With spring soon coming to an end, people in China are looking forward to the first solar term (节气) of summer, Lixia, which falls on May 5 of this year. Lixia, or the Start of Summer, is the seventh of the 24 Chinese solar terms. It symbolizes (象征) the passing from spring to summer.
Because of the heat of summer, plants will grow faster. The crops also welcome the rapid growing season. In the south of China, farmers are happy to welcome the arrival of Lixia. This is the best time of the year to plant early rice for them.
________ For example, in some places people cook “Five-Colored Rice”. It is usually made from five kinds of beans, including red bean, yellow bean, black bean and green bean. It stands for people’s good wishes for a colorful life. In some areas, children wear a bag with an egg around their necks. This is believed to help prevent abdominal distension (腹胀). It’s common illness among ancient Chinese children during summer.
On the day of Lixia, people also have the tradition of eating three kinds of food: cherries, green plums, and green wheat. Since there are so many different kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables from which to select, what gets eaten during this time can influence the country. In ancient times, during Lixia, emperors would give ice to their ministers. Common citizens would have icy drinks.
Other Lixia traditions include the singing of many kinds of folk songs. People also weigh themselves on Lixia. When the summer passes, they’ll weigh themselves again to see how many pounds they have lost during the hot season.
【小题1】Why are the farmers in the south of China happy to welcome the arrival of Lixia?| A．Because they can get in crops. | B．Because they are free at home. |
| C．Because it is the best time to plant. | D．Because it is the first solar term of summer. |
| A．people celebrate the day of Lixia in different ways in China |
| B．people want to know what they should prepare for the day of Lixia |
| C．people sing many kinds of folk music to celebrate the day of Lixia |
| D．people wear a bag with an egg around their necks in the day of Lixia |
| A．Learn. | B．Keep. | C．Produce. | D．Choose. |
| A．Different food in summer | B．Enjoy the summer time |
| C．A welcome to summer | D．Activities in summer |
| A．Xiazhi | B．Liqiu | C．Qiufen | D．Hanlu |
