1 . We usually divide a year into four seasons. However, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, there are five seasons — spring, summer, late summer, fall, and winter. Each of the five has many features which guide us to change our habits to keep the balance between our body and the external environment.

Winter in TCM

The ancient Chinese believed that winter is the Yin “阴” season in nature.     1     So, winter is the time of year to reflect on health, save strength and regain energy, preparing ourselves for the start of new life in the spring. Different aspects of our lives like exercise, diet and emotions can influence our health and, therefore, our well-being in winter.

    2    

In TCM theory, winter is a season to feed ourselves both spiritually and physically. Activities in the season have a turn inwards. For example, we can do more writing, reading and other soul-nourishing (滋养灵魂的) activities. Although energetic exercise should be avoided, it’s important to keep our body healthy with gentle exercise, especially outdoor activities, in which we can get fresh air and sunlight. In addition, we should also go to bed earlier to save more energy.     3    

Foods for winter

The principle of harmony between what we eat and the season is based on hundreds of years of experience in TCM. It suggests that we embrace locally-grown and seasonable foods, which is the way nature intends us to eat. During the winter, there are many foods beneficial to us.     4     — pumpkins, potatoes, root vegetables, winter greens, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, and pears. Besides, hot soup, whole grains and roasted nuts also offer nourishment to feed the body in cold winter months. But always remember, moderation in all things is important.

Moods in winter

According to TCM theory, stress, depression and unresolved anger can also weaken our immune system, allowing external factors to affect our body in winter.     5     Meditation (冥想) and breathing techniques are particularly helpful, especially in relieving stress. TCM also offers a variety of treatments such as massage (按摩) and herbal formulas to manage our moods.

A．Activities in winter

B．Exercises in winter

C．Most of them naturally grow in this season

D．It is inactive, cold and dark, which makes us slow down.

E．If you exercise properly in winter, you can enjoy yourself.

F．Everyone can enjoy winter if they live and exercise appropriately.

G．So, keeping a good mood is especially important in this cold season.

2 . Some people can't wait for the lovely colors, cooler weather, and cozy sweaters of autumn. In fact, fall is Americans' favorite time, but for a minority of others, the transition from summer creates worry, fear and worse. According to Carrie Landin, a psychologist from the University of Colorado Health Integrative Medicine Center, a significant number of people actually experience autumn anxiety.

For some people, stress is triggered (触发) by environmental factors: Decreases in daylight cause chemical changes in the brain. "Less daylight leads to lower levels of chemicals like serotonin and dopamine that control our emotions," says Kimberly Asner-self, associate professor at Touro Colleges` School of Health Sciences. "As these chemicals drop, the body responds by increasing levels of cortisol. the hormone released in situations where we face threat." The result can be an increased anxiety, difficulty sleeping and depression.

But it's not just increasing darkness that can trigger these symptoms. For people who feel this way every year, some of the reaction is mental. "When we know there's the potential for stress ahead we tend to anticipate the problems, feeling anxious before they even happen," Landin says.

The fall features more than its fair share of impending (迫在眉睫) events: back to school at the beginning of the season and family get-togethers toward the end. Mayra Mendez, a psychologist from Providence Saint Johns Health Center, suggests identifying your personal triggers and making a plan to manage them before they feel overwhelming. For instance, if you're concerned about family issues and holiday parties, decide in advance that it's perfectly OK to say no to some of them. If fall's stricter work and school schedules make you anxious, plan regular breaks and vacations to look forward to.

Finally, you should also find ways to embrace the present moment. Remember: while autumn may throw you a few tricks, there are plenty of treats to be found too.

1. What may be the cause of autumn anxiety?

A．Cooler weather.	B．Less daylight.
C．Sleep difficulties.	D．Vacation plans.

2. Landin's words are mentioned in paragraph 3 to show__________.

A．potential stress can be predictable	B．stress can be triggered by chemicals
C．depression is related to family issues	D．anxiety can be caused by mental factors

3. What does the author probably think of autumn stress?

A．Manageable.	B．Overwhelming.
C．Troublesome.	D．Beneficial.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Seasonal Anxiety	B．Tricks or Treats
C．The Autumn Blues	D．Characteristics of Fall

3 . Autumn Equinox (秋分) lies at the midpoint of autumn, dividing autumn into two equal parts. After that day, the location of direct sunlight moves to the south, making days shorter and nights longer in the northern hemisphere.     1     Autumn Equinox, the 16th solar term of the year, begins this year on Sept 23 and ends on Oct 7.

Here are things you should know about Autumn Equinox.

Cool autumn

As it is said in the ancient book, The Detailed Records of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC), “It is on Autumn Equinox day that the Yin and Yang are in a balance of power. Thus the day and night are of equal length, and so are the cold and hot weather.”

    2     When the cold air heading south meets the declining warm and wet air, rain is the result. The temperature also drops frequently.

    3    

In South China, there is a custom popularly known as “having Qiucai (an autumn vegetable) on the Autumn Equinox day”. Qiucai is a kind of wild plant. Every Autumn Equinox day, all the villagers go to pick Qiucai in the wild. Qiucai is fresh and green in the field, thin, and about 20 cm in length.

    4    

By Autumn Equinox, olives, pears, chestnuts, beans, and other plants are mature. It is time to pick and eat them.

Season for enjoying chrysanthemums

    5    

A．Eating Qiucai

B．Season for eating nuts

C．Season for eating various plants

D．But the moon won’t be full during Autumn Equinox.

E．The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms.

F．Autumn Equinox also is a good time to enjoy chrysanthemums in full bloom.

G．By Autumn Equinox, most of the areas in China have entered the cool autumn.

4 . Six Solar Terms in Summer

Lixia

Lixia is the first solar term in summer, signifying the beginning of the hot summer.    1    People usually consider Lixia as an important solar term. When it comes, the temperature rises obviously, and summer heat arrives, there is a remarkable increase in thunderstorms, and crops enter their peak season for growth.

Xiaoman and Mangzhong

During Xiaoman, summer harvest crops such as wheat already bear fruits, and their seeds are full though they are not ripe yet. Thus, the solar term is named Xiaoman. The solar term Xiaoman is in late May. Summer begins to reach all parts of the country. Rainfall begins to increase further. Mangzhong means, "wheat with awn（芒）should be harvested soon, and rice seeds with awn can be sown".    2    

Xiazhi

On the day of Xiazhi, the daytime in the Northern Hemisphere（半球）reaches its maxi-mum length.    3    At Xiazhi, though there is direct sunlight, it is not the hottest time in a year.

Xiaoshu and Dashu

    4    Xiaoshu is minor heat, which means it's not very hot. The weather is getting increasingly hot, but not the hottest moment yet. The crops in the entire country begin to grow rapidly, and this situation requires more intensive field management. Dashu is extreme heat. Compared to Xiaoshu, it's much hotter.    5    And it also marks the period with the fastest growth for crops which enjoy heat.

A．The character shu means heat.

B．It predicts the busy farming activities of farmers.

C．The temperatures rise and summer drought begins.

D．The more northern a place is, the longer its daytime is.

E．People need to prepare for heat prevention and cooling.

F．It means the end of spring, and the beginning of summer.

G．It marks the hottest period with the highest temperatures in a year.