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.
練習：
zaa is celebrated at the end of the year.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
zaa is a holiday for African-Americans.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
zaa is a very old holiday.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
le in Africa celebrate Kwanzaa.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
le spend a lot of time with their families during Kwanzaa.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
dren receive presents at the end of Kwanzaa.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
yone thinks Kwanzaa is an important holiday.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned
參考答案：
1.A在第三段第二行我們可以發現：超過500萬的非洲裔美國人每年從12月26日到1月1日慶祝寬扎節。所以題乾的表述(人們在年底慶祝寬扎節)是正確的,答案為A。
2.A從第四段前四行所述的內容中我們可以發現：為了向自己的文化和傳統致敬,1966年美國人馬拉那?卡林加為非洲裔美國人創立了寬扎節。因此，題乾的表述(寬扎節是為非洲裔美國人創立的節日)是正確的，答案為A。
3.B在第二題中我們知道寬扎節創立於1966年，並且文中第六段第三行也提到：一些人認為寬扎節的歷史並不久遠。所以，從以上兩點我們可以得出結論：題乾的表述(寬扎節的歷史非常悠久)是錯誤的,答案為B。
4.C從整篇文章中我們知道寬扎節最初是為非洲裔美國人創立的，之後寬扎節的傳統又流傳到諸如加拿大、牙買加等其他國家(這一資訊可以從第四段最後一行得到)。但是文中並未提及非洲人民是否也慶祝寬扎節，因此這一題的題幹資訊(非洲人民慶祝寬扎節)並沒在文中給出答案為C。
5.A在段最後兩行中，作者提到：這段時間裡非洲裔美國人和家人待在一起緬懷歷史和非洲的祖先。所以題幹中的表述(寬扎節期間人民花很多時間和家人待在一起)是正確的，答案為A。
6.A在第五段最後兩行中，作者提到：在寬扎節的最後一夜會有一頓非洲風味的大餐,並且孩子們會收到小禮物。所以，題乾的表述(孩子們在寬扎節即將結束時收到禮物)是正確的，答案為A。
7.B在第六段第二行末尾，作者提到：由於寬扎節的歷史並不久遠，一些人認為它並不是一個真正的節日。從這裡我們可以看出題乾的表述(每個人都認為寬扎節是一個重要的節日)不正確，故答案為B。
參考譯文：
珊特爾?戴維斯是一位九歲的'紐約小女孩。12月的一個寒夜，珊特爾?戴維斯的家人都圍站在餐桌邊看著她點亮一支蠟燭。水果蔬菜籃子和玉米穗裝飾著這個餐桌，這些都是給珊特爾和她的兩個兄弟的。
“這支蠟燭代表umoja，在非洲這個詞意味著在一起，”珊特爾說，“這是家庭中最重要的事。”
今晚是寬扎節的第一個晚上，珊特爾正和她的家人待在一起。超過500萬的非洲裔美國人每年從12月26日到1月1日慶祝寬扎節。這段時間裡他們和家人聚在一起緬懷他們的歷史和非洲的祖先。
