Handshaking

　　Handshaking, though a European practice, is now often seen in big cities of China. Nobody knows exactly when the practice started in Europe. It is said that long long ago in Europe when people met, they showed their unarmed open hands to each other as a sign of amity. As time went on and trade in cities grew prosperously, this practice was later somehow revised and gradually finalized into shaking hands.

　　Do the Europeans shake hands wherever they go and with whomever they meet? No, sometimes the Chinese scholars abroad reach out their hands too often to be polite, especially when she is a woman. In fact some people in western countries stand even more on ceremony and are more reserved than some Chinese today.

　　Handshaking was first introduced into China after the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of last century. Thanks to Dr. Sun Yat-sun, many unknown and unforeseen practices were imported from Europe, for example, to work on weekdays and to have a day off on Sundays, the brushing of teeth, and handshaking. In old China, when people met or parted, they bowed to each other and cupped their own hands one in the other, moving them up and down several times in front of the chest to pay obeisance. After almost a century the westernized way of greetings has not yet become very popular among the masses, while the age-old national practices have almost been forgotten.

(l)Who knows exactly when the practice started in Europe?

(2)Which is right about the following statements?

(3)When was handshaking first introduced into China?

(4)Thanks to Dr. Sun Yat-sun, what practices were imported from Europe?

(5)In old China, when people met or parted, what did they do?