小年：日期差异与多样习俗
Little New Year,or Xiaonian, is usually a week before the Spring Festival, which falls on a different date between January 21 and February 20 each year. Little New Year is also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God.
The date of this festival is different in different places, with people in northern China celebrating it on the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, and people in southern China celebrating it on the twenty-fourth.
Here are some things you should know about the Little New Year.
1) Offer sacrifices (祭品) to Kitchen God
The offerings to the Kitchen God include a pig’s head, fish, fruit, dumplings and so on. Most of the offerings are all kinds of sweets. It is thought that this will seal the Kitchen God’s mouth and encourage Kitchen God to only say good things about the family when he rises to heaven to make his report.
2) House cleaning
Between Laba Festival, on the eighth day of the last lunar month, and Little New Year, on the twenty-third or twenty-fourth day, families around China make a house cleaning, sweeping out the old in preparation for the New Year.
3) Bath and hair-cut
As the old Chinese saying goes, whether they’re rich or poor, people often have a haircut before the Spring Festival. The activity of taking a bath and haircut is often taken on Little New Year.
原创编写 版权所有 侵权必究！ 每日更新 个性化阅读 英语飙升！1.Little New Year can’t fall on ______.
A December 21
B January 22
C January 24
D February12
解析：选A。A 细节理解题。根据第一段的 “Little New Year, or Xiaonian, is usually a week before the Spring Festival, which falls on a different date between January 21 and February 20 each year.”可知，小年通常在春节的前一周，而春节在每年的1月21日和2月20日之间。由此可知，小年不可能在12月21日。故选A。
2.What does the underlined word “this” refer to?
A House cleaning.
B Bath and hair-cut.
C Celebrating Little New Year.
D All kinds of sweets.
解析：选D。词义猜测题。this就是代指前一句话中说的“各种糖果”，吃了糖就能让糖粘在灶王爷的嘴上（使其“嘴甜”），让他只说好话，故选D。
3.Chinese families always sweep out to prepare for the New Year ______.
A before the last lunar month
B between the Laba Festival and the Spring Festival
C from the 8th day to the 23rd of the last lunar month
D from Little New Year to the eve of Spring Festival
解析：选C。细节理解题。根据House cleaning部分的内容可知，中国家庭总是在腊八节（12月初8）到小年（12月23/24）期间大扫除为新的一年做准备。故选C。
4.What do people often do before the Spring Festival whether they’re rich or poor?
A To prepare a gift.
B To have a haircut.
C To make a friend.
D To buy new clothes.
解析：选B。细节理解题。根据最后一段As the old Chinese saying goes, whether they’re rich or poor, people often have a haircut before the Spring Festival.可知答案，故选B。
5.Which is TRUE about Little New Year?
A It is also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God.
B People in northern China celebrate it on the 24th day of the last lunar month.
C The offerings to the Kitchen God only include a pig’s head, fish, fruit and dumplings.
D The activity of taking a bath and haircut is often taken before Little New Year.
解析：选A。细节理解题。根据第一段It is also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God.可知A项正确；根据第二段的people in northern China celebrating it on the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month可知，B项错误；根据Offer sacrifices to Kitchen God部分的The offerings to the Kitchen God include a pig’s head, fish, fruit, dumplings and so on.可知，C项错误；根据文章最后的The activity of taking a bath and haircut is often taken on Little New Year.可知，D项错误。故选A。