Lunar (农历的) calendars depend on the position of the moon, so the date of the new year changes each year, and different places start the new year at different times. In China and in many other places, like Vietnam, Singapore and Korea, Lunar New Year is usually celebrated in January or February, and it’s a very important festival.
Each year in the lunar calendar is named after an animal. The first year is the Year of the Rat. The second year is the Year of the Ox. The third year is the Year of the Tiger, then the Year of the Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. In many countries, the animals are the same as these, but in some places they are a bit different. After 12 years, the animals repeat. This means that after the Year of the Pig, it’s the Year of the Rat again. And so, every year has an animal, and every animal has certain characteristics, for example the rabbit is kind and polite. So, if you were born in a Year of the Rabbit, you are probably kind and polite too!
▲ For example, in China, many people have firecrackers, which burn and make a loud noise. In the streets, dancers dress up as a lion or a dragon. They dance to music and drums. In Korea, families often play traditional board games together. During Lunar New Year, Children give their parents and grandparents good wishes for the new year and show their respect for the older generation. Older members of the family give children money, usually in small packets. These packets are red in China and Vietnam, because red is a lucky colour.
People celebrate Lunar New Year in many different ways, but all the celebrations are about wishing everyone good things for the next year.
分享本文十五分钟后截图给客服，获赠“阅读理解高频同义转换词”电子版！
奇速英语 原创编写 版权所有 侵权必究！ 每日更新 个性化阅读 英语飙升！
1.What do we know about the Lunar New Year?
A Only one country celebrates it.
B It falls on the same day every year.
C People can celebrate it in January.
D All countries celebrate it at the same time.
解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第一段内容可知，有好几个国家都庆祝农历新年，并且不同国家庆祝的时间可能稍有不同，农历新年每年开始的时间不一样，可能会在一月或二月。故选C。
2.Which of the following is in the correct order?
A Ox–Horse–Rabbit–Dragon–Snake
B Dog–Pig–Rat–Ox–Tiger
C Rooster–Horse–Goat–Monkey–Dog
D Pig–Rat–Ox–Tiger–Dragon
解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据第二段内容可知，十二生肖的顺序为：Rat, Ox,Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog , Pig，并且12年一轮结束后，又从头开始重复。结合选项可知，B项正确。故选B。
3.What does the underlined word “characteristics” mean in Chinese?
A 特征
B 行动
C 外貌
D 行为
解析：选A。A 词义猜测题。根据划线部分后面的“for example the rabbit is kind and polite”例如，兔子是善良和有礼貌的，这是在描述兔子的特征，由此推断，划线词“characteristics”表示“特征”。故选A。
4.Which of the following sentences can be put in the “ ▲ ”?
A People celebrate Lunar New Year for different reasons.
B There are many Lunar New Year traditions.
C Lunar New Year celebrations are often the same.
D Children usually look forward to Lunar New Year.
解析：选B。B 段落大意题。根据第三段内容可知，本段在描述人们如何庆祝农历新年，即关于农历新年的一些传统习俗。故选B。
5.Where is the text most probably taken from?
A A daily newspaper.
B A science textbook.
C A museum guide.
D A culture magazine.
解析：选D。D 推理判断题。本文主要介绍了各地人们庆祝农历新年的不同方式，结合选项可知，本文最有可能来自一本关于文化方面的杂志。故选D。
