Before refrigerators were invented, the next best thing was an ice box. But another way to keep food fresh is to use an evaporative cooler. A common design is a tall box with several shelves inside to hold the food. The shelves are pieces of metal with many small holes through them. The sides of the box are covered with pieces of thick cloth.
Containers of water are placed at the top and bottom of the cooler. The ends of each piece of cloth lie in the water so the cloth stays wet.
The cooler is put outdoors, but not in the sun. Air will pass through the wet cloth. The inside of the box will stay several degrees cooler than the outside air temperature. And this may be cool enough to keep foods fresh, at least for a short time.
Some foods can make you sick if they are stored in conditions that are not cold enough to prevent the growth of harmful organisms（微生物）. Freezing can keep some foods in good condition for months after the growing season, ____________________ if they are kept too cold.
Some fruits and vegetables must be stored at zero to four degrees Celsius. Any colder, and they might be damaged. Some foods need to be stored at four to eight degrees, and some need to be stored above eight degrees for best results.
Wet the 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 "critical temperature" for storage. Most fruits and vegetables need the relative humidity（濕度）in Storage to be kept between eighty-five and ninety-five percent.
Finally, leave space between the food containers and the walls of the cold storage area so air can flow. Keep the space clean. And try not to open the doors too often.
小題1:What is the main idea of the text?（no more than 8 words）
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小題2:Complete the following statement with proper words.（no more than 3 words）
You would be ill if you eat some foods that are kept in such a hot place that more __________ grow.
小題3:Fill in the blank in Paragraph 4 with proper words.（no more than 5 words）
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小題4:Why should we wet fruits and vegetables before storage?（no more than 11 words）
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小題5:What does the word "this"（Line 2, Paragraph 6）probably refer to?（no more than 5 words）
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