III. Writing and Cloze Questions Design Test (15%)
Rewrite the given passage below into a well-structured text of 200 to 250 words and create a cloze test with 5 questions based on your rewritten passage. Each question should have four choices, ( A ), ( B ), ( C ), and ( D ), with one of them being the best/correct answer. Be sure to provide the answer key.
        A "blood moon" occurs during a total lunar eclipse. Scientifically, this happens when the Earth passes directly between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface. Instead of turning completely black, the moon glows with a deep, rusty red color. This is caused by Rayleigh scattering—the same phenomenon that creates red sunsets. The Earth’s atmosphere filters out blue light and bends red light toward the moon. However, for most of human history, people didn't have a scientific explanation; they had stories.
        In the world of literature and culture, the blood moon is a powerful allusion. An allusion is a brief, indirect reference to a person, place, or event—often from history or the Bible. When a modern author uses the phrase "blood moon," they are rarely just talking about an eclipse; they are usually alluding to ancient prophecies of the "End of Days." This literary technique allows writers to add profound layers of meaning to their work, effectively connecting a simple natural event to centuries of human history and shared belief.
       The most famous allusions come from the King James Bible, specifically the books of Joel and Revelation, which describe the moon "turning into blood" before a world-changing event. Because of these texts, the red moon has become a literary harbinger—a sign of significant or dangerous change. In Shakespeare’s plays, such as Othello, celestial changes like an eclipse are used to mirror the "madness" or chaos happening on Earth. This is known as the pathetic fallacy, where the environment reflects human emotions and moral turmoil.
       Cultural folklore also provides a rich history of allusions. The ancient Incas believed a celestial jaguar was attacking and eating the moon, which is why it appeared to bleed. To save it, they would howl and shake spears to drive the predator away. Similarly, in ancient Mesopotamia, an eclipse was seen as a direct attack on the king. These historical "scripts" allow writers today to use the blood moon as a symbol of transformation, judgment, or the shifting of power.
       Ultimately, the "blood moon" serves as a bridge between the physical world and the human imagination, transforming a predictable astronomical alignment into a profound cultural event. Whether interpreted through the lens of Rayleigh scattering or as a biblical omen, the phenomenon reminds us that humanity rarely views nature with total objectivity. When we look up at a crimson sky, we are participating in a multigenerational dialogue that explores the fascinating boundaries between the known world and the mystical.