The umbrella has various uses in different countries. It is used as a ___2___ against the sun in hot countries.

It is a symbol of ___3___ in certain Oriental and African countries. In the early times, only a few could afford to own an umbrella. An Oriental king even described himself as he 'Lord of the 32 umbrellas'.

The British began using umbrellas during the eighteenth century. A man named Brian MacDonald is said to have started the ___4___ for umbrellas.

For women, the parasols became ___5___. They used a parasol to protect their skin from the sun when they went out.

No one knows who invented the first umbrella. But the umbrella has been in use for a long time. ___6___ found in the tombs of the Egyptian pharoahs show slaves carrying a form of sunshade behind the kings and queens of the day. In China, umbrellas were in use decades ago.

Today, the umbrella is one of the essential items in ___7___. It has saved people from a soaking in many a downpour.

The umbrella is not only a ___8___ protection from the rain but also a fashion accessory.

It ___9___ to see an elegantly dressed girl carrying a big, black, ugly umbrella.

Thus, umbrella manufacturers have seen to it that their products come in all ___10___. The women can choose those which go well with their clothes. The umbrellas are usually made of silk, cotton denim and other similar materials imported from China, Taiwan and Japan.