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Four Things About the Spring Equinox (春分)
The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms. The Spring Equinox is the fourth term of the year. This term signals the equal length of the day and the night time. Many people hold various activities to celebrate the festival. Here are several things you may not know about it.
Kite Flying
In ancient times, people did not have good medical resources. So they wrote their health problems on paper kites. When a paper kite was in the air, people would cut off the string to let it fly away, meaning the disease would go away. Later flying kites developed into a popular game in spring.
Three Hous
The ancient Chinese people divided the fifteen days of the Spring Equinox into three hous or five day parts. As the old saying goes, “Swallows fly back to the North in the first hou; thunder cracks the sky in the second hou; lightning occurs frequently in the third hou, which shows the climate feature during the term.”
Spring Vegetables
It is a commonly practised custom to eat spring vegetables in many regions of China Spring vegetables refer to the seasonal vegetables that differ from place to place. The ancient teachings in a Chinese classic suggest people eat the seasonal food
especially vegetables, to help preserve health and bring good luck.
Egg-standing Games
Standing an egg upright (直立的) is a popular game across the country during the Spring Equinox. It is an old custom that can date back to thousands of years ago. People practise this tradition to celebrate the coming of spring. It is said that if someone can make the egg stand he will have good luck in the future.
1. Why did the ancient Chinese people let paper kites fly away in the Spring Equinox?
A
To celebrate freedom.
B. To celebrate good luck.
C. To wish for good health.
D. To win the kite-flying game.
2. What does the saying about three hous show?
A. Natural phenomena.
B. Celebration activities.
C. The environmental protection.
D. The features of Chinese culture.
3. What can we infer about the Spring Equinox from the ancient Chinese teachings?
A. It is the first day of spring.
B. It is the first term of the year.
C. It is the best time to stand eggs upright
D. It is the right time to eat spring vegetables.
【答案】1. C2. A3. D
【解析】
【導語】本文是一篇說明文。文章主要介紹了在中國傳統(tǒng)的節(jié)氣春分這一天，人們?yōu)榱藨c祝這個節(jié)日所舉行的活動。
【1題詳解】
細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)Kite Flying部分中的“When a paper kite was in the air, people would cut off the string to let it fly away, meaning the disease would go away. (當紙風箏在空中時，人們會剪斷風箏線讓它飛走，這意味著疾病會消失)”可知，古代中國人會在春分時放飛紙風箏是為祈求身體健康。故選C。
【2題詳解】
細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)Three Hous部分中的“As the old saying goes, “Swallows fly back to the North in the first hou;thunder cracks the sky in the second hou; lightning occurs frequently in the third hou, which shows the climate feature during the term.”(俗話說：“一候玄鳥至，二候雷乃發(fā)聲，三候始電”)”可知，春分三候展示了一些自然現(xiàn)象。故選A。
【3題詳解】
推理判斷題。根據(jù)Spring Vegetables部分中的“The ancient teachings in a Chinese classic suggest people eat the seasonal food, especially vegetables, to help preserve health and bring good luck.(中國古代的教義建議人們吃時令食品，尤其是蔬菜，以幫助保持健康和帶來好運)”可推知，從中國古代的教義中，春分是吃春菜的好時機。故選D。
