Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another in some way. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.

In Western countries, people usually celebrate New Year at midnight on December 31st- January 1st. People may go to parties, sometimes dressed in formal(正式的) clothes, and the may drink champagne(香槟) at midnight. During the first minutes of the new year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead. But some cultures prefer to celebrate the new year by waking up early to watch the sun rise. They welcome the new year with the first light of the sunrise.

Many cultures also do special things to get rid of(摆脱) bad luck at the beginning of a new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll from old clothes. The doll is filled with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, these dolls are burned to show the bad things from the past year are gone and the new year can start afresh(重新). Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.

Other New Year traditions are followed to bring good luck in the new year. One widespread Spanish tradition for good luck is to eat grapes on New Year’s Day. The more grapes a person eats, the more good luck the person will have in the year. In France, people eat pancakes for good luck at New Year. In the United States, some people eat black-eyed peas for good luck-but to get good luck for a whole year you have to eat 365 of them!

1.The reading is mainly about_____.

A. the meaning of “Happy New Year!”

B. several different New Year traditions

C. what to eat on New Year’s Day

D. why people dress up nicely on New Year’s Day

2.It’s clear that_____.

A. some cultures celebrate New Year in the morning

B. the Western people celebrate New Year only on New Year’s Day

C. people in Ecuador go to parties on December 31st-January 1st

D. no cultures do special things to celebrate New Year

3.In some cultures, people throw things into rivers or oceans to_____.

A. bring good luck B. keep away bad luck

C. forget everything D. plan for the next year

4.When eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, people think_____.

A. one pea brings one day of luck

B. black-eyed peas are the best medicine

C. the peas are too black and taste bad

D. the peas are helpful to count numbers

阅读表达

DIY is very popular in China now. Do you know what it is?

Yang Chen works for a computer business in Beijing. Though he enjoys his work, it is hard for him for relax after work. "For a long time, I had no choice except going to a bar for a drink and karaoke to relax myself," he said. One day when he saw many toys in a toy shop, he had an idea. "Why not make some kinds of things and relax myself?" Then he began to make model planes, model ships and something else. The thing he has made by himself doesn't look as professionally made as those in the shop, but he likes doing it. "It is not as much fun to play with things which are bought expensively from the shops." he said. Now his bookshelves are full of many kinds of things he has made. They are very beautiful and friends like them very much.

More and more people are like Yang, making or creating things on their own. They like to do it themselves. Though making things with our own hands may take much time, some people, known as DIYers, enjoy doing it very much. They can make all kinds of things they like.

(1)在中国DIY正变得越来越流行. It may be to the young, yet many people remember when it was once a way of life.

During 1960s and 1970s, when there were not enough living things for people to live on, they had to use their own hands to do many things. (B) Whitewashing the wall or making clothes was a part of life because there was no other choice. If you want something done, you had to do it yourself, and if you needed something you made it yourself. But times have changed and DIY has different meanings.

1.判断正误(“T”表示正确,“F”表示错误)

More and more people are becoming DIYers. ( )

2.将句(A)翻译成英语

__________________________________________________________________

3.将句(B)翻译成汉语

__________________________________________________________________

4.在文中找出并写下与下句意义相近的句子。

Why don't I make some kinds of things and relax myself?

__________________________________________________________________

5.What's the main idea of the passage?

__________________________________________________________________

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网