B
The Chongyang Festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar,so it is also known as the Double Ninth Festival.
The festival is held in the golden season of autumn,at harvest time.The bright clear weather and the joy of bringing in the harvest make for a festival happy atmosphere.The Chongyang Festival is usually perfect for outdoor activities.Climbing a mountain,carrying a spray of dogwood(茱萸) and drinking chrysanthemum(菊花) tea have become the traditional activities of the festival.
The dogwood is a plant with a strong fragrance(香气),and is often used as a Chinese herbal medicine.People in ancient times believed it could drive away evil spirits and prevent one from getting a chill(寒意) in late autumn.So its history as a medicine goes back many centuries.But the custom of carrying a spray of dogwood during the Double Ninth Festival is slowly dying out and many people in the cities do not even know what a dogwood spray looks like.
Early in Han Dynasty,about 2,000 years ago,people used to climb a high platform outside Chang’an,the capital city,on the occasion of the Chongyang Festival.For many,it was the last outing of the year before the onset of winter.The custom evolved into (发展成) the present form,when people go climbing to get some exercise as well as enjoy the autumn scenery.
But what about those people who live in plains far from mountains?The problem is solved by going for a picnic and eating cakes.The Chinese word for “cake” is “Gao”,a homonym(同音异义词) of the Chinese word for “high”.Mountains are high,so eating cakes can,by a stretch of the imagination,take the place of going for a climb.
24.Why do people carry a spray of dogwood on the Chongyang Festival?
A.Because the dogwood is a plant with a strong fragrance.
B.Because the dogwood can be used as a Chinese herbal medicine.
C.Because the dogwood has a long history as a medicine.
D.Because people believed the dogwood could drive away evil spirits and prevent one from getting a chill.
25.People now climb mountains on the Chongyang Festival .
A.to have a last outing of the year before the onset of winter
B.to get some dogwood
C.to climb a high platform
D.to get some exercise as well as enjoy the beautiful autumn scenery
26.People living in plains far from mountains eat cakes because .
A.they think mountains are high
B.the Chinese word “Gao” for “cake” has the same sound with the Chinese word for “high”
C.they often take cakes to go for a picnic on the festival
D.they like eating cakes
27.Which of the following is TRUE?
A.The Double Ninth Festival is on September 9th.
B.People climbed mountains to celebrate the Chongyang Festival in Han Dynasty.
C.People often celebrate the Chongyang Festival in the open air.
D.Eating cakes is climbing mountains.
