四川省大学英语二级阅读题

Passage 1

The origins of April Fools’ Day, sometimes called All Fools’ Day, are uncertain. Some see it as a celebration related to the turn of the seasons, while others believe it stems from the application of a new calendar.

Ancient cultures celebrated New Year’s Day on or around April 1. In medieval times (中世纪) much of Europe celebrated March 25ch 25 as the beginning of the new year.

In 1582, Pope (罗马教皇) Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar to replace the old Julian Calendar. The new calendar called for New Year’s Day to be celebrated on January 1.

That year, France accepted the reformed calendar and shifted New Year’s day to Jan. 1. According to a popular explanation, many people either refused to accept the new date, o r did not learn about it, and continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1. Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on “fool’s errands” or trying to trick them into believing something false. Eventually, the practice spread throughout Europe.

There are at least two difficulties with this explanation. The first is that it doesn’t fully explain why other European countries also observe April Fools’ Day. The Gregorian calendar was not applied by England until 1752, for example, but April Fools’ Day was already well established there by that point. The second is that we have no direct historical evidence for this explanation, only conjecture (猜测) which appears to have been made more recently.

1.Which of the following statem ents about April Fools’ Day is TRUE?

A)It was observed by all the fools.

B)It is observed in many countries.

C)People have been sure about its origin.

D)It is a legal holiday throughout the world.

2.According to the passage, New Year’s Day was celebra ted______.

A)on or around April 1 in ancient cultures before 1582

B)on March 25 in Rome and India in ancient times

C)on January 1. by all the people in France in 1582

D)on January 1. by people in England well after1752

3.In the fourth paragraph, the p hrase “fool’s errands” means ______ .

A)fruitful tasks B)fruitless tasks C)simple tasks D)difficult tasks

4.Those who continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1 in France after 1582 _____.

A)were forced to accept the reformed calendar

B)began to make fun of those traditionalists

C)refused to be sent on “fool’s errands” that day

D)were likely to be made fun of by others that day

5.Which of the following does not go against the belief that April Fools’ Day stems from the application of a new calendar? ______

A)Many people in France did not accept or learn about the change of New Year’s day then.