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Start of Autumn is the 13th of the 24 solar terms. Start of Autumn reflects the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Although it indicates the beginning of autumn, hot weather will not come to an end. The period of hot days after Start of Autumn, usually lasting for 30 days, is called “Autumn Tiger”. Because of decreasing rainfall, it is even more sweltering during this period than during Major Heat.

On the first day of the Start of Autumn, usually people will weigh themselves and compare their weight to what it was at the Start of Summer. If one has lost weight during the summer, then at the beginning of autumn, he or she needs to flesh out by eating many different kinds of delicious food, especially meat.

In Hangzhou, people eat peaches on the Start of Autumn day. The peach stones are kept until New Year’s Eve and thrown into the stove, burned into ash. People believed that in this way, plagues (瘟疫) could be prevented for the whole year. The Start of Autumn period is harvest time for Taiwan longan. People believe that eating longan will help their later generations become senior officials. In Shandong province, people make dumplings during the Start of Autumn, and they call it “Eating the Autumn”. Most of the families will eat dumplings together after Start of Autumn day. Starting from the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, people in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, have eaten red beans on Start of Autumn day. They take seven to 14 little beans, swallowing them with well water. When taking the beans, one must face west, it is said, so as not to get dysentery (痢疾) during the autumn. During the Qing Dynasty, people would put gourds (葫芦) outside for a day before the Start of Autumn, and ate them on Start of Autumn day to drive off the summer heat. Today people in Tianjin still keep this custom, believing that eating melons such as towel gourd, white gourd and bitter gourd can prevent diarrhea (腹泻) in autumn and the coming winter and spring.

1.What does the underlined word “sweltering” probably mean?

A Quite dry.

B Extremely hot.

C Super cool.

D Very wet.

解析：选B。B词义猜测题。根据划线单词前文的“hot weather will not come to an end”和“Because of decreasing rainfall”可知，立秋并不意味着炎热天气的结束，随着降雨减少，“秋老虎”的天气甚至比大暑期间更加闷热。故选B。

2.Who might need to put on weight at the beginning of autumn?

A A sick person.

B A strong young kid.

C A pale and thin lady.

D A fat weak man.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据第二段中的“If one has lost weight during the summer, then at the beginning of autumn, he or she needs to flesh out”可知，如果一个人瘦了，那么在立秋这天就要吃各种美食佳肴尤其是肉来“贴膘”。结合选项可知，一位面黄肌瘦的女士可能最需要“贴膘”。故选C。

3.What’s the similarity between the custom of eating peaches and taking beans?

A They both are to pray for health.

B They both come from Hangzhou.

C The foods need to be boiled.

D They both have a long history.

解析：选A。A推理判断题。根据第三段中的“People believed that in this way, plagues could be prevented for the whole year.”人们相信这样就能保佑接下来一年远离瘟疫。和“When taking the beans, one must face west, it is said, so as not to get dysentery during the autumn.”据说在吃红豆时，人们必须面朝西边，以免在秋天的时候患上痢疾。可知，吃桃和吃红豆都是为了避免患上疾病，即祈求健康。故选A。

4.What is the custom in the Qing Dynasty during Start of Autumn?

A Eating longyan.

B Making dumplings.

C Eating melons.

D Drinking soup.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“During the Qing Dynasty, people would put gourds outside for a day before the Start of Autumn, and eat them on Start of Autumn day to drive off the summer heat.”可知，清朝时，人们会在立秋前一天在屋子外面挂一根瓜，然后在立秋当天吃掉，从而祛除夏季的暑气。故选C。