阅读理解
China covers large areas and has a great
population. Different living habits have always been an interesting topic in
the country. Recently, another difference between southern Chinese and northern
Chinese became a hot one: the way people shop at markets.
People from southern China say that they
always buy what they need for just one or two meals. It is normal for them to
buy half of a Chinese cabbage, two potatoes and 0.25 kilogram of beef at a time.
However, one may be laughed at if he does
this in the north. Instead, buying vegetables and meat enough for a week is
usual. Also, you can buy a small amount (数量) of
fruit, such as a single apple or pear, each time in the south. Shop owners even
help you peel and cut them. But shop owners in the north hardly offer such
service. And many fruits are sold in baskets and boxes.
The difference could be due to the
different weather.
Food can be kept for a long time in the
north, as it is usually cold and dry there. Many northern Chinese have the
habit of storing food, especially for the long winter. But the hot and wet
weather in the south makes southern Chinese buy just enough food for one meal
or one day, or else the food may go bad.
