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China has asked couples to delay their weddings from a popular wedding date and families to cut down funeral services to help slow the spread of the country's coronavirus outbreak. The appeal came as the death toll from the new coronavirus rose to 259 and the total number of cases neared 12,000 nationwide. "Where marriage registrations have been announced or promised for February 2 this year, you are advised to cancel it and explain the situation to others," a civil affairs ministry statement said. Feb. 2 this year is being considered a lucky date for wedding ceremonies because the numbers "02022020" reads the same backwards as forwards.

Beijing, Shanghai and other cities had earlier decided to offer wedding registry services on the date, despite it falling on a Sunday when offices are usually closed. The ministry said it would temporarily stop marriage counselling services and asked the public not to hold wedding banquets.

It also said funerals should be held in a "simple manner to avoid gatherings of people" and the bodies of any victims of the coronavirus should be done with as soon as possible. Staff handling funerals should wear protective clothes and carry out temperature checks to avoid risking infection, the statement added.

China has introduced strict travel restrictions and pushed back the end of the Lunar New Year holiday when hundreds of millions of people travel across the country to visit family in a bid to contain the virus. Schools and universities nationwide have been told not to start classes, officials have urged factories to delay their return to work and the public has been asked to avoid large crowds. More than 50 million people in Hubei Province, where the virus first started, are effectively locked down after authorities severed transport links. Officials in Hubei announced on Saturday that they would suspend all marriage registrations from Monday until further notice.

1.Why did many people want to carry out their weddings on Feb. 2?

A The country's coronavirus broke out.

B They would like to cut down the funeral.

C The date was considered as a lucky day.

D The marriage registrations invited them.

解析：选C。细节理解题。根据文章第一段最后一句Feb. 2 this year is being considered a lucky date for wedding ceremonies...可以得知是因为二月二日是幸运的日期，故选C。

2.What did the ministry ask the marrying people to do?

A To go to the Marriage Registry on Sunday.

B To hold their wedding banquets days later.

C To call off the marriage counselling services.

D To choose to live in Shanghai and Beijing.

解析：选B。推理判断题。根据文章第二段最后一句...asked the public not to hold wedding banquets.可以得知民政部门要求那些打算结婚的人推迟举行婚礼，故选B。

3.Why should staff handing funerals wear protective clothes?

A They could check their temperature themselves.

B They could not be infected by others.

C They could enjoy some simple manners.

D They could show respect to bodies of victims.

解析：选B。细节理解题。根据文章第三段最后一句...carry out temperature checks to avoid risking infection, the statement added.可以得知穿上防护服是为了防止感染，故选B。

4.What were the schools asked to do?

A To ask students to learn in large groups.

B To ask students to get together with their friends.

C To forbid the students from returning to school.

D To break strict travel restrictions for students.

解析：选C。细节理解题。根据文章后一段第二句的Schools and universities nationwide have been told not to start classes可以得知学校禁止学生返校，故选C。