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Some foods can make you sick if they are stored in conditions that are not cold enough to prevent the growth of harmful organisms. Freezing can keep some foods in good condition for months after the growing season. Yet foods can be damaged if they are kept too cold.

The British Development Group says the best time to prepare foods for storage is at harvest time while foods are still in the field.

Use a sharp knife and place the harvested items on a clean surface or directly into storage containers. Do not put them on the ground.

Use clean water to remove dirt， and keep the water clean. Usually it is better not to remove outer leaves from fruits and vegetables before storage. Without leaves， foods can become dry quickly.

Fruits and vegetables must cool from field heat before they are put into storage containers. Cooling them in water can spread funguses （霉菌） throughout the food. A better idea is to harvest foods either early or late in the day， and then leave them to cool naturally.

Some fruits and vegetables must be stored at zero to four degrees Celsius （攝氏度）. Some foods need to be stored at four to eight degrees Celsius， and some need to be stored above eight degrees Celsius for best results.

Wet fruits and vegetables so they do not become too dry. The best time to do this is before storage. Cover the items in plastic once they reach the right temperature for storage. Most fruits and vegetables need the relative humidity （濕度）. Finally， leave spaces between the food containers and the walls of the cold storage area so air can flow. Keep the spaces clean and try not to open the doors too often.

1. What is the function of the leaves of fruits and vegetables？

A. Helping keep them fresh.

B. Helping keep them clean.

C. Making them look more attractive.

D. Keeping them from harmful organisms.

2. Why is it better to harvest foods either early or late in the day？

A. Because foods are cleaner then.

B. Because foods have no field heat then.

C. Because foods then are wet enough to be stored.

D. Because it is easy to make them become cool from field heat naturally.

3. What can we infer from the text？

A. Wetting foods is the most important step.

B. Leaving spaces between containers is hard.

C. Fruits must be stored under zero degrees Celsius.

D. Choosing the right time to store foods is important.