Frost’s Descent (霜降), the 18th solar term (节气) of the year, begins this year on Oct. 23 and ends on Nov. 6. It is the last solar term of autumn, then the weather becomes much colder than before and frost begins to appear. People usually care a lot about the food they eat during this period.
Eating persimmons (柿子) can help people fight against the cold and protect bones. Countryside people believe their lips (嘴唇) will become dry and crack (破裂) if they don’t eat any during this period.
In China, it’s said that “Eat an apple after meals, even old men can be as strong as young men,” just as the western saying goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
The pear is another great fruit during Frost’s Descent, which can moisten the lungs (润肺), clear away heat (热度) and reduce sputum (祛痰) .
It’s common to eat duck on the first day of Frost’s Descent in the south Fujian province and Taiwan. As a saying in Fujian goes, “Even eating well all year is not as helpful as eating duck on the first day of Frost’s Descent.”
Eating chestnuts (板栗) during Frost’s Descent is good for one’s health, too. Chestnuts have a warm nature and they are sweet. They are good for the spleen and stomach (脾胃), and improve the circulation of blood (血液循环).
The date is also one of the fruits on the market during Frost’s Descent. With a great number of vitamins, dates can be good for the blood. It lowers blood pressure and improves one’s immunity. But eating too many could be bad for our health.
【小题1】Countryside people believe that ________ can help protect their lips from cracking.| A．persimmons | B．apples | C．pears | D．chestnuts |
| A．moisten the lungs | B．help protect bones | C．clear away heat | D．reduce sputum |
a. they are not sweet.
b. they are good for spleen and stomach.
c. they improve the circulation of blood.
d. they are cheap but delicious.
| A．ac | B．bc | C．ab | D．cd |
| A．Different foods on Frost’s Descent | B．Different foods |
| C．Frost’s Descent | D．Different activities on Frost’s Descent |
