学进去

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms (节气). It starts from the Beginning of Spring and ends with the Greater Cold, moving in cycles. It is still useful today to guide people’s lives through special foods, cultural ceremonies and even healthy living tips.

Grain Buds(小满), the 8^th solar term of a year, begins on May 21 this year, and ends on June 4. It means that the seeds (种子) from the grain are becoming full. During the Grain Buds, summer harvest is about to begin. A saying about rain during this time mentions, “A heavy rainfall makes the river full.” Because of the great increase in rainfall, rivers are full of water. This is a good time to enjoy fish. It is also harvest season for fishermen.

Frost’s Descent (霜降), the 18^th solar term of the year, is the last solar term of autumn, during which time the weather becomes much colder than before and frost begins to appear. The apple is one kind of recommended(推荐的) fruit during Frost’s Descent. There are many saying about apples’ benefits(益处) in China, such as “Eat an apple after meals, even old men can be as strong as young men.”

Minor Cold (小寒) is the 23^rd one. For most areas of China, it marks the start of the coldest days of the year and people always start preparing for New Year. According to traditional Chinese medicine thoughts, people need to eat food that has more yang energy to prevent cold from harming their bodies. Another important traditional food for Minor Cold is Laba porridge (腊八粥).

1．________ is the last solar term of a year.

A．Minor Cold

B．Greater Cold

C．Frost’s Descent

2．How many days does Grain Buds last this year?

A．Thirteen.

B．Fifteen.

C．Seventeen.

3．The underlined sentence “Eat an apple after meals, even old men can be as strong as young men.” is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

B．It’s more useful for old men to eat apples than young men.

C．If old men eat apples after meals, they will become younger and younger.

4．In most areas of China, people always ________ during Minor Cold.
①prepare for New year                    ②have Laba porridge
③say good-bye to the coldest days     ④wear warmer clothes

A．①②③

B．②③④

C．①②④

5．We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．it is necessary for people to take umbrellas with them during Grain Buds

B．Frost’s Descent is the 8th solar term of a year

C．people need to eat food that has less yang energy during Minor Cold