Little New Year (Chinese: Xiaonian), usually a week before the lunar New Year. It is also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God. Here are six things you should know about the Little New Year, another sign of the start of spring.

Offer sacrifices to Kitchen God

One of the traditions of the Little New Year is the burning of a paper image (画像) of the Kitchen God, dispatching (派遣) the god's spirit to Heaven to report on the family's conduct (行为) over the past year. The Kitchen God is then welcomed back to the home by putting up a new paper image of him beside the stove. And people think the Kitchen God will protect the whole family for another year. The sacrifices to the Kitchen God include pig's head, fish, fruit, boiled dumplings, barley sugar, and Guandong candy.

House cleaning

Between Laba Festival, on the eighth day of the last lunar month, and Little New Year, on the twenty-third day, families throughout China undertake a thorough house cleaning, sweeping out the old in preparation for the New Year.

Eat Guandong candy

Guandong candy is a traditional snack that Chinese people eat on the Festival of the Kitchen God.

Paste (粘贴) paper-cuts to windows

In the Little New Year, old couplets (对联) and paper-cuts from the previous Spring Festival are taken down, and new window decorations, New Year's posters, and decorations are pasted up.

Bath and hair-cut

As the old Chinese saying goes, whether they're rich or poor, people often have a haircut before the Spring Festival. The activity of taking a bath and haircut is often taken on the Little New Year.

Preparations for Spring Festival

People start to stock up (贮备) necessary preparations for the Spring Festival since the Little New Year. Everything needed to make offerings to the ancestors (祖先), entertain(招待) guests, and feed the family over the long holiday must be prepared in advance.

1.When is the Little New Year?

A.A week before the New Year B.On the eighth day of the last lunar month

C.A week after the New Year D.On the twenty-third day of the last lunar month

2.What is the Chinese meaning of the underlined word “sacrifices”?

A.食物 B.祭品 C.礼物 D.贡献

3.Why do Chinese people burn the old paper image of the Kitchen God?

A.Because they want to get good luck in the coming year.

B.Because they want to sweep out the old in preparation for the New Year.

C.Because they want Heaven to know the family's behaviors over the past year.

D.Because they want to put up a new paper image of the Kitchen God.

4.Which is not the tradition in the Little New Year?

A.Offer sacrifices to ancestors. B.Do house cleaning.

C.Put up paper-cuts to windows. D.Eat Guandong candy.

5.Which sentence is FALSE according to the passage?

A.The Little New Year is also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God.

B.Chinese people put up the paper image of the Kitchen God on the stove.

C.In the Little New Year, New Year's posters and decorations are pasted up.

D.People start to stock up necessary food for the Spring Festival since the Little New Year.

A farmer had a cow. He took very good care of this cow and one day when it was ill, he was very worried. He telephoned the vet.

“What’s the problem?” The vet asked him when he arrived. “My cow’s ill,” the farmer said. “I don’t know what’s the matter with her. She’s lying down and won’t eat. She's making a strange noise.”

The vet looked over the cow. “She’s certainly ill,” he said, “and she needs to take some very strong medicine.” He took a bottle out of his box, put two pills into his hand and said, “Give her these. The pills should make her better.”

“How should I give them to her?” the farmer asked. The vet gave him a tube (管子)and said, “Put this tube in her mouth, then put the pills in the tube and blow. That'll make it.”

The next day the vet came to the farm again. The farmer was sitting outside his house and looked more worried. “How’s your cow?” the vet asked. “No change,” the farmer said, “and I’m feeling very strange myself.” “Oh?” the vet said, “Why?” “I did what you said,” the farmer answered. “I put the tube in the cow’s mouth and then put two pills down it.” “And?” the vet asked. “The cow blew first,” the farmer said.

1.In the story, the vet must be________.

A.the farmer’s friend B.a milk factory C.a hospital for cows D. a doctor for animals

2.The farmer asked the vet for help when his cow________.

A.couldn’t lie down B.didn’t eat the pills C.couldn’t make any noise D.was ill

3.The vet taught the farmer how________.

A.to blow the tube B.to make the cow take the pills

C.to take the medicine D.to put the tube in his mouth

4.What was mainly the end of the story?

A.The vet took the medicine. B.The farmer took the medicine.

C.The cow took the medicine. D.The cow was all right.

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