In Taiwan we can find nearly every kind of fruit. Some fruits are in season all year round, like bananas. Some fruits are in season only during the summer, like mangoes and lychees. And some fruits are only in season during the cooler months of fall and winter. One of the most popular fall and winter fruits is tangerines.
在台灣我們可以找到許多不同種類的水果。有些是一年四季都看得到的水果，如香蕉；也有一些只在夏季生產的水果，例如芒果和荔枝；有些水果則是在秋冬較寒冷的幾個月盛產。在秋冬季節最受歡迎的水果之一是橘子。
Tangerines [tæn dʒə ̀rinz ] look like oranges, but they have a thicker peel that comes off more easily than the peel of oranges. And the sections of tangerines separate more easily than the sections of oranges, so they are perfect for snacks. Tangerines are very juicy. Some tangerines may have a sour taste, especially the ones you may buy early in the season. But most tangerines are sweet and delicious.
橘子的外觀與柳丁相似，但外皮比較厚且較容易去皮，橘子的果肉比柳丁來得容易剝除，所以橘子相當適合當作點心食用。橘子相當多汁，有些橘子嚐起來酸酸的，尤其是盛產初期買到的橘子，但大部分的橘子都是香甜可口的。
Tangerines have been grown for over 3,000 years in China and Japan. They did not reach Europe and North America, however, until the nineteenth century. The name tangerine comes from HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangier" Tangier, HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morocco" Morocco. This is the African port city from which the first tangerines were shipped to Europe.
在中國和日本橘子已經栽培了三千多年﹐可是十九世紀才被介紹到歐美國家。Tangerines這個名字來自摩洛哥的丹吉爾城。橘子原來都是從這個非洲的
港市運輸到歐洲。
Tangerines are high in vitamin C, which many people believe helps our immune systems. So tangerines are not only delicious, they can also keep you from getting sick. If you like tangerines, however, you better hurry and buy some; they are only in season for a couple more weeks. After that, you will have to wait many months before you can enjoy sweet, juicy tangerines.
橘子維他命C很多。有人認為維他命C對免疫系統有幫助。 所以橘子不但美味﹐也可以幫助你保持健康。如果你喜歡橘子，或許你要趕快去買來嚐鮮，因為它的盛產期只有幾週，過了盛產期，你可得再等上各把個月才能吃到甜而多汁的橘子囉!!
Answer each question by circling the letter of the best answer.
1. We can buy tangerines
a. only in the summer.
b. only in the summer and winter.
c. in the fall and winter.
d. only in the fall.
2. Tangerines are a good snack because
a. they peel and separate easily.
b. they have peels.
c. they are a kind of fruit.
d. you can buy them in the winter.
3. The word tangerine comes from
a. the sweet taste.
b. Chinese.
c. the color of the skin.
d. a city in Africa.
4. Tangerines were first shipped to Europe
a. about 500 years ago.
b. about 200 years ago.
c. last week.
d. about 3,000 years ago.