Paper was first created about 2,000 years ago in China. After the invention, people started to write on paper to make books. In those days, books were only produced one at a time by hand. As a result, there were not many books, and they were expensive. So, few people had the chance to learn to read.
Printing was invented in China during the Sui and Tang Dynasties(隋唐时期). Later, developments in printing made it possible to produce books more quickly and cheaply. A trade in books developed, and more people learnt to read. Knowledge and ideas spread (传播) faster than ever before. In a way, we can compare the invention of paper and printing to the introduction of the Internet in the twentieth century.
