二十四节气之立春
The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms(节气). Start of Spring is the first solar term of the year. It falls on a different date each year and begins this year on Feb 3 and ends on Feb 17.
Start of Spring means the beginning of spring. After that everything turns green. People clearly see that the daytime is becoming longer and the weather is becoming warmer.
Here are some things you should know about Start of Spring.
Start of Spring and Spring Festival
As a solar term, Start of Spring had already entered people’s lives in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). At that time, there were eight solar terms. According to some experts, the 24 solar terms were used for the first time in books during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), when the Start of Spring was set as the Spring Festival. In 1913, the first day of the first month of the lunar year was chosen as the Spring Festival.
Flying a kite
Spring is the best season for kite-flying. As a traditional folk activity in China, it has a history of more than 2,000 years. It can help build one’s health and prevent illness.
Erecting the egg
In China, it is said that the egg can be set upright on the first day of the Start of Spring. It is believed that if someone can make the egg stand on the first day of Start of Spring, he will have good luck in the future.
1.Which is NOT true about Start of Spring?
A It’s the first solar term of the year.
B Everything turns green after it.
C It begins on February 3 every year.
D The weather becomes warmer after it.
解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第一段的“Start of Spring is the first solar term of the year”可知A项正确；根据第二段的“After that everything turns green.”可知B项正确；根据第二段“the daytime is becoming longer and the weather is becoming warmer”可知D项正确。根据第一段可知，只是今年的立春是在2月3号开始，并非每一年都是2月3号开始。故选C。
2.How many solar terms were there in the Spring and Autumn Period?
A 8.
B 12.
C 20.
D 24.
解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据“Start of Spring and Spring Festival”部分的“At that time, there were eight solar terms.”可知，在春秋时期只有八个节气。故选A。
3.When was the present Spring Festival set?
A In 770 BC.
B In 206 BC.
C In 1913.
D In 1949.
解析：选C。C 推理判断题。根据“Start of Spring and Spring Festival”部分的“In 1913, the first day of the first month of the lunar year was chosen as the Spring Festival.”可知，在1913年把春节设在农历一月的第一天，也就是我们现在的春节。故选C。
4.What does the underlined word “Erecting” mean in Chinese?
A 碰撞.
B 包裹.
C 涂色.
D 竖立.
解析：选D。D 词义猜测题。这部分介绍了立春第一天竖鸡蛋的风俗，根据关键词“make the egg stand”（让鸡蛋站起来），可推断Erecting意为“竖立”。故选D。
5.Where is the passage likely to appear?
A On a TV program about sports.
B In a magazine about farming.
C On a website about travel.
D In a book about festivals.
解析：选D。D 文章出处题。 本文主要介绍中国24节气之一——立春，应该出现在关于节日的书上，故选D。