FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS
Festivals and celebrations of all kinds have been held everywhere since ancient times. Most ancient festivals would celebrate the end of cold weather, planting in spring and harvest in autumn.
Festivals of the Dead
Some festivals are held to honour the dead or to satisfy the ancestors, who might return either to help or to do harm. For the Japanese festival Obon, people should go to clean graves and light incense in memory of their ancestors. The Western holiday Halloween is now a children’s festival, when they can dress up and go to their neighbors’ homes to ask for sweets.
Festivals to Honour People
Harvest and Thanksgiving festivals can be very happy events. People are grateful because their food is gathered for the winter. China and Japan have mid-autumn festivals, when people admire the moon and in China, enjoy moon-cakes.
Spring Festivals
The most energetic and important festivals are the ones that look forward to the end of winter and the coming of spring.
People love to get together to eat, drink and have fun with each other. Festivals let us enjoy life, be proud of our customs and forget our work for a little while.
| A．Harvest Festivals. |
| B．Traditional Festivals. |
| C．They offer food, flowers and gifts to the dead. |
| D．Festivals can also be held to honour famous people. |
| E．If the neighbors do not give any sweets, the children might play a trick on them. |
| F．During the Spring Festival in China, people eat dumplings and may give children lucky money in red paper. |
| G．Today’s festivals have many origins: some are religious, some seasonal, and some for special people or events. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The United States is one of the few countries in the world that have an official day on which fathers are honored by their children．On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special.
Historians have recorded that there was a tradition to celebrate a day for fathers even thousands of years ago. Their study say that 4,000 years ago in Babylon a son called Elmesu carved a father's day message on a clay card. In his message Elmesu wished his father a long and healthy life.
However, in modern times the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father’s Day while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. Sonora’s father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
The noble idea of celebrating Father's Day became quite popular in US so much so that President Woodrow Wilson approved of the festival in 1916. President Calvin Coolidge too supported the idea but it was President Lyndon Johnson who signed a Presidential Proclamation declaring the third Sunday of June as Father's Day in 1966. Then in 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June.
Most commonly, children give Father's Day cards and flowers to their father. Neckties are a popular gift on the occasion of Father's Day. Due to the tradition of giving gifts, cards makers, florists and gift sellers campaign for Father's Day Festival in a big way and cash in on the sentiments of the people.
1. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 2?| A．Tell us the story of Elmesu. |
| B．Support the findings of historians. |
| C．Introduce an old case of Father’s Day. |
| D．Prove the source of modern Father’s Day. |
| A．She created Father’s Day in 1909. |
| B．She was abandoned by her mother. |
| C．She refused to celebrate Mother’s Day. |
| D．She bore deep affection to her father. |
| A．About 4,000 years. |
| B．About 56 years. |
| C．About 61 years. |
| D．About 6 years. |
| A．Actions. |
| B．Feelings. |
| C．Activities. |
| D．Incomes. |
【推荐2】The New Year is a time for celebrations for almost everyone around the world. In Britain, people go to pubs and nightclubs to dance the old year away, and to welcome in the new one at midnight. Everyone wants to kiss someone special (boyfriend, girlfriend or even a complete stranger! ) as the bells ring out at midnight.
In recent years, street parties have become more popular. Hundreds or even thousands of people gather in squares, main streets or on the river banks to listen to bands playing and to see fabulous fireworks displays.
For people who stay at home, most watch special, live New Year shows on TV and countdown, along with the presenters, from 10 to 1 as the last seconds of the old year tick away and the bells of the New Year are rung.
In Scotland, on New Year’s Eve, people visit their neighbours and drink, dance and generally have a good time. If you’re invited to a Scottish home, it’s important to know what to bring with you: a lump of coal, some shortbread and some whisky.
The coal shows warmth so you’re wishing that the people you visit will have enough heat in the coming year. The shortbread represents food, so you’re hoping that the people will have enough to eat in the New Year. Some Scots call whisky “the water of life”, so when you hand over your bottle to your hosts, it means you want them to have enough to drink over the next 12 months.
There’s one more key task you still have to perform if you can. The first person to knock on a neighbour’s door is supposed to be a tall, dark, handsome man. If you are, you’ll bring good luck to the household. But what if that’s not you? Well, don’t ring the bell just yet. Wait a while and the right person will turn up soon!
1. What is the best title for this passage?| A．Seeing the old year off in Britain. |
| B．Celebrations of a Scottish New Year. |
| C．Visiting Scottish homes on New Year. |
| D．Sending good luck in the New Year. |
| A．British people hate to think of the old year and wish to dance it away quickly |
| B．street concerts have become more popular on New Year’s Eve |
| C．British people let off fireworks in public places to celebrate the New Year |
| D．people stay at home doing nothing but wait for the bell of the New Year to ring |
| A．To share good food and warmth. |
| B．To help those poor families. |
| C．To send best wishes to the families. |
| D．To show respect and richness. |
| A．the host of a special TV show |
| B．a tall, dark, handsome man |
| C．a man with coal, shortbread and whisky |
| D．a neighbor |
【推荐3】Ask any American what he/she is doing on Sunday, February 7 and the answer is likely to be either hosting or attending a Super Bowl Party. Played for the title of the National Football League Champion, Super Bowl is the most watched annual television program in the United States.
That's because Super Bowl which is celebrating its Golden Anniversary this year, is more than just a 60-minute football game—it is a well-designed production that features half-time performances, fireworks shows and television ads that people discuss for days.
But most important of all, it is the day to set aside all diets and enjoy foods one would normally avoid or at least not consume at the same time. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that Super Bowl Sunday is one of the biggest food consumption days in the U.S. — Second only to Thanksgiving.
The noshing will start early in the day, long before matches begin and continue long after the 2016 NFL Champions have retired to celebrate.
As a result, it is estimated that on Sunday, the nation will consume 1.2 million pounds of potato chips, 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips, 3.8 million pounds of popcorn and 3 million pounds of nuts.
When the real hunger pains start to hit, they will seek out comfort foods. Not surprisingly, pizza tops the list. Chicken wings are also very popular. It is estimated that almost 1.3 billion wings will be consumed on Super Bowl Sunday. Other favorites include bacon, hot dogs and burgers.
But the food consumption is not without consequences. Data released indicates that antacid (解酸药) sales increase by 20% on the Monday following the big game. Additionally, over seven million Americans call in sick. It is no wonder that fans have been urging the government to declare Super Bowl Monday a holiday.
1. Why does Super Bowl become the most popular television program?| A．It is the longest football game. |
| B．It is hosted by famous film stars. |
| C．It contains the most wonderful ads. |
| D．It involves in various performances. |
| A．playing | B．eating |
| C．competing | D．resting |
| A．Hot dogs. | B．Pizza. |
| C．Nuts. | D．Chicken wings. |
| A．Lots of food is wasted. |
| B．Public disorder is caused. |
| C．Some people have an upset stomach. |
| D．Many people lose their work. |
【推荐1】Avoiding a handshake may have been considered impolite a couple of years ago, but it is now getting more and more common, especially because of the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus( COVID-19) .
Health officials have expressed the importance of completely washing our hands and maintaining proper hand hygiene. As a result, people around the world are creating alternatives for handshakes such as fist bumps and “elbow-bumps.”
Let’s take a look at some of the common greetings that are used around the world in place of the famous handshake and more of the alternatives people are using instead of shaking each others’ hands.
If you have ever traveled to Asian countries like China, India, or Cambodia, you may notice that it is common to see people bowing to greet each other. Bowing is a traditional sign of respect in many Asian cultures and has been a custom for centuries.
Meanwhile, in parts of Europe like France, Italy, and Spain; countries in Latin/South America like Mexico, Peru, and Brazil, the air kiss is more common. Various rules regarding gender, relationship, and form also exist within these different countries. Officials in countries including France are recommending people avoid direct kisses.
Some other unique greetings include sniffing one another’s faces in native cultures in the island nations of Greenland and Tuvalu, sticking out one’s tongue in Tibet (a region of China), and clapping one’s hands in the African countries of Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
With the spread of COVID-19, people are getting creative with the ways they greet each other. A trend that has gained advantage is the “Wuhan Shake,” a greeting where two people gently bump each other’s feet with each foot.
Additionally, people, including famous figures like Prince Harry, US Vice President Mike Pence, and celebrities and athletes, have been giving up the formal handshake for elbow bumps.
Although officials have not clearly issued warnings against shaking hands, many doctors and health specialists have praised the handshake alternatives as a way to continue maintaining proper hygiene.
1. How do people commonly greet each other in India according to this passage ?| A．By hugging each other. | B．By formally shaking hands. |
| C．By bowing to greet each other. | D．By touching noses. |
| A．Sniffing one another’ s faces. | B．Sticking out one’s tongue. |
| C．Bowing with one’s hands. | D．Clapping one’s hands. |
| A．It is a greeting of tapping each other' s feet. | B．It is a greeting in which people do elbow bumps. |
| C．It is a greeting where social isolation happens. | D．It is a greeting where air kisses are recommended. |
| A．The Impact Of COVID-19 On Living | B．Good News On COVID-19 Vaccines |
| C．Formal Greeting Ways around the world | D．No Handshake? No Problem! |
【推荐2】Chinese elements highlighted at Olympic closing ceremony
The curtains came down on the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games Sunday night at Bird’s Nest in Beijing. During the ceremony, many Chinese cultural elements were put into the design of the grand show, expressing some Chinese romance. They became the highlights of the closing ceremony and let’s take a look.
Festival lanterns
The closing ceremony began with a large snowflake torch appearing in the sky, echoing the moment from the opening ceremony. Then accompanied by cheerful music, children hung traditional Chinese festive lanterns, lighting up the emblem (象征) of the Winter Olympics, which originated from the Chinese character for winter, “dong”.
Chinese knot
The 12 Chinese zodiac (生肖)-themed ice cars created an outline of a Chinese knot with its wheel trails. And then it was enlarged, and an enormous “Chinese knot” was presented using digital AR technology. Each ribbon could be clearly seen, and all of the ribbons twisted together, symbolizing unity and a good fortune.
Fish and riches
During the closing ceremony, the Malanhua Children’s Choir from a mountainous area of Fuping county in Hebei province performed again, this time with different clothes. The Chinese paper-cut of double fish was seen on their clothes, meaning “rich and have a surplus in the next year” in Chinese culture.
Willow (柳树) branch for farewell
In ancient times, Chinese people broke a willow branch and gave it to their friends, family or relatives when seeing them off, as willow sounds like “stay” in Mandarin. Willow branches appeared in the closing ceremony, expressing Chinese people’s hospitality and bidding farewell to the world guests.
1. Which of the following is inspired by a Chinese character?| A．Festive lanterns. |
| B．A snowflake torch. |
| C．The emblem. |
| D．Cheerful music. |
| A．Both employed AR technology. |
| B．Both symbolized a wealthy life. |
| C．Both were created by ice cars. |
| D．Both were performed by children. |
| A．Festive lanterns. |
| B．Chinese knot. |
| C．Fish and riches. |
| D．Willow branch. |
【推荐3】Chinese fancy knots (中国结), also called Chinese knots, are very important in Chinese culture. They began as a form of traditional art in the Tang and Song Dynasties (朝代) in China, and became popular in the Ming Dynasty. Long ago, they found their way to Japan and other Southeast Asian countries, and were well received there. Now they are regarded as one of the symbols of Chinese culture.
As for the name itself, it is surely meaningful. The Chinese word for “knot”, jie, means “connection”. And the pronunciation of the Chinese word jie is very close to that of ji, “good luck”. As a result, Chinese knots are used as a way to express people’s strong wishes for marvellous things like happiness, love and good luck.
The knots are used widely in everyday life. They come in different sizes. Small ones are connected to jewellery (珠宝), clothes and gifts in order to draw people’s attention, while large ones are used to make a living room or study more beautiful. Whether large or small, they are named after their shapes and usages. For example, Double Coin Knots are called Shuangqian Jie because they are in the shape of two ancient Chinese coins, meaning “good things come in pairs”. Besides, Chinese knots are famous for their bright colors. Different colors have different traditional cultural meanings. Red means good luck and happiness, green means health, and yellow means wealth.
All in all, the famous Chinese fancy knots fully show the Chinese culture. These brightly colored knots with their endless chains (链条) of knots mean that life on earth will continue forever.
1. What did the writer want to express in this passage?| A．Ask people to buy Chinese fancy knots. |
| B．Introduce a traditional Chinese art form. |
| C．Teach people how to make a Chinese knot. |
| D．Describe the usages of Chinese fancy knots. |
| A．pronunciation | B．size | C．shape and meaning | D．color |
| A．The Chinese word for “knot” means “luck”. |
| B．Chinese knots became popular in the Song Dynasty. |
| C．All of the Chinese knots have the same sizes and colors. |
| D．Chinese knots mean that life on earth will continue forever. |
| A．Chinese Culture | B．Chinese Knots | C．Chinese Colors | D．Chinese Life |
