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Start of Autumn is the 13th of the 24 solar terms. It marks the end of summer and the start of autumn. Even though autumn begins, the temperature stays high. The hot period after Start of Autumn, usually lasting 30 days, is called “Autumn Tiger”. It can be hotter than Major Heat because of less rain.

On the first day of Start of Autumn, people weigh themselves and compare their weight to what it was at the Start of Summer. If someone has lost weight over the summer, they should eat a lot of delicious food, especially meat, to gain weight.

In Hangzhou, people eat peaches on Start of Autumn. They keep the peach stones until New Year’s Eve, then burn them to ashes in the stove. They believe this prevents plagues (瘟疫) for the whole year. In Taiwan, it’s the harvest time for longan. People believe eating longan will help their children become important officials. In Shandong province, people make dumplings during Start of Autumn, calling it “Eating the Autumn”. Families 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 swallow (吞下) 7 to 14 little beans with well water, facing west to avoid dysentery (痢疾) in autumn. During the Qing Dynasty, people put gourds (葫芦) outside for a day before Start of Autumn, then ate them on Start of Autumn day to beat the summer heat. Today, people in Tianjin still do this, believing that eating melons like towel gourd, white gourd, and bitter gourd can prevent diarrhea (腹泻).

1.How’s the weather on Start of Autumn?

A It’s hot.

B It’s cool.

C It’s rainy.

D It’s warm.

解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第一段中的“...the temperature stays high. The hot period...”等可知，立秋时，天气依然炎热。故选A。

2.What does the underlined word “gain” probably mean?

A Lose.

B Put on.

C Change.

D Pay attention to.

解析：选B。B词义猜测题。根据划线单词前文的“eat a lot of delicious food, especially meat”可知，这样做可以增加体重。故选B。

3.People in __________ eat dumplings after Start of Autumn day.

A Zhejiang province

B Taiwan province

C Shandong province

D Tianjin province

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据第三段最后两句可知，在山东，人们会在立秋后吃饺子。故选C。

4.What’s common between eating peaches and swallowing red beans?

A The cooking method.

B The eating method.

C The history.

D The purpose.

解析：选D。D推理判断题。根据第三段中的“They believe this prevents plagues for the whole year.”人们相信这样就能保佑接下来一年远离瘟疫；根据第四段中的“They swallow 7 to 14 little beans with well water, facing west to avoid dysentery in autumn.”人们面朝西就着井水吞下7到14颗小红豆，以免在秋天的时候患上痢疾。由此可知，吃桃和吃红豆都是为了避免患上疾病，即二者目的相同。故选D。

5.From which Dynasty have people eaten melons during Start of Autumn?

A The Tang Dynasty.

B The Song Dynasty.

C The Qing Dynasty.

D The Ming Dynasty.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据最后一段最后两句可知，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。现在天津人仍然保留着这一习俗，认为吃丝瓜、冬瓜、苦瓜等瓜类食物可以预防腹泻。故选C。