Long ago, people did not need money.
As time passed, people learned to raise animals and crops. Sometimes, families produced more than they needed, so they started to trade (交易) with other families. Later, people began to use money as a means of exchange. They used shells, rice, salt, large stones, etc.
During the 600s BC, people began using coins as money. They soon found that coins were easier to carry than goods (货物) and lasted a long time.
The Chinese were the first to use paper money, probably as early as the eleventh century. The Italian traveller Marco Polo saw the Chinese using paper money when he visited China in the 1200s.
Today, we have many ways to pay for things. Often, people prefer to pay for things by card. Paying with a card is easier and safer than carrying around a lot of "real" money.
| A. Later, countries began to make their own coins. B. However, it was not the kind of money we use today. C. They lived on wild animals, fruits and other plants. D. However, European countries did not start using paper money until the 1600s. E. We do not use only coins or paper money. |
