Do you know how Chinese people get their names? And what do different names mean? Let me tell you now.
In China, the parents or grandparents give the child the first name and family name. Generally speaking(一般来说), the child’s family name is the same as the father’s family name. But there are also exceptions(例外).
Some parents will let their child use the mother’s family name. About the first name, it usually has the hope(希望) and best wishes for the child from the parents. So, parents will use very nice words for the child’s first name. And parents often use different words in their boys’ and girls’ first name because they have different hopes for the girls and boys. For example, parents with boys hope their boys to be strong, honest, and powerful while parents with girls hope their girls to be good-looking, friendly, and gentle.
Another interesting fact is that if the child is born(出生) on a special(特殊的) and good day, the parents will give the child a first name that has something to do with the day. For example, if the child is born on October 1st—the Chinese National Day, parents may name the child Guoqing meaning the National Day.
So, from the name of Chinese, you can know something about him/her and his/her family.
29. Which name has the parents’ hopes and wishes for their child?
A.The first name. | B.The last name. | C.The full name. |
30. What does the underlined word “gentle” mean?
A.Happy. | B.Kind. | C.Beautiful. |
31. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.A child in China can only(仅仅) have his/her father’s last name. |
B.In China, grandparents can’t give their grandchild names. |
C.A man with the first name “Jianguo” may be born in 1949. |
32. What does the passage mainly(主要) talk about?
A.The name of Chinese. |
B.Children names in China. |
C.Differences among Chinese names. |