秋分：昼夜均分，立蛋知秋
The Chinese calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. The Autumn Equinox (秋分) is the 16th solar term. It marks the middle of autumn, cutting the season into two equal parts. On this day, daytime and nighttime are just as long. After it, days in the northern part of the world grow shorter and nights grow longer.
People around the world enjoy a fun game on the Autumn Equinox: standing eggs on end. It began in China and has spread to many other countries. Some people say the special day makes it easier. Others think the scientific secret is in the egg itself. Some people believe that when an egg is a few days old, its yolk sinks down, making it easier to stand. According to this idea, an egg about four or five days old is the best choice.
The Autumn Equinox is also a time of good food and pretty flowers. In South China, villagers pick a wild vegetable called Qiucai and boil it with fish to make a soup. People call it autumn soup.They believe the soup keeps the family safe and healthy. Crabs and fruit are ready to eat now, too. In gardens, osmanthus (桂花) flowers fill the air with a sweet fragrance, and chrysanthemums come into full bloom.
Long ago, the Autumn Equinox was a day to give thanks to the moon. According to records from the Zhou Dynasty, kings offered thanks to the moon on this day. But the moon was not always full then. Without a round moon, people felt something was missing. So people later moved this custom to the Mid-Autumn Festival.
1.1. What can we know about the Autumn Equinox?
A It lasts for two months.
B It divides autumn in half.
C It starts the shortest days.
D It brings the longest night.
解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据第一段的“It marks the middle of autumn, cutting the season into two equal parts.”可知秋分正好把秋天分成相等的两半，B项It divides autumn in half是原文的同义转述，故选B。A项“持续两个月”在文中毫无依据，属无中生有；C、D项与第一段“daytime and nighttime are just as long”及秋分后昼短夜长的事实相悖——最短的白昼、最长的夜晚应属冬至，把别节气的特征安到秋分头上，属张冠李戴。故选B。
2.2. What makes an egg stand on end more easily?
A The shell gets thinner.
B The day is much longer.
C The yolk goes down.
D The egg is boiled first.
解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第二段的“Some people believe that when an egg is a few days old, its yolk sinks down, making it easier to stand.”可知，蛋黄下沉让鸡蛋更容易立起来，C项The yolk goes down正是同义转述，故选C。A项“蛋壳变薄”、D项“先把蛋煮熟”均为无中生有；B项“白天更长”取材第一段昼夜信息但与竖蛋毫无关系，属张冠李戴。故选C。
3.3. The underlined word “fragrance” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to “______”.
A a pleasant smell
B a kind of flower
C a large garden
D a sweet fruit
解析：选A。A 词义猜测题。原文说桂花“fill the air with a sweet fragrance”，其中 sweet 表示“甜的、好闻的”，fragrance 又和空气、花香有关，因此可猜出它最接近“a pleasant smell”，即一种好闻的气味/芳香，所以选A。B“一种花”、C“一个大花园”、D“一种甜水果”都不符合该词在句中的意思；花是osmanthus，不是 fragrance。故选A。
4.4. What do people believe the “autumn soup” can do?
A It is made with crabs.
B It makes flowers bloom.
C It is eaten in winter.
D It helps people stay well.
解析：选D。D 细节理解题。原文第三段说人们相信秋汤“keeps the family safe and healthy”，即它能保佑家人平安健康，所以选D“它帮助人们保持健康”。A“它用螃蟹做成”不对，文中秋汤是秋菜和鱼煮成的，螃蟹只是秋分时可吃的食物；B“它让花开”和C“它在冬天吃”文中都没有依据。故选D。
5.5. Why did people later move the moon custom to the Mid-Autumn Festival?
A Because they had more food then.
B Because the moon is usually fuller then.
C Because eggs stand better then.
D Because autumn ends then.
解析：选B。B 推理判断题。原文最后一段说，秋分祭月时“the moon was not always full then”，没有圆月让人们觉得少了什么，于是后来把祭月习俗移到了中秋节。由此可以推断，人们移到中秋节，是因为中秋节时月亮通常更圆、更满，所以选B。A“那时食物更多”、C“那时鸡蛋更容易立起来”、D“那时秋天结束”在文中都没有依据，也不能解释这一习俗转移的原因。故选B。