voided of by recently-conducted research, stating that the bacteria can be acquired via direct contact (Landau, 1995). Signs and Symptoms. The most common symptom of the pulmonary tuberculosis is the persistent cough. ... In the United States the statistics data of TB declined. Since 1993, the number of cases of the TB patients reached to the lowest point according to the study conducted by University of Wisconsin in 2003 due to the recent medicinal discovery (Todar, 2005). Impact on community. Studies showed that ten to fifteen million Americans are carriers of inactive tubercle bacilli in their bodies, until it gradually develops in their later years. In the conventional setting of everyday human interactive, the possibility to transmit the bacteria from one person to another is very high (Landau, 1995). Less than ten percent of people who acquired the tubercle bacillus through inhaling the agent, however, become ill. The rest of the percentage shows no development of symptoms. In this case, it is said that the disease is inactive even when bacilli are stored in cells (Landau, 1995). When one person in the family is a carrier of tubercle bacilli or Mycobacterium tuberculosis, it is more likely that the whole family is inflicted with inactive bacterium. Upon social interaction in the community, the family could also transmit to other people the disease nesting upon them (Hyde, 1994). History shows evidence that this disease can affect society, as the break down of TB during 1700's to 1800's that caused the "white plague" among many countries. This suggests that it could wipe out even the whole community if prevention and awareness are not readily made available (Hyde, 1994). Prevention and risk factors. Awareness and education about TB is one of the most effective prevention measures of this disease. Sanitation in dwelling places including the air to breathe and taking up appropriate medicinal

Athol Fugards drama, Master Harold :: Athol Fugard Master Harold Essays

Athol Fugard's drama, "Master Harold" . . . And The Boys, was written during a time of great conflict in South Africa, where he was raised. Fugard was torn between his mother, who was "Afrikaaner," (1291) and his father, who was "of English decent" (1291). These differing influences caused Fugard to use the discussions between Sam and Hally to demonstrate the religious, racial, and political tensions of his lifetime in South Africa. The discussion between Sam and Hally about who was "a man of magnitude" (1300) represents the religious tensions of Fugard's lifetime in South Africa between the growing belief in evolution and Jesus Christ's teaching of Creation. Hally says that Charles Darwin was "a man of magnitude," (1300) because he was "somebody who benefited all mankind" (1301). He admires Darwin "for his Theory of Evolution" (1301), which according to Hally, proves "where we come from and what it all means" (1301). Sam totally disagrees with Darwin's "Theory of Evolution" (1301) because evolution is in contrast to the Bible's teaching on Creationism, and he says that just because it is in a book it "does not mean [he's] got to believe it" (1301). Sam believes that "Jesus Christ" (1302) was "a man of magnitude" (1300). Hally is obviously against Sam's suggestion of Jesus Christ, because Hally makes it clear that he is "an atheist" (1303). This disagreement between Sam and Hally is really just an example of the religious tensions in South Africa during Fugard's lifetime between the "Theory of Evolution," (1301) which was becoming more accepted, and Christianity, which was taught by Jesus Christ. A second discussion between Sam and Hally that occurs after Hally learns that his father has gone home demonstrates the racial tensions of Fugard's lifetime in South Africa. When Sam starts lecturing Hally about how he treats his father, Hally becomes angry and tells Sam that he is "treading on dangerous ground" (1321). Hally also tells Sam that his "mother is right"(1322) about "warning [him] about allowing you to get to familiar" (1322). The climax of the argument is when Hally tells Sam that he is "only a servant" (1322). This is the first noticeable statement that Hally makes that demonstrates the racial tensions experienced in South Africa. The next racial statement Hally makes is when he tells Sam that his father is his boss because "he's a white man and that's good enough for [him]" (1322).

People of the Philippines vs Andre Marti

People vs. Marti 193 SCRA 57 Facts : Andre Marti and his wife went to Manila Packing and Export Forwarders, carrying with them four gift wrapped packages to be delivered to his friend in Zurich, Switzerland. Anita Reyes (wife of the proprietor) asked if she could inspect the packages, however, Marti refused assuring that it only contained books, cigars and gloves as gift to his friend. Before delivery to Bureau of Customs/Posts, the proprietor Job Reyes, following standard operating procedure, opened the boxes for final inspection.When he opened Marti's boxes, a particular odor emitted therefrom and he soon found out that the boxes contained dried marijuana leaves. He reported the incident to the NBI who acknowledged custody of the incident. Marti was convicted for violation of R. A. 6425, otherwise known as the Dangerous Drugs Act. Constitutional Issues : 1. Marti contends that the evidence had been obtained in violation of his constitutional rights against unreasonable seach and si ezure and privacy of communication.Ruling : 1. Evidence sought to be excluded was primarily discovered and obtained by a private person, acting in a private capacity and without the intervention and participation of State authorities. In the absence of governmental interference, the libertied guaranteed by the Constitution cannot be invoked against the State. 2. Mere presence of NBI agents does not convert it to warrantless search and siezure. Merely to look at that which is plain sight is not search.Having observed that which is open, where no trespass has been committed is not search. Commissioner Bernas : The protection of fundamental liberties in the essence of constitutional democracy†¦ is a protection against the State. The Bill of Rights governs the relationship between the individual and the State. Its concern is not the relation between individuals, between a private individual and other individuals. What the Bill of Rights does is to declare some forbidden zones in th e private sphere inaccessible to any power holder.

Analysis Of Africa By Maya Angelou - 769 Words

â€Å"Africa† is a poem written by Maya Angelou which expresses the grave injustice done to Africa by the Europeans. Through her words Angelou is able to express the pain, suffering, and hope felt by the people of African during this time. The poem speaks to the beauty of Africa, goes into the injustice it has faced, and the hope that it has to one day go back to how it was. Three stanzas hold the words of Angelou, each filled with several literary techniques such as metaphors, rhyming, and personification. These several techniques gives this poem a lot of power and effect over the readers. With the use of imagery a picture is painted into our minds as we can see the words she wrote, and feel the pain they felt. The various stanzas change†¦show more content†¦This section of the poem Angelou goes into describing how the Europeans come â€Å"over the white seas†(9), and came to take and take advantage of Africa. Through reading this stanza you can feel the negat ive throughout. â€Å"took her daughters/sold her strong sons†(13-14). Angelou continues with the use of Africa as a women and speaks of the Europeans taking away her â€Å"children† (the male females of Africa) during the invasion. This has readers pointed in the direction of the slavery that took place. In this troubling time mother Africa tried hard to resist against the rude forces; however she was no match for the imperialism that came upon her. Trying to resist the Europeans domination took its toll on Africa. After having such an awful experience Africa was still standing. This last stanza that Angelou rights unlike the others is different. Instead of speaking in the past tense on the thing that have happened , she speaks in the present tense for the this that yet to come. Throughout all that Africa has been through Angelou believes that that things will get better. Now she is striding(19) showing readers that even though Africa had went through this hard time it soon shall pass and there will be a brighter future. Again in this stanza now readers can see that the tone has changed yet again. Now we are going away from the negativity and back towards the positive. Angeli uses the standard to try and help readers see that although there may beShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Africa By Maya Angelou768 Words   |  4 PagesBeauty, Struggle, and Rise: The Journey of Africa Maya Angelou’s â€Å"Africa† is an exceptional poem that talks about the injustices faced by the Blacks during the 18th century. In fact, the poem takes the readers back to the slave trade and the many difficulties it brought to Africans. Each stanza of the poem symbolizes a particular characteristic/stage related to Africa. While the first stanza describes Africas physical features, the second and third stanzas demonstrate the struggles of the continentRead MoreAnalysis Of Maya Angelou s Poem, Africa1491 Words   |  6 Pagesorigins begin in Africa. Maya Angelou’s poem, â€Å"Africa,† paints a portrait of the history of Africa. Her canvas depicts the beautiful landscapes with its people far and wide as well as those who were abducted from its shores. The three stanzas, which make up the poem, construct a story about a nation that was beaten, raped and left behind to die, and despite that was triumphant in the end. Maya Angelou’s poem is a tribute to the struggles and triumphs of Africa. Angelou refers to Africa as a woman throughoutRead MoreAnalysis Of Inaugural Poem By Maya Angelou767 Words   |  4 Pageschose to examine was the Inaugural Poem by Maya Angelou. This poem was written specifically for one occasion; President Bill Clintons inauguration ceremony in January, 1993. 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The final poem that relates to the concept is from the pen of Maya Angelou, a great African American writer whose works include I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and the screenplay for Georgia, Georgia (MayaAngelou.com). However, for this topic in particular the focus shall be placed on one of her many poems written throughout her life. The poem â€Å"Africa† is a short, twenty-five line poem detailing the ordeal of slavery that was the enslavement of Africans backRead MoreSexual Violence And Gender Based Crimes1877 Words   |  8 PagesUltimately, the Court must reflect a gender neutral approach whilst bringing sexual violence to the spotlight to improve the struggle against these crimes. On the 12th of January 1993, in front of a white-male dominated crowd, civil rights activist Maya Angelou read the words ‘history, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again’. 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