There are 24 solar terms (节气) in China, and the Grain Rain(谷雨) is one of them. It falls on April 19 this 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 if you go out in the next two weeks, you may need to bring an umbrella with you.

    But this is a great time for planting crops. If you miss the time for planting during the Grain Rain, you will feel sorry later. So maybe you can try to plant some flowers or vegetables in your garden. When the spring rain falls, farmers begin to grow crops (庄稼). Farmers often say, “Spring rain is as precious (珍贵的) as oil.” It brings farmers hope for a good year ahead.

    There are also many interesting customs during the Grain Rain. In the northern part of China, people like to eat Chinese toon (椿芽) mixed with eggs. The food made during the Grain Rain tastes wonderful and is good for your stomach. In the southern part of China, the tea leaves are picked during the time. They are called Grain Rain tea, which is famous for its freshness and sweet smell.

    Entertain yourself on cold wet days

    Getting bored on cold wet days? Feeling there is nothing to do? TEENS will help you get rid of the boredom. Here are some fun ideas to get you active, both inside and outside.

        ①  

    Help your mom cook a dinner in the kitchen. Washing vegetables may be a good choice for you. You can also learn to make a simple meal, like egg-fried rice. When you eat a meal you have cooked, you'll feel very proud.

        ②   

    Choose an interesting story. Then invite your friends to perform it together. You can be the director and your friends can be actors. When you are ready, ask your family and your friends' family to enjoy the play.

       ③   

    Collect your family photos. Choose some special ones with your family and make a photo wall. It's a great chance to listen to family stories behind those photos. You can also DIY a photo album and keep the photos safe for a long time.

        ④   

    Do you want to be an inventor? Be creative about finding new uses for old objects. Try to invent something with your imagination. For example, you can make a garbage can or a storage box with cardboard. You can also find a problem at your home and create something to fix it.

    Long, long ago there lived an old man. He had a very big orange tree in his garden. On the tree there were many fine oranges.

    One day the old man found one of the oranges was bigger than the others. It was as big as a watermelon. So he took the big orange to the king. The king was very happy and gave the old man a lot of money for it.

    When a rich man heard of this, he said to himself, "It is only an orange. Why did the king give him so much money? If I take my gold cup to the king, he will give me much more money for it."

    The next day when the king got the gold cup, he said to the rich man,"What a beautiful cup! I'll give you something for it. Please take the great orange."

B

    It is important for each child to get enough sleep every day．Here．we'll learn more about that．{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    It usually depends on their age．Newborns (新生儿)of 0 to 3 months should sleep for about 18 hours a day．Babies of 4 to 11 months should start to sleep through the night，for 9 to 12 hours at a time．{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Children of 3 to 5 years should get 11 to 13 hours a day．Children of 6 to 13 need 9 to 11 hours of sleep．Teenagers of 14 and up need 8 to 10 hours of sleep．{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Set a strict nap timetable(小睡时间表)．Younger children should take a short sleep during the day．Even older children can benefit(得益于)from late—afternoon naps if they don't get enough steep at night．{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Pay attention to(注意)screen time．Remember to ask children to tum off the television and the computer an hour before they go to bed．If possible，get them out of their bedrooms since the light(光)from the screens can make sleep a difficult job．

Get children movin9．{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Running around and playing sports are great, but children can move in other ways．too．They can take a dog for a walk or go to the park—just get them out of the house and get them moving．

    There are some skills for students to listen to the teacher in class, which means you're going to have to practice it. Just as you would have to practice basketball to be a better player, you also have to practice listening. How to listen in school?  {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    One of the things you need to do is to make sure that your mind doesn't wander (漫游). It's easy to start thinking about other things, especially when you're not interested in the subject. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Next, listen for the main ideas. If you want to catch every little piece of information, you'll feel tired and bored.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}Not only does this show respect(尊敬) to the teacher, it also helps prevent your mind from wandering. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}Or it could just be someone talking to their neighbors who shouldn't be. It can even be some birds outside the classroom window, or a group of kids who are talking loudly as they pass the door to your room.

    Finally, you need to take notes because you will not remember everything the teacher said. You'll have to take down the notes so that you can study it after class. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Listening isn't always easy, but if you follow these simple steps, you'll be much more successful in your classes.

A. Here are some suggestions.

B. You'll also need to look at the teacher.

C. So make yourself pay attention to what the teacher is saying.

D. Taking notes also makes you pay attention to the class.

E. It might be a friend who is trying to pass you a note.