8 . Halloween is a festival celebrated on October 31st. The name of the holiday means “hallowed” or “holy evening” because it happens the day before All Saints Day. It is said that Halloween is the children’s New Year’s Eve. They dress up with special costumes (服装), they eat too much, and they stay up too late celebrating.
Children go around the neighborhood wearing make-up, and dress in masks and colorful costumes. The most common costumes are witches (巫师), ghosts, skeletons (骷髅), and popular TV, movie and storybook characters. Some costumes are homemade; others are bought in stores. The children go from door to door saying “trick or treat”. People give them candy, cookies, fruit or money. Sometimes money is collected to help UNICEF, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund.
Homes, stores, and classrooms are decorated in the traditional Halloween colors, orange and black. Usual decorations are witches, ghosts, skeletons, and Jack-o’-lanterns, Jack-o’-lanterns are pumpkins that are carved (雕刻) to look like faces. They are placed on doorway entrances and in windows. Horror movies and ghost stories are shown on TV on this day.
Adults and older children also celebrate Halloween with parades, festivals, and costume parties. Some people create their costumes; other people rent them. Contests are held, where the best costume receives a prize. One of the party events popular with children is dunking (浸泡) for apples. Apples are put in tubs filled with water. People try to get the apples using only their mouths; hands cannot be used.
1. Why is it said that Halloween is the children’s New Year’s Eve?
| A．Because Halloween comes the day before All Saints Day. |
| B．Because children can get money from their parents on Halloween. |
| C．Because only on that day can children go around the neighborhood. |
| D．Because children dress up with special costumes, eat a lot, and stay up late celebrating. |
2. Which of the following statements is NOT true about the common costumes according to the text?
| A．They are colorful. |
| B．All of the costumes are bought in stores. |
| C．Some of the costumes are homemade. |
| D．They are witches, ghosts, skeletons, popular TV characters and so on. |
3. What are the traditional Halloween colors?
| A．Orange and brown. | B．Red and green. |
| C．Black and white. | D．Orange and black. |
