单选题 April fool's Day is traditionally a day to play practical jokes on others, send people on fool's errands, and fool the unsuspecting~ No one knows how this holiday began but it was thought to have originated in France.
The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France. New Year's Day was celebrated on March 25 and celebrations lasted until April 1st. When New Year's Day as changed from March 25 to January 1st in the mid-1560's by King Charles IX, there were some people who still celebrated it on April 1st and those people were called April Fools.
Pranks performed on April fool's Day range from the simple, (such as saying, "Your shoe's untied !), to the elaborate. Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag. The news media even gets involved. For instance, a British short film once shown on April fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary about "spaghetti farmers" and how they harvest their crop from the spaghetti trees. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool !"
April fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" observance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their "significant other" out to eat in a fancy restaurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April fool!
单选题 According to the passage, April fool's Day originated in ______.
  • A. America
  • C. France
  • B. China
  • D. Britain
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】细节理解题 从第一段我们可以得知，愚人节是从法国开始的。
单选题 In the year of 1569, people in France celebrated New Year's Day at ______.
  • A. March 25
  • C. April 1st
  • B. March 30
  • D. January 1st
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】细节理解题 法国人从1582年后，1月1日是其新年。
单选题 The word "pranks" (Line 1 Para. 3 ) means" ______."
  • A. fools
  • C. examples
  • B. tricks
  • D. shoes
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】语义理解题 pranks意思为恶作剧，应该选B。
单选题 On April fool's Day, people make fun of others except by ______.
  • A. saying "Your shoe's untied"
  • B. setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour
  • C. taking friends out to eat in an fancy restaurant
  • D. showing how farmers harvest their crop from the restaurant
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】细节理解题 ABD的恶作剧都在第三段中被提到，用排除法选C。
单选题 Why the author suggests people remain vigilant at April lst?
  • A. Because it is New Year's Day in France.
  • B. Because your friends will buy gifts for you.
  • C. Because it is April fool's Day.
  • D. Because you may be teased by others.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】判断推理题 从最后一段可知，作者让人们在4月1日保持清醒，是为了免受他人作弄。