The Lantern Festival first evolved along the banks of the Yellow River during the peak of freezing winter conditions. The celebration held on the night of the first full noon of the lunar new year is often referred to as the “Little New Year”.

The festival’s origin has been argued by historians. Some say the festival was set up in relation to New Year Buddhist ceremonies. Lanterns were used to praise Buddha and request his protection for the coming year. However, Taoists insist that the Martial Emperor Wu Ti (141 B.C.~86 B.C.) began the festival a century earlier in an effort to gain eternal life.

In the huge courtyard of his palace, he ordered lanterns to be hung on the night of the first full moon until the entire courtyard was lit as bright as the day.

After a Chinese eunuch (太監(jiān)) invented paper in 105 A.D., people of all classes began to enjoy the beauty of inexpensive paper lanterns. Today, the lantern has experienced further revolution and paper has been replaced by plastic animated characters lit by battery operated light bulbs. In Taiwan, this development has extended to the creation of extravagant, enormous and highly technical lanterns representing the zodiac animals. Even still, many of the old ways remain mixed with the new.

73. According to the article, which of the following statement is true?

A. Historians are troubled by different opinions.

B. Wu Ti ordered an eunuch to make lanterns using inexpensive paper.

C. The weather conditions under which the first lantern festival was held were extreme.

D. Buddhists believe that Wu Ti began the Lantern Festival.

74. Wu Ti is believed to have established the Lantern Festival in his vain effort to ______.

A. change night into day.                     B. live forever.

C. make the greatest of offering to Buddha.    D. celebrate the “Little New Year”.

75. The invention of paper in 105 A.D. ______.

A. helped to invent paper lanterns.               

B. replaced paper lanterns with plastic animated characters.

C. lit up the sky.

D. increased the popularity of lanterns.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

The Chinese New Year is a great holiday to choose to celebrate Chinese culture with your child. Here are few fun ways to bring a bit of fun and   1   into your home through the festivities of the Chinese New Year.

1.Add a lucky red door. Red is a traditional color of   2  . It's an important part of the Chinese New Year to   3  on doing what one can to bring about good luck for the New Year. If you don't want to  4   the door red, how about wrapping it up like a present with red wrapping paper. If changing your front door's color is not workable, how about the door to your child's bedroom?

2.Eat. A huge part of most cultures is that of food and the Chinese New Year is not   5  , it's eating jiaozi at midnight on New Year's Eve, or longevity noodles on day seven of the festivities to    6  long life. The Chinese New Year celebrations mean many fancy meals that your child will   7  .

3.Create a lantern. Sara Naumann, the Guide to China Travel, shares a bit about the legend of the Lantern Festival or Yuanxiao, which occurs on the   8  day of the Chinese New Year festivities. It's a   9  that includes an emperor, a young woman who misses her family, and tricking the God of Fire. Your kids should love this story. After   10  it with them, or while reading the story, enjoy making your own paper lantern to display.

4.Give lucky money. The Guide to Mandarin Language shares that another very popular   11  during the Chinese New Year is that of the gift of red envelopes with   12  in them. These gifts are given to children and usually follow a bit of superstition（迷信） in that the money needs to be given in even amounts and never contain   13  numbers, such as four. Therefore, four dollars is not a good gift. The envelopes are also decorated with lucky symbols and New Year   14  .

5.Give a small gift. The giving of simple gifts is also an appropriate way to   15  the Chinese New Year. What better gift than that of a children's book about the Chinese New Year or the Chinese Culture.

6.Make some noise. Just like in America, the Chinese use   16  in ringing in their New Year. In the Chinese culture it began as a way to   17   away any demons（鬼） that threaten to bring a profitable and lucky New Year, but today it's also about excitement and   18  . Consider setting off a few firecrackers of your own, if allowed in your area. If not, make a cute firework picture with a bit of glitter and glue. A pretend firecracker is another great craft that could also be considered a festive way to decorate your New Year table.

7.Sing Happy Birthday to your dog. The second day of the Chinese New Year is   19  the birthday of all dogs. Why not   20  your child to throw Fido a birthday celebration? Perhaps an extra ride in the car or new chew toy is in order? I know my dog would appreciate a few extra belly rubs too.

(    ) 1. A. tradition           B. culture             C. civilization       D. habit

(    ) 2. A. wealth              B. disaster             C. belief                      D. luck

(    ) 3. A. focus                      B. accuse              C. adapt               D. mind

(    ) 4. A. boil                 B. paint               C. wash               D. purchase

(    ) 5. A. same               B. similar             C. common           D. different

(    ) 6. A. come about       B. take about        C. bring about       D. get out

(    ) 7. A. bore                 B. destroy             C. enjoy                      D. absorb

(    ) 8. A. last                  B. first                 C. second              D. next

(    ) 9. A. play                 B. story               C. novel                      D. history

(    ) 10. A. sharing           B. listening           C. reading             D. making

(    ) 11. A. invention               B. story               C. race                 D. tradition

(    ) 12. A. food                      B. clothes             C. money              D. jewels

(    ) 13. A. unclear           B. unlucky            C. unfair                   D. uncertain

(    ) 14. A. wishes            B. signs               C. presents            D. happiness

(    ) 15. A. spend             B. envy               C. buy                  D. celebrate

(    ) 16. A. firecrackers     B. songs                      C. dances              D. goods

(    ) 17. A. take                      B. scare               C. get                   D. burn

(    ) 18. A. fun               B. relax               C. sleep               D. travel

(    ) 19. A. fixed                  B. named              C. considered               D. marked

(    ) 20. A. order              B. accompany       C. tease               D. Allow

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科目：高中英語 來源：2010年遼寧省本溪縣高級中學(xué)高二上學(xué)期10月月考英語卷 題型：寫作題

你的加拿大網(wǎng)友Roger想了解中國的傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日，請你給他寫一封電子郵件，向他介紹中國的元宵節(jié)(the Lantern Festival)。內(nèi)容如下：
1．時間：正月十五；
2．歷史：起源于漢，興盛于唐，宋朝時成為時間最長的燈節(jié)，清朝時規(guī)�？涨�；
3．習(xí)俗：賞燈、猜燈謎、吃元宵、耍龍燈、耍獅子、踩高蹺(stilt)、劃旱船(1and boat)、扭秧歌、打太平鼓等等；
4．意義：正月十五是一年中第一個月圓之夜，也是一年復(fù)始，大地回春的夜晚，人們對此加以慶祝，也是慶賀新春的延續(xù)。

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科目：高中英語 來源：廣東省南雄市2010屆高三最后一次月考英語試題 題型：信息匹配

 

第二節(jié) 信息匹配(共5小題; 每小題2分, 滿分10分)

 

閱讀下列應(yīng)用文及相關(guān)信息，并按照要求匹配信息。請在答題卡上將對應(yīng)題號的相應(yīng)選項字母涂黑。

以下是關(guān)于中國傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日的起源介紹：

A. One day, Emperor Mingdi had a dream about a gold man in his palace. When he was about to ask the mysterious figure who he was, the gold man suddenly rose to the sky and disappeared in the west. The next day, Emperor Mingdi sent a scholar to India to locate Buddhist scriptures and ordered that a temple be built to house a statue of Buddha and serve as a repository for the scriptures. So Emperor Mingdi ordered his subjects to display lighted lanterns during what was to become the Festival.

B. The earth once had ten suns circling it. However, one day all ten suns appeared together. The heat was so scorching and unbearable. A strong archer named Hou Yi came out and succeeded in shooting down nine suns. He was later made the emperor but after that he became a tyrant. In order to save the people from his tyranny, his wife Chang-E stole the elixir and consumed it herself and floated to the moon taking along her pet rabbit with her.

C. Qu Yuan was a minister in the kingdom of Chu.He was upright , loyal and highly esteemed for his wise counsel that had brought peace and prosperity to the kingdom. Realizing that the country was now in the hands of evil and corrupt officials, Qu Yuan clasped a large stone and leaped into the Mi Lo river on the fifth day of the fifth moon. The people of Chu, mourning the death of Qu Yuan, threw rice into the river to feed his hungry ghost on this day every year.

D. One of the most famous legends is Nian, an extremely cruel and ferocious beast that the ancients believed would devour people on New Year's Eve. To keep Nian away, red-paper couplets are pasted on doors, torches are lit, and firecrackers are set off throughout the night, because Nian is said to fear the color red, the light of fire, and loud noises. Early the next morning, as feelings of triumph and renewal fill the air at successfully keeping Nian away for another year, the most popular greeting heard is "gong xi fa cai", or "congratulations."

E. On this evening, two lovers will meet on a bridge of magpies across the Milky Way. Chinese grannies will remind children that they would not be able to see any magpies on that evening because all the magpies have left to form a bridge in the heavens with their wings.

F. The Festival itself was created by the Tang Emperor Xuanzong in 732. It is said that because the wealthy held too many expensive, elaborate ancestor-worshipping ceremonies, in a needed effort to lower this expense, Emperor Xuanzong declared that respects could be formally paid at ancestor's graves only on the day.

以下是中國傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日的慶�；顒�，請匹配慶�；顒雍驮搨鹘y(tǒng)節(jié)日的起源介紹：

56. The Qingming Festival: The most important activity on the Festival is tomb sweeping to remember and honour one's ancestors at grave sites. Young and old pray before the ancestors, sweep the tombs and offer food, tea, wine, chopsticks, (joss) paper accessories, and/or libation to the ancestors. The rites are very important to most Chinese and especially farmers.

57. The Lantern Festival: According to the Chinese tradition, at the very beginning of a new year, when there is a bright full moon hanging in the sky, there should be thousands of colorful lanterns hung out for people to appreciate. At this time, people will try to solve the puzzles on the lanterns and eat yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball) and get all their families united in the joyful atmosphere.

58. The Dragon-boat Day: The Festival was also noted for its dragon-boat races, especially in the southern provinces, where there are many rivers and lakes and a glutinous rice pudding called Zongzi was eaten

59. The Valentine’s Day: There is not so much emphasis on giving chocolates, flowers and kisses. Instead, Chinese girls prepare fruits, melons and incense as offerings to the weaving maiden, praying to acquire high skills in needlecraft, as well as hoping to find satisfactory husbands. In the evening, people sit outdoors to observe the stars. Chinese grannies would say that, if you stand under a grapevine, you can probably overhear what the weaving maiden and her husband are talking about.

60. The New Year’s Day:  It is traditional to decorate the homes with new year paintings. The most popular paintings are Door Gods pasted on the front doors to keep ghosts and monsters away. Spring couplets are traditionally written with black ink on red paper. They are hung in storefronts and often stay up for two months. A reunion dinner is held where members of the family, near and far, get together for celebration.

 

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科目：高中英語 來源：吉林省長春市2010屆高三期中聯(lián)合考試英語試題 題型：閱讀理解

It’s the Year of the Rat!

Millions of people crowded onto trains and buses across China on Wednesday. They were hurrying home to be with their families for the country’s most important holiday, the Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival. Thursday marked the end of the Year of the Pig, and the beginning of the Year of the Rat. But for a while, it looked as if severe winter weather in some regions of China would put a deep freeze on the celebrations. Due to dangerous conditions, airlines, railways and highways across the country were forced to shut down for the past few weeks. Many travelers were worried that they would not make it home for the holidays. Luckily, the crisis started winding down just in time for some roads and railways to reopen on Lunar New Year’s Eve.

More than one billion people worldwide celebrate the Lunar New Year. In China, people from Beijing to Guangzhou enjoy a holiday. Businesses and government offices are closed. Many people go to temples to pray for good fortune for the future. The Lunar New Year is celebrated at the second new moon after the winter solstice（冬至）.

On Lunar New Year’s Eve, the Chinese celebrate with fireworks, family gatherings, and festivals. One of the most popular ways to celebrate the holiday is with the lion dance. The lion is considered a holy animal. During celebrations, dancers dressed as lions（or holding up elaborate paper lions in the air）perform to bring good luck to the people they visit at their homes or businesses. People often wear red, which symbolizes fire. Legend has it that fire can drive away bad luck. The 15-day New Year season is celebrated with firecrackers, dragon dances and visits to friends and families. The celebrations end with the Lantern Festival, when brightly colored lamps are hung in parks around China.

49. When the Spring Festival comes, trains and buses are usually crowed because________.

A. millions of people hurried to go abroad for travelling

B. millions of people are hurrying home to get together with their folks

C. at this time the transportation cost is at the lowest point

D. million of people hurried to send firecrackers to their home

50. Why were many travellers worried whether they would go home for the Year of the Rat?

A. Because a deep freeze hit some regions of China.

B. Because many transportation companies have a holiday

C. Because some roads and railways won’t reopen in a long time.

D. Because businesses and government offices are closed.

51. Where do people usually go to beg for their good luck?

A. Government offices                      B. Business offices

C. Temples                                             D. Beijing

52. In order to bring good luck to the people they visit, dancers dress themselves________.

A. as lions to have a dance  　　B. as tigers to have a dance

C. as rats to have a dance   　　D. as cats to have a dance

 

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科目：高中英語 來源：2010-2011學(xué)年江蘇省高三第二次模擬英語卷 題型：單項填空

The Lantern Festival, also known as Yuanxiao Festival or Shanguuan Festival, __________ the 15th day of the 1st lunar month in China

       A falls for     B falls out    C falls on    D falls off

 

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