Nature and People's Lives
FoundationWith different climates, people live by nature: rice in the south, wheat food in the north, herds on the grasslands — wisdom of adapting to the land everywhere.
- The nation's climates vary greatly in every direction.
- Rice in the south, wheat in the north — farming follows climate.
- Rice and wheaten food on the table reflect local produce.
文體小知識：說明文介紹地理與生活的關係。這一篇看各地氣候怎樣塑造農業、飲食和牧民生活，學會欣賞多元的地域文化。
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1The nation is so vast that climates differ greatly. In winter Heilongjiang in the north is a world of ice and snow, falling to thirty degrees below zero, and people wear thick padded coats; yet Hainan Island in the south stays warm as summer, and swimming goes on. The south-east, near the sea, has plenty of rain; the north-west, deep inland, is dry with wide deserts.
2Climate and terrain decide farming, and farmers live by nature. South of the Qinling-Huaihe line it is warm and rainy, suited to rice — paddies everywhere; north of it rains are fewer and wheat and maize grow, the fields golden in autumn. The fertile eastern plains are the key grain bowl; the mountainous, grassy west relies on herding.
3Climate and farming shape food: people say rice in the south, wheat in the north. Southerners eat rice and congee daily, and noodles like fun are made of rice too; northerners love noodles, dumplings and steamed buns, all made of wheat flour. Damp Sichuan favours chilli to drive out damp and cold; hot Guangdong prefers light food and soups. Every local taste hides the wisdom of fitting the environment.
4On the grasslands and plateaux of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Tibet, herders raise cattle, sheep and horses generation after generation. They live in movable yurts, following the water and grass; they drink milk tea and eat beef, mutton and dairy, and their woollen clothes keep out the cold. Horses and camels are close companions, and the Naadam festival brings exciting horse racing and wrestling.
5Whether growing rice or wheat, herding or fishing, people everywhere use local materials and follow nature — the wisdom of adapting to the land: cave dwellings on the Loess Plateau stay warm in winter and cool in summer, and stilt houses in the south-west resist damp and beasts. Climate shapes life and creates diverse regional cultures. When we travel, we should respect local food and customs and appreciate different ways of living.
1Summary 重點摘要
With different climates, people live by nature: rice in the south, wheat food in the north, herds on the grasslands — wisdom of adapting to the land everywhere.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
The long-term weather of a place, such as hot and rainy.
A grain grown in warm, wet paddies — the staple of the south.
The grain milled into flour for noodles and buns, grown widely in the north.
The main food eaten daily, such as rice or wheaten food.
A person who raises cattle, sheep and horses on the grasslands.
The round, movable tent house of the herders.
Wide land covered with grass, suited to herding.
Choosing ways of life that fit the local environment and conditions.
Foods made of wheat flour, such as noodles, dumplings and buns.
Rich and varied, like the food cultures of different regions.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Learn the climate differencesStretching about 5,500 kilometres north to south, the nation spans climates from tropical to cold-temperate. Hainan is hot all year, while winter in Heilongjiang lasts half the year; the monsoon soaks the south-east in summer, but the far north-west, shut off from the sea, stays dry. In the same January, Harbin admires ice sculptures while Guangzhou still wears light jackets. Hold these north-south and east-west contrasts in mind, and different lives make sense.
- Step 2: Know rice in the south and wheat in the northCrops follow the climate. South of the Qinling-Huaihe line, warm and rainy with dense waterways, rice thrives and paddies stretch across the Jiangnan water towns; north of it, cooler and drier, drought-tolerant wheat and maize grow. The fertile Northeast Plain is famous for soybeans and maize; the mountains and plateaux of the west suit no plough but offer wide pastures, so herding is the main living there. Farmers do not fight nature — they follow the seasons and measure the land.
- Step 3: Compare northern and southern foodPeople eat what the land yields: where rice grows, rice, congee and rice noodles fill daily bowls; where wheat grows, noodles, dumplings and buns star on the table. In the cold north a steaming pot of dumplings gathers the family; in hot Guangdong, soups and light dishes please most; in damp Sichuan, spicy hotpot drives out damp and chill. When you travel, taste the local food — from one bowl of noodles or rice you can read the land.
- Step 4: Know life on the grasslandsOn the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Tibet, herders live by raising cattle, sheep and horses. Following water and grass, they dwell in yurts that can be taken down and moved; they drink milk tea, eat dairy curd and mutton, and their loose Mongolian robes shut out the grassland wind. Skilled riders, they gather each year for the Naadam festival of horse racing, wrestling and archery. Many herders now settle in one place, yet the wisdom of herding with nature passes on.
- Step 5: See how climate shapes dress and dwellingsClothes and houses bear climate's mark. In the freezing north-east people wear down coats and fur hats, in thick-walled, small-windowed houses for warmth; in year-round hot Hainan, light clothes and airy houses cool the day. On the Loess Plateau people dig cave dwellings into the earth — warm in winter, cool in summer; in the humid south-west, stilt houses stand off the ground against damp, insects and snakes. Homes look different everywhere, each a clever answer to its environment.
- Step 6: Understand the wisdom of local adaptationAdapting to local conditions means choosing the way of life that fits each place: rice where water is plenty, wheat where it is dry, herding on wide grass, fishing by the sea. This wisdom feeds the people and protects nature too — rotating pastures lets grass regrow. The Dujiangyan waterworks, built to follow the river's own flow, has watered the Chengdu plain for over two thousand years, a model of living with nature. To last, working with nature beats forcing it.
- Step 7: Respect people's ways of life everywhereThe nation has fifty-six ethnic groups, each with its food, dress and festivals: the Dai water-splashing festival, the Mongol Naadam, the Tibetan Shoton — all cultural treasures. Travelling, we should follow local custom: respect local food and ways, never mock them, never spoil the environment. Diverse regional cultures are the nation's rich treasure; to appreciate difference is the mark of a global-minded citizen.
5Worked example Example
Example: At his relatives' home in Harbin, Pak eats dumplings and noodles at every meal; back at his cousin's home in Guangzhou, it is rice and congee every day. Why do the two places eat so differently?
- Look at climate: Harbin lies in the north, cooler and drier; Guangzhou lies in the south, warm and rainy.
- Look at farming: the northern climate suits wheat, while the south's dense waterways suit rice.
- Look at staples: northern wheat becomes flour for dumplings and noodles; southern rice makes rice and congee the daily fare.
- Think further: staples are not the only difference — hot dumplings warm northern winters, while soups cool Guangdong's heat; food follows the environment.
- Answer: The difference is rooted in climate and farming: Harbin, cold and dry, grows wheat, so staples are flour-made dumplings and noodles; Guangzhou, warm and rainy, grows rice, so rice and congee fill every meal. People everywhere live by nature and adapt to their land, forming the food culture of rice in the south and wheat in the north.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What are the main staples of the south and the north?
Q2What houses do herders traditionally live in?
Q3What do herders commonly eat and drink?
Q4What does adapting to local conditions mean?
Q5How should we treat different customs when travelling?
8Recap Recap
- The nation's climates vary greatly in every direction.
- Rice in the south, wheat in the north — farming follows climate.
- Rice and wheaten food on the table reflect local produce.
- Grassland herders live in yurts and live by herding.
- Adapt to the land; respect the diverse cultures everywhere.