A
Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another in some way. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.
In Western countries, people usually celebrate New Year at midnight on December 31st or January 1st. People may go to parties, sometimes dressed in formal clothes, and they may drink champagne (香槟) at midnight. During the first minutes of the new year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead. But some cultures prefer to celebrate the new year by waking up early to watch the sunrise. They welcome the new year with the first light of the sunrise.
Many cultures also do special things to get rid of bad luck at the beginning of a new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll from old clothes. The doll is filled with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, these dolls are burned to show the bad things from the past year are gone and the new year can start afresh (重新)．
Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.
Other New Year traditions are followed to bring good luck in the new year. One widespread Spanish tradition for good luck is to eat grapes on New Year's Day. The more grapes a person eats, the more good luck the person will have in the new year. In France, people eat pancakes for good luck at New Year. In the United States, some people eat blackeyed peas for good luck—but to get good luck for a whole year you have to eat 365 of them!
本文是一篇说明文，介绍了世界各地几种不同的庆祝新年的传统。
1．Which of the following can be the best title of the text?
A．Several different New Year traditions
B．The meaning of “Happy New Year！”
C．What to eat on New Year's Day
D．Why people dress up nicely on New Year's Day
答案：A
解析：标题判断题。根据文章内容，特别是第一段中的“Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways”可知，不同的文化以不同的方式庆祝新年，下文就介绍了几种不同的庆祝新年的传统，故A项正确。
2．What do you know from the first two paragraphs?
A．Different cultures celebrate the beginning and ending of a year in the same way.
B．The Western people celebrate the New Year only by watching the sunrise.
C．People around the world celebrate the New Year at different times.
D．People hold parties, wear new clothes and drink champagne for a whole day.
答案：C
解析：细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.”及第二段的举例可知，世界各地庆祝新年的时间不同，故C项正确。
3．In some cultures, why do people throw things into rivers or oceans?
A．To bring good luck. B．To forget everything.
C．To avoid bad luck. D．To plan for the next year.
答案：C
解析：细节理解题。根据第四段中的“Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean”可知，新年那天，人们往河里或海里扔东西是为了赶走霉运，故C项正确。
4．Which of following is CORRECT if people want to escape bad luck and wish for good luck?
A．Families make big dolls filled with old clothes.
B．Friends tell something special to each other.
C．Some people get up early to watch the sunrise.
D．Europeans eat 365 grapes on New Year's Day.
答案：B
解析：细节理解题。根据第四段中的“or saying special things on the first day of the new year.”可知，如果想要在新的一年里避开霉运，行好运，新年那天，朋友间要彼此讲一些特别的事情，故B项正确。
