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 wear 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 tear. 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.To have a happy new year,_____.

A. friends talk to each other in special ways

B. families make big dolls filled with old clothes

C. some people get up early to watch the sunrise

D. Europeans eat 365 grapes on New Year’s Day

5.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

Answer the questions (根据以下内容回答问题)

A professor began his speech by holding up a glass with some water in it. Then he held it up for all to see, and asked the students, “ How much do you think this glass weighs?”

“50g!””100g!””125g!” the students answered .

“ I really can’t unless I weigh it,” the professor said, “but my next question is: “ what would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?”

“Nothing,”the students said .

“Okay. What would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?” the professor asked.

“ Your arm could go numb. You might have serious muscles stress, or paralysis.You would have to go the hospital for sure” another student said. All students laughed.

“ Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?” the professor asked.

“No,” the student said.

“Then why do we have different results?

The students were puzzled.

“ It does not matter on the weight itself. It depends on how long you hold it.” the professor said: “ it is exactly the same weigh, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes, what you have to do is to put the glass down, rest for a while before holding it up again.”

The problems in life are like this. If you just think about them for a few minutes, they might not seem so bad. Think about them for a longer time, and they begin to ache. Hold them even longer and they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything. It’s important to think about challenges in your life, but it’s even more important to“put them down” at the end of the day before you go to sleep.That way, maybe be you will ________________________ the next day.

1.What did the professor do to begin his speech?

2.Did the students know how much this glass weighted?

3.Why were the students puzzled by professor’s question?

Because ______________________________________.

4.How can professor reduce arm ache and the muscle stress?

By ____________________________________________

5.The professor made this speech to help students solve physical problems, didn’t he?

______, ________________.

6.What can be filled in the blank at the end of the speech?

Maybe you will _______________________________.

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