According to legend，before Chinese characters came into being，our ancestors （祖先）used knotted ropes to record their lives.Later，the Yellow Emperor ordered Cang Jie，the official historian，to find something（1）b

etter

etter

instead of the inefficient（低效）way of documenting events.Cang Jie，inspired（給……靈感）by the footprints of birds and animals，（2）c

reated

reated

characters.
   It was（3）w

ritten

ritten

in the ancient text Huai Nan Zi 《淮南子》that when Cang Jie invented characters，grain fell like rain.The text says that heaven，impressed by Cang Jie's efforts，ordered the grain to fall from the sky in order to reward him.From then on，that day was known as Grain Rain，or Guyu in Chinese，in honor of Cang Jie's （4）s

uccessful

uccessful

creation of characters.
   Grain Rain ranks sixth in the 24 solar terms of China.It is also the last solar term of spring and usually （5）f

alls

alls

on April 19th，20th or 21st every year.Grain Rain marks the end of the cold weather and a rapid （6）i

ncrease

ncrease

in temperature which is good for the growth of crops.
   In the north of China，people have the custom of eating toona sinensis（香椿）.Grain Rain is the best（7）s

eason

eason

for toona sinensis to go on sale.At this time of year，it is tasty and good for the immune system.
   In the south，people have a tradition of picking tea（8）l

eaves

eaves

on the day of Grain Rain.It is said that drinking Guyu Tea can help reduce heat inside and improve eyesight.
   There is saying that the best time to admire the beauty of peonies（牡丹）is the three days after Grain Rain. （9）S

ince

ince

peonies are usually in full bloom around this time，the peony is also called Guyu Flower in China.Thus，enjoying peonies becomes an important pastime during Grain Rain.
   As the crystallization（結晶）of Chinese wisdom，the 24 Chinese Solar terms （10）p

rovide

rovide

people with a window through which they can observe and understand the world and appreciate the beauty of folk culture.