文章大意:这是一篇说明文。小年通常在农历新年的前一周,它也被称为灶神节。同时详细讲述了关于小年应该知道的6件事:祭祀灶神;打扫屋子;吃关东糖;在窗户上贴剪纸;洗澡和理发;春节准备工作。
Little New Year usually falls a week before the lunar New Year. It is also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God, the deity (神) who oversees the moral character of each household. Here are six things you should know about the Little New Year, another sign of the start of spring.
1. Offer sacrifices to Kitchen God
One of the most distinctive traditions of the Little New Year is the burning of a paper image of the Kitchen God, who will report on the family’s conduct over the past year. The offerings to the Kitchen God include pig’s head, fish, sweet bean paste, melons, fruit, boiled dumplings, barley sugar, and Guandong candy. Most of the offerings are sweets of various varieties. It is thought that this will seal the Kitchen God’s mouth and encourage him to only say good things about the family when he ascends to Heaven to make his report.
2. House cleaning
According to Chinese folk beliefs, during the last month of the year ghosts and deities must choose either to return to Heaven or to stay on Earth. It is believed that in order to ensure the ghosts and deities’ timely departure people must thoroughly clean both their persons and their houses, down to every last drawer and cupboard.
3. Eat Guandong candy
Guandong candy, a sticky treat made out of glutinous millet and sprouted wheat, is a traditional snack that Chinese people eat on the Festival of the Kitchen God.
4. Paste paper-cuts to windows
In the Little New Year, old couplets and paper-cuts from the previous Spring Festival are taken down, and new window decorations, New Year’s posters, and auspicious (吉利的) decorations are pasted up.
5. 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 bath and haircut is often taken on the Little New Year.
6. Preparations for the Spring Festival
People start to stock up necessary provisions for the Spring Festival since the Little New Year. Everything needed to make offerings to the ancestors, entertain guests, and feed the family over the long holiday must be purchased in advance.
46. What is the most unusual tradition in the Little New Year?
A.Offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God. |
B.Burning a paper image of the Kitchen God. |
C.Preparing the necessities for the New Year. |
D.Cleaning houses and people themselves. |
47. What is the Kitchen God’s duty in the man’s world?
A.Collecting the information of the man’s world. |
B.Protecting the character of each home. |
C.Gathering sacrifices for other Gods in Heaven. |
D.Watching out for the moral people in the world. |
48. Why are most of the offerings sweets?
A.Because the Kitchen God loves sweet foods. |
B.Because it is the traditional custom. |
C.Because people hope the God says good for them. |
D.Because sweets are the best sacrifices. |
49. What do we know from the passage?
A.Little New Year always falls in February. |
B.House cleaning is to welcome the New Year. |
C.In the Little New Year only paper-cuts are pasted up. |
D.People will make full preparations for the coming New Year. |