Summer came and Mr. Smith was worried. 【小题1】 Mr. White, one of his friends, asked him to take a vacation in a small village with him. “It’s very cool there,” said his friend. “We can swim in the lake and go fishing after lunch.”   【小题2】

The village was at the foot of a hill. 【小题3】 But one day it began to rain and the roads were all wet. They had to stay in the hotel. There were no TV sets or cinemas. It rained for almost a week and they couldn’t go back to the city.

One day they heard a farmer in the village could forecast (预报) the weather. 【小题4】 They saw a green shirt on the rope in front of the house. “Why do you put it there in the rain?” asked Mr. White.

“It helps me to forecast the weather,” the old man said. “It is rainy if the shirt is wet. 【小题5】 It’s windy if it swings.”

There are twenty-four solar terms (节气) in China, and the Grain Rain (谷雨) is one of them. It is in spring. And it is usually on or around April 20 every year.

This solar term is called the Grain Rain because it is known for “rain” that helps the grain grow. From its name, we can guess it means a time of more rain. So you may need to bring an umbrella with you when you go out. Or you may get wet.

But this is a great time for planting crops. When the spring rain falls, farmers begin to grow crops. Farmers often say, “Spring rain is as precious as oil.” It brings farmers hope for a good year ahead.

People also have special activities at this time. In the northern part of China, people like to eat Chinese toon (香椿) with eggs. The food made in the time of Grain Rain tastes wonderful. And it is a kind of healthy food. In South China the tea leaves are picked. They are called Grain Rain tea. Drinking tea at this time of year has also become a tradition in these places.