The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms (节气). Cold Dew, the 17th solar term of the year, begins this year on Oct 8 and ends on Oct 22.   【小题1】 The dew is greater and colder and there will be less rain. Autumn crops will be ripe. Here are several things you should know about Cold Dew.

Season for fishing

People always say that fishing in shallow water in autumn makes sense. 【小题2】 Fish swim to shallow water areas where the water temperature is relatively high.

Season for drinking chrysanthemum (菊花) win

Chrysanthemum is the iconic flower of Cold Dew. To prevent autumn dryness, many regions in China have the custom of drinking chrysanthemum wine. 【小题3】 According to ancient records, drinking wine made with chrysanthemums gives people longlasting youth.

Season for eating hawthorns (山楂)

There is a saying that goes "It is time to harvest hawthorn during Cold Dew." 【小题4】 The antioxidants (抗氧化剂) in hawthorn are thought to boost heart health by strengthening blood vessels and stimulating blood flow.

A great time for hiking

During Cold Dew, North China takes on a look of late autumn with white clouds, red leaves and early frost. 【小题5】 This custom aims to drive away evils, and originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

In the United States，it is important to be on time，or punctual，for an appointment，a class，a meeting，etc.However，this may not be true in all countries.An American professor discovered the difference while teaching a class in a Brazilian（巴西的） university.The two-hour class was scheduled to begin at 10A.M.and end at 12.On the first day，when the professor arrived on time，no one was in the classroom.Many students came after 10：30A.M.Two students came after 11A.M.Although all the students greeted the professor as they arrived，few apologized（道歉）for their lateness.Were these students being rude？He decided to study the students' behavior.

The professor talked to American and Brazilian students about lateness in both an informal and a formal situation：at a lunch with a friend and in a university class，respectively.He gave them an example and asked them how they would react，If they had a lunch appointment with a friend，the average American student defined lateness as 19minutes after the agreed time.On the other hand，the average Brazilian student felt the friend was late after 33minutes.

In an American university，students are expected to arrive at the appointed hour.In contrast，in Brazil，neither the teacher nor the students always arrive at the appointed hour.Classes not only begin at the scheduled time in the United States，but also end at the scheduled time.In the Brazilian class，only a few students left the class at 12：00；   many remained past 12：30 to discuss the class and ask more questions.While arriving late may not be very important in Brazil，neither is staying late.

If Confucius(孔子)were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He'd need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.

While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It's nothing personal. Most Americans don't even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.

But this doesn't mean that Americans don't care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.

In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and

philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks(缺陷)of Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.

So the old thinker's ideas are still alive and well.

Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.

As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.