Starting a New Tradition

　　Shantelle Davis is a nine-year-old girl in New York. On a cold night in December, her family is standing around the kitchen table while she lights a candle. The table is decorated with baskets of fruits and vegetables and ears of com for Shantelle and her two brothers.
　　“This candle represents umoja, an African word that means being together,” Shantelle says. “That's the most important thing for a family.”
　　Tonight is the first night of Kwanzaa, and Shantelle is spending the holiday with her family. More than 5 million African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa every year from December 26 until January I. It's a time when they get together with their families to think about their history and their ancestors in Africa.
　　Kwanzaa is very unusual because it was started by one man. In 1966, an American named Maulana Karenga wanted a holiday for African-Americans to honor their culture and traditions. So he used words and customs from Africa to create a new celebration. He took the name Kwanzaa from the words for “first fruits” in Swahili, an African language. At first, a few American families had small celebrations at home. Now there are also Kwanzaa events in schools and public places，and Kwanzaa has spread to other countries like Canada and Jamaica.
　　The main symbol of Kwanzaa is a candleholder with seven candles, one for each of the principles of Kwanzaa. Each night, a family member lights one of the candles and talks about the idea it represents：being together, being yourself, helping each other, sharing, having a goal，creating, and believing. The candles are red, black, and green, the colors of Kwanzaa. The parents also pour drinks to honor family members who have died. On the last night of Kwanzaa, there is a big dinner with African food, and children receive small presents.
　　Today people can buy Kwanzaa greeting cards and special Kwanzaa clothes. Stores sell Kwanzaa candles and candleholders. Some people don't believe that Kwanzaa is a real holiday，because it's so new. But other people say that customs and celebrations are always changing and that Kwanzaa shows what is important in people's lives.
　　Shantelle Davis says she likes Kwanzaa because it's fun. “But I also learn new things every year," she says.
　　练习：
　　1.Kwanzaa is celebrated at the end of the year.
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　2.Kwanzaa is a holiday for African-Americans.
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　3.Kwanzaa is a very old holiday.
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　4.People in Africa celebrate Kwanzaa.
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　5.People spend a lot of time with their families during Kwanzaa.
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　6.Children receive presents at the end of Kwanzaa.
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
　　7.Everyone thinks Kwanzaa is an important holiday.
　　A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned

　　答案与题解：
　　1.A在第三段第二行我们可以发现：超过500万的非洲裔美国人每年从12月26日到1月1日庆祝宽扎节。所以题干的表述(人们在年底庆祝宽扎节)是正确的,答案为A。
　　2.A从第四段前四行所述的内容中我们可以发现：为了向自己的文化和传统致敬,1966年美国人马拉那?卡林加为非洲裔美国人创立了宽扎节。因此，题干的表述(宽扎节是为非洲裔美国人创立的节日）是正确的，答案为A。
　　3.B在第二题中我们知道宽扎节创立于1966年，并且文中第六段第三行也提到：一些人认为宽扎节的历史并不久远。所以，从以上两点我们可以得出结论：题干的表述（宽扎节的历史非常悠久)是错误的,答案为B。
　　4.C从整篇文章中我们知道宽扎节最初是为非洲裔美国人创立的，之后宽扎节的传统又流传到诸如加拿大、牙买加等其他国家(这一信息可以从第四段最后一行得到）。但是文中并未提及非洲人民是否也庆祝宽扎节，因此这一题的题干信息（非洲人民庆祝宽扎节）并没在文中给出答案为C。
　　5.A在段最后两行中，作者提到：这段时间里非洲裔美国人和家人待在一起緬怀历史和非洲的祖先。所以题干中的表述(宽扎节期间人民花很多时间和家人待在一起）是正确的，答案为A。
　　6.A在第五段最后两行中，作者提到：在宽扎节的最后一夜会有一顿非洲风味的大餐,并且孩子们会收到小礼物。所以，题干的表述(孩子们在宽扎节即将结束时收到礼物)是正确的，答案为A。
　　7.B在第六段第二行末尾，作者提到：由于宽扎节的历史并不久远，一些人认为它并不是一个真正的节日。从这里我们可以看出题干的表述(每个人都认为宽扎节是一个重要的节日）不正确，故答案为B。
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