Laba Festival is celebrated on the eighth day of the last month in the Chinese lunar calendar. The last month is called “la” and “eight” sounds like “ba” in Chinese. That’s why we call it Laba Festival! This year, it falls on January 7th. How do the Chinese celebrate the Laba Festival?

1) Offering Sacrifices (祭祀) to Ancestors

At the Laba Festival, Chinese people honor their ancestors. They pray for good luck and a great harvest from their ancestors, heaven, and earth. People remember and show respect to their ancestors by giving them food, tea, or wine, and burning incense. But today, this custom is much simpler.

2)Eating Laba Porridge

Traditionally, eating Laba porridge is an important part of the Laba Festival. Laba porridge, also known as “Buddha porridge”, is made of a variety of ingredients. Eating Laba porridge on the Laba Festival started in the Song Dynasty. Now, people see Laba porridge as healthy food. In some parts of China, especially the north, eating Laba porridge is still a big tradition on the festival.

3)Making Laba Garlic and Laba Vinegar

In many northern areas of China, it’s common to make Laba garlic and vinegar on the Laba Festival. ____▲____ Just put peeled garlic cloves (蒜瓣) in a container, pour in vinegar, seal it, and store it in a cool place for a few days. The vinegar soaking with garlic is Laba vinegar. Laba garlic and Laba vinegar are traditionally eaten with dumplings during the Chinese New Year.

1.1. Which question can the first paragraph answer?

A Why do people eat Laba porridge?

B Who came up with the idea of the Laba Festival?

C What do people do on the Laba Festival?

D How did the Laba Festival get its name?

解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据第一段中的“The last month is called ‘la’ and ‘eight’ sounds like ‘ba’ in Chinese. That’s why we call it Laba Festival!”可知，第一段介绍了腊八节的名字来源。故选D。

2.2. Why do people offer sacrifices to ancestors on the Laba Festival?

A To pray for good luck and a great harvest.

B To remember their ancestors’ birthdays.

C To celebrate the end of the year.

D To show respect to Layue.

解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第二段中的“They pray for good luck and a great harvest from their ancestors, heaven, and earth.”可知，腊八节这一天中国人祭祀祖先和神灵，祈求丰收吉祥。故选A。

3.3. When did eating Laba porridge start?

A In the Tang Dynasty.

B In the Song Dynasty.

C In the Ming Dynasty.

D In the Qing Dynasty.

解析：选B。B细节理解题。根据第三段中的“Eating Laba porridge on the Laba Festival started in the Song Dynasty.”可知，在腊八节吃腊八粥始于宋朝。故选B。

4.4. Which of the following can be put in “____▲____”?

A So many people like Laba garlic.

B Here is a story about Laba garlic.

C Making Laba garlic is very easy.

D Why is Laba garlic so popular?

解析：选C。C句子补充题。根据提空后文内容“Just put peeled garlic cloves (蒜瓣) in a container, pour in vinegar, seal it, and store it in a cool place for a few days.”只要把去皮的蒜瓣放在一个容器里，倒入醋，密封，存放在阴凉的地方几天。可知，此处介绍制作腊八蒜的方法。故选C。

5.5. In which part of a newspaper can we read the passage?

A Culture.

B Life.

C Geography.

D People.

解析：选A。A推理判断题。根据全文内容可知，本文主要介绍了腊八节这一传统节日，属于“文化”版块。故选A。