Most people use straws when they drink cold drinks like soda, smoothies, and bubble tea. I thought straws were a 20th century invention, but they have a long history. They go back at least 4000 or 5000 years. There is a painting from ancient Egypt showing someone using a straw. At that time, they had special straws for drinking beer. The beer wasn’t filtered, so the end of the straw had small holes. Only the liquid could come up. This kind of straw is still used in South America. It is made of metal, and it’s used to drink “mate.” Most straws are made of plastic now, but that’s a problem for the environment. We need to find a way to make straws with something else.    (126 words)

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