1 . Ostara, upon which Easter is based, is the Pagan celebration of the vernal equinox (春分).
The holiday is named after Eostre, a spring goddess of the Germanic tradition. There isn’t much written record of Eostre, and it is thought she was worshiped by tribes who used oral tradition rather than written words to record history. Eostre was a symbol of fertility—she may have been the original source of the association of eggs with springtime celebrations. She may also be responsible for the Easter rabbit—the spring equinox was a time when hares would come out and mate. A female hare can even conceive (受孕) while pregnant with another one—this remarkable fertility became a symbol of the season. Therefore, we get “Eostre rabbits” in the spring.
Growth and awakening are important parts of Ostara celebrations. Because the day marks the coming of the planting season, modern Pagans store seeds to later transfer outdoors after frost has disappeared. Caring for the seedling is like worshiping the goddess. Besides, drawings replace the pretty colors of new flowers.
For Pagans, Ostara is a time for spiritual awakening and rebirth. Walking meditation is a common practice and special attention is paid to the signs of nature coming back to life. New beginnings are coming, and there is much soul-searching and clearing away negative energy. This spiritual cleaning is also reflected in the practice of spring cleaning.
Whether you’re Pagan or not, you might have noticed many of your own springtime celebrations in Ostara celebrations, and there’s a reason why Pagan customs have been practiced pretty much in the same way because so much of it is simply human nature. Who could resist a springtime walk in a forest? Is there anyone who isn’t inspired by nature’s annual new beginning? So whatever your own tradition, honor the season with a spiritual cleaning and rebirth—to make room for beautiful things to come.
1. What can be inferred from the passage?| A．Ostara has a longer history than Easter. |
| B．Only Pagan celebrate Ostara nowadays. |
| C．Ostara is a celebration intended for females. |
| D．Most Ostara celebrations are not held outdoors. |
| A．Growth. | B．Drawings. |
| C．Flowers. | D．Spiritual awakening. |
| A．They can help to clean people’s spirit. |
| B．They are in need of some special attention. |
| C．It is common to hold the activities worldwide. |
| D．Written record of them is not talked about a lot. |
| A．They have the same origin and history. |
| B．It is human nature to pursue beautiful things. |
| C．Pagan customs have been spread to the world. |
| D．Pagans are good at learning from other cultures. |
2 . Our wedding was about to begin. My throat was tight and my cheeks got red, but I didn't care. I was ready to marry David Sanchez. We're a “nontraditional” couple: getting married in a bookstore that supports a charity to fight HIV and homelessness.
“Kim! I could walk you down the aisle (走道) if you like！” David's father offered gently.
“I'm OK. But I appreciate that，” I said with a smile. And I was reminded, again, of my dad's absence.
My father died of cancer six weeks ago. For the last two months, we tried to make him feel comfortable and loved as he departed from this world. He always told us that he didn't like a funeral (葬礼) and insisted that our wedding go forward as planned. But how could we honor him since the wedding would be the first time the family would gather after his death and some even didn't know he was sick?
During the ceremony, my dear friend Eva delivered a reading entitled “When Things Go Missing” by Kathryn Schulz. She paused and got everyone on the same page, “When we are experiencing it, loss often feels like confusion in the usual order of things. In fact, the entire plan of the universe consists of losing, and life amounts to a reverse (逆向的) savings account in which we are eventually robbed of everything.”
I felt the energy full of the room. Everyone was listening. By choosing to accept the pain, we knew what a wedding does to join two families and mark the next chapter for a couple. Loss became a compass that kept us away from a fantasy and toward celebrating the difficult realities of life.
After rings were exchanged, fried chicken was served, our friends offered so many funny and touching toasts, and finally David sang “Married” on my father's guitar. I felt joy filling all the holes in my soul. Celebrating my father's life at our wedding made me grateful for all the time I had spent with him.
1. Why did David's father offer to walk the author down the aisle?| A．To relieve her tension. |
| B．To welcome her to his family. |
| C．To play the author's late father's role. |
| D．To contribute something to the charity. |
| A．She got a compass as a wedding gift. |
| B．She enjoyed David's promise for their marriage. |
| C．She received more sympathy from families and friends. |
| D．She recalled the days spent with her father and understood life better. |
| A．Because she could keep away from the pain. |
| B．Because she knew everyone was listening. |
| C．Because she got more courage for the marriage and life. |
| D．Because she could read a piece of Kathryn Schulz's works. |
| A．It was held in a library. |
| B．It was a touching and happy one. |
| C．Kim and David turned it into a funeral. |
| D．There was no other activity except reading. |
3 . Everyone knows about New Year’s Eve and Independence Day. But did you know that there are enough holidays to fill every day of the year? Here are just a few we found interesting.
World Hello Day
To celebrate this day, say hello to at least ten different people. World Hello Day began in the autumn of 1973, shortly after the end of a war in the Middle East. Brian and Michael McCormack of Omaha, Nebraska, wondered what they could do to encourage world peace. They felt the best way was by getting people to talk with one another.
The McCormacks sent letters to the leaders of every country in the world about the first World Hello Day. They wrote the letters in as many different languages as they could. Officials wrote back from sixteen countries and encouraged Brian and Michael to make World Hello Day a yearly event. The holiday has been held on the third Sunday of November every year since. The McCormacks have received letters from many famous people congratulating them for their efforts.
International Day of the Seal (海豹)
March 22 is the official International Day of the Seal. But the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., and many other zoos and research centers around the world celebrate this holiday on the third weekend of March. The holiday was created to tell people about the dangers seals face from pollution and fishing nets.
At the National Zoological Park, you can find out how seals live and ways to help protect their habitats (栖息地).
Do it! Day
Are you a procrastinator? Here’s a day to finish all those things you’ve been meaning to do. Do It! Day is celebrated on the first Wednesday in September. “The whole idea is to feel good about getting things done,” says the founder of Do It! Day, Ethel Cook. She came up with the idea as part of her work helping businesses get organized. Cook hopes everyone will turn their Do Its into Did Its.
1. World Hello Day was set to .| A．create peace worldwide |
| B．stop the war in the Middle East |
| C．encourage foreign language learning |
| D．spread knowledge about different countries |
| A．By reporting it on TV. |
| B．By meeting famous people. |
| C．By publishing it in the newspapers. |
| D．By writing letters to world leaders. |
| A．On March 22. |
| B．On the third weekend of March. |
| C．On the third Sunday of November. |
| D．On the first Wednesday in September. |
| A．cleans up things quickly | B．puts off things until later |
| C．always comes up with good ideas | D．feels good about getting things done |
