Nearly 8,500 people gathered at Stonehenge on Sunday to celebrate the winter solstice and mark the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere as the sun rose over the ancient monument in southwest England.
The word solstice comes from the Latin term solstitium, meaning “Sun stands still.” This name reflects the apparent pause in the sun’s movement across the sky before it changes direction. Around the winter solstice, the sun seems to rise and set at the same point on the horizon for a few days before it begins to climb higher again, heralding longer days. In the Northern Hemisphere, it’s called the winter solstice because it coincides with the start of astronomical winter. However, for those in the Southern Hemisphere, December 21 is the summer solstice, marking the longest day of the year.
Is the Winter Solstice Always on the Same Day? Not always. While the winter solstice usually falls on December 21 or 22, it can occasionally occur on December 20 or 23. These variations happen because of the Earth’s elliptical orbit around the sun and the way we measure time through the Gregorian calendar. The rarest winter solstice dates are December 20 and 23. For instance, the last December 23 solstice was in 1903, and the next won’t occur until 2303. A December 20 solstice is also rare, with the next one expected in 2080.
Stonehenge was erected between 5,000 and 3,500 years ago, specifically designed to mark the winter and summer solstices through its alignment with the sun. The monument stands approximately 75 miles southwest of London on Salisbury Plain. Participants gathered in the cold, dark field before sunrise, with some singing and beating drums while others took moments for quiet reflection among the massive stone pillars. Many attendees consider the pilgrimage a spiritual experience and return for both summer and winter solstice celebrations. Despite being the darkest day of the year, the winter solstice is celebrated by many as a time of renewal and hope.
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1.1.Why did a large crowd gather at Stonehenge on that Sunday?
A To celebrate the winter solstice.
B To watch the sunrise at the site.
C To enjoy a musical performance.
D To honor a historical English king.
解析：选A。A细节理解题。首段明确提及“celebrate the winter solstice and mark the shortest day of the year”，即“庆祝冬至并标记北半球一年中最短的一天”。B属于活动内容而非目的；C、D文中未提及。故选A。
2.2.The word “heralding” in Paragraph 2 most nearly means “______”.
A preventing
B signaling
C reducing
D changing
解析：选B。B词义猜测题。根据第一段“the shortest day”可知，冬至那天，白昼最短，即冬至过后，白昼开始变长，结合第二段划线单词前文“it begins to climb higher again”和后文“longer days”综合可知，太阳升高后白昼变长，“heralding”应表示“标志着、预示着”。A、C与文意相反；D虽与太阳运动有关，但不符合“预示更长白昼”的语境。故选B。
3.3.What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
A Historical solstice dates.
B Reasons for date changes.
C Rare solstice occurrences.
D Calendar reform effects.
解析：选B。B段落大意题。该段以设问开头，重点解释日期变化源于地球公转轨道与历法系统，B项全面概括。A、C是细节；D仅涉及原因之一，不完整。故选B。
4.4. Why is Stonehenge ideal for solstice events?
A Its extreme historical age.
B Its solar-aligned design.
C Its proximity to London.
D Its vast space for crowds.
解析：选B。B推理判断题。末段首句说明巨石阵“specifically designed to mark the solstices through its alignment with the sun”，因此B为合理推断。A、C、D虽可能符合常识，但并非文中强调的直接原因。故选B。
