Question

【題目】Complete the following passage with the words or phrases in the box. Each can only be used once（將下列單詞或詞組填入空格．每空格限填一詞，每個單詞或詞組只能填一次）：

A．tradition B．similar C．communication D．spread E．hear of

The Origins of April Fools Day

What is April Fools Day and where does it come from？It is commonly believed that in medieval（中世紀） France，New Year was celebrated on 1April．Then in 1562，a new calendar was introduced，changing New Year to 1January．With no modern【1】，news travelled slowly and new ideas were often questioned．Many people did not【2】the change，while some just forgot．These people were called fools．People send invitations to‘New Year'parties that were not existed and other jokes were played．Then a【3】of playing jokes on April 1st started．The custom finally【4】to England and Scotland，and it was later transported across the Atlantic to the American and the French．April Fools Day has now developed into an international festival of fun，with different nationalities celebrating the day in special ways．

A．strangers B．balanced C．experienced D．catch E．knowing

April Fools Day around the World

In France and Italy，if someone plays a trick on you，you are the‘fish of April'．By the month of April fish have only just hatched（孵化） and are easy to【5】．Children stick paper fish to their friends'backs and chocolate fish are found in the shops．

In Scotland，April Fools Day lasts for two days!The second day is called‘Taily Day'．Often a sign saying‘kick me'is stuck onto someone's back without【6】．

Today，Americans and the British play small tricks on friends and【7】on April 1st．A common trick is to point to a friend's shoe and say"Your shoe is not tied．"When they look down，they are laughed at．Schoolchildren might tell a friend that school has been cancelled．A bag of flour might be【8】on the top of a door so that when the‘victim'opens the door，the flour empties over their head．

Most April Fool jokes are in good fun and not meant to harm anyone．The best trick is the one where everyone laughs，especially the person upon whom the joke has been played．

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】E

【3】A

【4】D

【5】D

【6】E

【7】A

【8】B

【解析】

本文分兩個部分，第一部分講的是愚人節(jié)的起源，第二部分講的是愚人節(jié)向全世界的傳播。

【1】句意：沒有現(xiàn)代的通訊方式，消息傳播得很慢，新的思想經(jīng)常受到質(zhì)疑。

根據(jù)下文news travelled slowly and new ideas were often questioned可知，空格處部分意思應該是“沒有現(xiàn)代的通訊方式”，所以消息傳播得很慢，communication意為“通迅、通信”，符合句意，故應選C。

【2】句意：許多人沒有聽說這一變化，而有些人只是忘記了。

根據(jù)上文With no modern communication，news travelled slowly and new ideas were often questioned和下文These people were called fools可知，空格處意思是“許多人沒有聽說這一變化”，hear of意為“聽說”，符合句意，故應選E。

【3】句意：然后一個在4月1日開玩笑的傳統(tǒng)開始了。

根據(jù)下文The custom finally spread to England and Scotland可知，這個習俗后來傳到了英格蘭和蘇格蘭，本句意思應為“然后一個在4月1日開玩笑的傳統(tǒng)開始了”，故空格處應填入意為“傳統(tǒng)”的名詞，tradition意為“傳統(tǒng)”，符合句意，故應選A。

【4】句意：這個習俗最后傳播到了英格蘭和蘇格蘭，后來它跨過大西洋傳到了美國和法國。

根據(jù)下文England and Scotland提示可知，空格處句意應為“這個習俗最后傳播到了英格蘭和蘇格蘭”，固定短語spread to意為“傳播到、蔓延到”，符合句意，故應選D。

【5】句意：到四月為止，魚剛剛孵出因此很容易抓住。

根據(jù)句子By the month of April fish have only just hatched可推斷，魚剛剛孵出，因此很容易抓到，catch意為“抓住、抓到”，符合句意，故應選D。

【6】句意：經(jīng)常在別人不知道的情況下，一個寫著“踢我”的紙條會被粘在某人的背上。

根據(jù)句意可推斷，這個寫著“踢我”的紙條粘在某人的背上是在此人不知情的情況下完成的一個惡作劇，故空格處應填入意為“知道”的單詞，know意為“知道”，符合句意，且空格前為介詞without，后接動詞的現(xiàn)在分詞，故應選E。

【7】句意：在4月1日這一天，美國人和英國人在朋友和陌生人身上耍小把戲。

根據(jù)句子結(jié)構(gòu)，句中and表示兩個并列成分，即空格處應填入名詞與前面的friends并列，選項中strangers意為“陌生人”，符合句意，故應選A。

【8】句意：一袋面粉可能被平衡地放在門的頂部，以便當“受害者”開門時，面粉會倒在他們的頭上。

根據(jù)下文so that when the ‘victim’ opens the door，the flour empties over their head可知，當“受害者”開門時，面粉會倒在他們的頭上，結(jié)合所給選項可推斷，一袋面粉可能被平衡地放在門的頂部，且空格前面是might be，這里用情態(tài)動詞的被動語態(tài)，后面接過去分詞，選項中balanced“被平衡”符合句意，故應選B。