In Chinese culture, people believe that lucky numbers can bring them good luck and fortune. So, it is important for Chinese people to choose a good number for important items, such as wedding dates, dates of moving into a new house, numbers of car license plates, telephone numbers, and so on.

The Number 8:

The number 8 is believed to be the luckiest number in China because “8” is associated with wealth. Eight in Chinese is pronounced ba and sounds similar to fa (发) as in fa cai (发财), meaning “becoming rich ”.

Chinese people would like to choose “8” as the time and/or date of important events. For example, the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games began exactly at 8 minutes and 8 seconds past 8 pm on the 8th of August 2008. Chinese people’s fondness for 8 can be seen in many other cases, such as house numbers, phone numbers, number plates, the date for opening a business, and so on.

The Number 6:

6, pronounced liu, is considered lucky as it sounds like the word that means “to flow”, and can indicate smooth progress in life. It also means well-off. Similar to 8, 6 is preferred in number plates and phone numbers. When a couple gets engaged, the man usually offers a gift to the girl’s family which is usually money (RMB 6,666 and such) and this gift signifies a harmonious life for the couple.

The Number 9:

9, pronounced jiu, is a popular number, much like 6 and 8. It is similar to the word that means everlasting. It is common to gift your beloved 99 roses on Valentine’s Day in China. 9 also represents completeness, which made it very popular with ancient Emperors who used it in many aspects of their administration, right from dividing the empire into 9 continents (州), wearing nine-dragon imperial robes, nine-rank system for officials, etc. In Chinese mythology, it is said that the Dragon has 9 children.

1. Why does the writer mention the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games?

A    To show Chinese people’s fondness for 8.

B    To prove the importance of numbers.

C    To show its success.

D    To prove numbers can bring luck.

2. How did the writer tell us 9 represents completeness?

A    By showing us some data.

B    By answering some questions.

C    By citing some instances.

D    By making comparisons.

3. Which is the right order of the representation of 6, 8, 9? ① longevity ② smooth, good luck ③ wealth, success

A    ②③①

B    ①②③

C    ①③②

D    ③②①

4. What can be learned about lucky numbers in China from the passage?

A    We should be mindful of some unlucky numbers as well when in China.

B    Lucky numbers have pronunciations that are similar to words with lucky meanings

C    Many combinations of numbers have been used to express different meanings nowadays.

D    Some lucky numbers can be unlucky as well depending on the situation and use.