第6课 New Year’s Eve - 记事本

New Year’s Eve

On 31 December everyone celebrates the end of the old year and the beginning of the new.

In Scotland New Year's Eve is called Hogmanay. It is the most important celebration of the year. In Edinburgh there is an

immense street celebration on New Year's Eve.

In America and Britain many people like going to parties or

organising them in their homes. Some people prefer to

celebrate in restaurants or night clubs. Young people

celebrate at home or at a disco. Others go to masked balls in costumes and masks. Everyone takes off their mask at midnight. t~heers , noise, music, dancing, colourful decorations,

festive food and drink are all part of New Year's Eve. People like throwing confetti on the last night of the year.

People wear their best party clothes on this exciting night. At parties everyone wears funny paper hats and blows toy horns . Parties usually begin after 9 pm and continue until the next morning. At midnight everyone joins hands and sings the old

Scottish song' Auld Lang Syne.'

In New York City a favourite place to go on New Year's Eve is Times Square. At midnight the words 'Happy New Year' appear on an electronic sign. Bells and sirens ring, people cheer and

there is a lot of noise'

In London many people go to celebrate in Trafalgar Square.

Everyone in Britain waits for Big Ben to strike midnight. Then there is a lot of noise. People sing 'Auld Lang Syne', kiss

each other and cheer.

When we make a lot of noise on New Year's Eve we are following ancient traditions. Ancient civilizations made noise to

frighten evil spiritsof the past year.

On New Year's Eve the Americans and the British make New

Year's resolutions or promises. They promise to get rid of bad habits during the new year. Some typical children's

resolutions are: '1 resolve to do my homework' or 'I resolve to clean my room every day'. Children write down their New

Year’s resolutions, sign their name and give the paper to

their parents.

Some typical adult's resolutions are: 'I resolve to stop

smoking' or 'I resolve to go on a diet '. Most people don't

keep their promises, but a few do! In some American cities

office workers throw their

old calendars out of the office windows on 31 December. They are throwing the old year away' It is incredible to see so

much paper flying about. By 5:30 pm the streets are covered

with office calendars.

At the end of the year astrologists predict the future for all the signs of the zodiac. Some astrologists predict

catastrophic events.

1. immense：巨大的

2. balls：舞会

3. cheers：喝彩

4. confetti：五彩纸屑

5. toy horns：喇叭

6. electronic sign：电子标牌

7. sirens：汽笛

8. civilizations：文明

9. evil spirits：的灵魂

10. resolutions：决心

11. get rid of：除掉

12. go on a diet：节食

13. keep their promises：遵守承诺

14. incredible：不可思议

15. asrologists：占星学家

16. zodiac：黄道带17. catastrophic：灾难的