The Dragon Boat Festival, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, has a history of more than 2,000 years. It is usually in June in the Gregorian calendar.

There are many legends（传说）about the evolution（演变）of the festival. The most popular is about Qu Yuan (340—270 BC). Qu Yuan was the minister of the State of Chu and one of China’s earliest poets. Qu Yuan cared much for his country and people. In 278 B.C., he heard that Qin had finally captured（攻占）Chu’s capital, so he jumped into the Miluo River. That day was the 5th of the 5th month in the Chinese lunar calendar. After his death, the people of Chu came to the bank of the river to pay their respects（敬重）to him. The fishermen sailed their boats up and down the river to look for his body. People threw rice dumplings into the water to keep fish away from his body. People followed the customs such as having a dragon boat race, eating rice dumplings on that day. From 2008 on, the festival becomes a national holiday in China.

【小题1】When did people start to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival?
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【小题2】Qu Yuan was one of China’s earliest poets, wasn’t he?
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【小题3】How did Qu Yuan die?
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【小题4】What did people do after Qu Yuan died?
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【小题5】Why did people throw rice dumplings into the water?
They wanted to _________________________.
【小题6】In which year does the Dragon Boat Festival become the first national holiday in China?
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