Silk (丝sī )was greatly valued (价值 jià zhí) and often (常常cháng cháng) used as currency or money ( 钱qián) . A man’s 一 个 人 的 salary (薪水 xīng shuǐ) would be a certain length of silk 丝 per year 年. Silk 丝 garments 衣 were worn 穿 by Roman emperors 皇帝, who called the Chinese 中国人 Seres (Silk people 丝人sī rén)。The clothes 衣 are beautiful (美丽měi lì) , light 轻 and comfortable (舒服shū fú ) , being cool (凉快liáng kuài) in summer 夏天 and warm (暖 和nuǎn hè) in winter 冬天`)…Keep Reading

The cocoons (茧jiǎn) are steamed (蒸 气zhēng qì) to kill (杀shā) the worms (虫chóng ) inside, then they (它们tā men ) are dipped in hot (热rè) water (水shuǐ) to loosen the silk ( 丝sī) filaments. These filaments (条tiáo) are unwound and six (六liù) to eight (八bā) filaments 条 are twisted together to make a silk 丝 thread (线xiàn). The threads 线 are woven (织zhī) into cloth (布bù).…Keep Reading

Over the years 年, the Chinese 中国人 were able to breed(饲 养sì yǎng) a species of silk moth 蚕 that is blind (瞎眼xiā yǎn) and unable to fly (飞fēi)
. Each lays 500 or more eggs 蛋 in a few days 天 and then dies 死. After hatching (孵出fū chū), the baby worms (小蚕虫xiǎo cán chóng ) are fed on freshly chopped mulberry leaves(桑叶sāng shù) day (日日rì rì) and night (夜夜yè yè) for about a month 一个月 until they 它们 become fat (胖pàng)…Keep Reading

Legend (传说chuáng shuō ) says that silk 丝 was first made by the wife (妻子qī zi) of the Yellow Emperor (黄帝huáng dì) 5000 years 年 ago. She 她 kept silkworms( 蚕cán) and invented (发明fā míng) the loom (织布机zhī bù jī). Silk fragments(丝块sī kuài), ribbons (丝带sī dài) and threads(丝线sī xiàn)
dating from the 3000 BC have been found in eastern (东部dōng bù) China (中国zhong guó )…Keep Reading