Text A

1. Text A The Interesting Traditions of April Fool’s Day

2. Text Learning • After-reading exercises The Interesting Traditions of April Fools Day

3. The Interesting Traditions of April Fool’s Day 1 The first of April is a special day, on which practical jokes may be played without punishment. The origin of the custom is uncertain, but it seems to have come about in France as a result of the change of the calendar in 1582. T

4. The Interesting Traditions of April Fool’s Day 2 In 16th-century France, the start of the new year was observed on April 1. It was celebrated in much the same way as it is today with parties and dancing into the late hours of the night. Then in 1582, Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar for the Christian world, and the new year fell on January 1. There were some people, however, who hadn’t heard of or didn’t believe the change in the date, so they continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1. Others played tricks on them and called them "April Fools". They sent them on a "fool’s errand" or tried to make them believe that something false was true. T

5. The Interesting Traditions of April Fool’s Day 3 In France today, children fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their friends' backs. When the "young fool" discovers this trick, the children yell "April Fish!" Today Americans play small tricks on friends and strangers alike on the same day. One common trick is pointing down to a friend's shoe and saying, "Your shoelace is untied!" School children might tell a classmate that school has been canceled. Whatever the trick, if the innocent victim falls for the joke, others would yell, "April Fool!" T

6. The Interesting Traditions of April Fool’s Day 4 The "fool‘s errands" we play on people are practical jokes. Filling the sugar bowl with salt, stuffing a biscuit with cotton and offering an empty egg shell at breakfast, are good old tricks. Some practical jokes are kept up the whole day before the victim realizes what day it is. Most April Fool jokes are in good fun and not meant to harm anyone. The most clever April Fool joke is the one where everyone laughs, especially the person upon whom the joke is played. T

7. The Interesting Traditions of April Fool’s Day 5 There are also April Fool letters. They are combinations of trick, deception, and love. The letters are never signed, but girls, apparently, make a game of trying to guess who send them. To receive an April Fool letter during April, for it can be sent anytime during the month, is considered a great honor and the contents are shared among good friends. T

8. 有趣的愚人节传说 1 4月1号是一个特殊的日子。这一天人们可以搞恶作剧而不会受到惩罚。这个习俗的来历不明，但似乎起因于法国1582年的历法改革。 Text

9. 有趣的愚人节传说 2 在16世纪的法国，人们在4月1号庆祝新年的开始。新年的庆祝方式与现在极为相似，人们举办晚会，跳舞，一直持续到深夜。后来在1582年，教皇格列高利在信奉基督教的地区推行了一部新历法，其新 年为1月1号。但有些人没有听说过或不相信日期已经改变，他们照旧 在4月1号过新年。其他人就捉弄他们，把他们称为“四月愚人 ”。人们常让这些人做一些徒劳之事，或想方设法让他们对虚假之事信以为真。 Text

10. 有趣的愚人节传说 3 现在，法国的孩子们把纸鱼贴在同伴的后背上来捉弄人。当“小愚人”发觉了这个恶作剧时，孩子们就会大喊：“四月鱼！”现在的美国人也在这一天跟朋友以及陌生人开些小玩笑。一个最常见的玩笑是指着朋友的鞋子说：“你的鞋带开了！”小学生们可能会跟同学说学校停课了。不管是什么样的恶作剧，只要是无辜的受害者中了圈套，其他人便大喊：“四月愚人！” Text

11. 有趣的愚人节传说 4 所谓的“徒劳傻事”都是些捉弄人的恶作剧。例如，在糖碗里放盐，往饼干里塞棉花，早餐时给人一个空蛋壳等，都是不错的老把戏。有一些恶作剧在一整天都不会被拆穿，直到受害者意识到这一天是什么日子。大多数愚人节的恶作剧都是善意的玩笑，不会有意地去伤害任何人。最妙的愚人节玩笑是让每个人都笑，尤其是让被捉弄的人也开心一笑。 Text

12. 有趣的愚人节传说 5 还有一些愚人节的信件。这些信件集玩笑、诓骗和爱意于一体。这种信从没有署名，但显然女孩子们把猜寄信人作为一种游戏。因为愚人节的信可以在这个月的任何时候发出，所以4月里能收到一封这样的信被认为是一件幸事，信的内容则会跟好朋友们分享。 Text

13. The first of April is a special day, on which practical jokes may be played without punishment. April 1st is a special day and on that day people can play practical jokes on others and will not get punishment. 句中which引导一非限制性定语从句，补充说明是一个什么样的特殊的一天。which指代a special day与介词on一起在定语从句中作状语。 Text

14. e.g. October 1st is an important day, on which the People’s Republic of China was founded. 十月一日是一个重要的日子，中华人民共和国就是在这一天成立的。 Exercise This is an old house, in which Luxun once lived. 这是一座老房子，鲁迅曾经在里面住过。 Text

15. practical joke trick played on sb. for amusement, usu. involving some physical action 恶作剧 e.g. The children put salt in the sugar bowl as a practical joke. 孩子们玩恶作剧，把盐放进了糖罐里。 practicala.实际的；实用的 practise(US practice ) vt.后接名词或动名词作宾语 e.g. Our English teacher asked us to practice speaking English as much as possible. 我们英语老师要求我们尽可能多地练说英语。 practicen.实践，实际，练习 e.g. Practice makes perfect.熟能生巧。 Text

16. uncertain a. not knowing (known) definitely无把握，知道得不确切 unreliable 靠不住的，不可信赖的 likely to vary常变化的 e.g. The result of the match is uncertain. 比赛的结果还不明朗。 un-是否定前缀 e.g. uncomfortable unclean unimportant unconscious certaina.肯定的，有把握的 certainlyad.当然 certaintyn.确信，确实，必然 Text

17. come about happen 发生 e.g. I don’t know how the accident came about. 我不知道那起事故是如何发生的。 How did it come about that your mother knew where we stayed？ 你妈妈是怎么知道我们呆在什么地方的呢？ 表示发生的词及短语还有：take place, happen, occur等。 Text

18. as a result of because of由于，因为，表示原因 as a result so因此，所以，表示结果 e.g. The fight was delayed as a result of the heavy fog. 由于大雾该航班误点。 He stayed up last night, as a result, he was late for class this morning. 他昨天晚上睡迟了，因此今天早上上课迟到了。 Text

19. observe v. celebrate (festivals, birthdays, anniversaries, etc) 庆祝，过（节日，生日，周年等） e.g. Do you observe Christmas Day in China? 你们中国人过圣诞节吗？ observe通常作“注意到，看到” e.g. She observed that he had left but made no comment. 她看见他离去，但未置一词。 Text

20. hear of be told about or have knowledge of sb. or sth. 听到或知道某人或某物的情况 e.g. I have never heard of the singer. 我从未听说过这位歌手。 hear of 听说有关某人某物的内容极少 hear about be given information about sth. 听说有关某人某物的内容比较详尽 hear from receive a letter, a telephone call, etc. from sb. 接到某人的来信或电话 Text

21. play tricks on do sth. in order to deceive or outwit sb. 对某人施用诡计 e.g. His roommates like to play tricks on him. 他的室友们喜欢捉弄他。 Text

22. something false false a. 作定语修饰something。 形容词修饰不定代词时，通常后置。 e.g. nothing serious没什么严重的 anything interesting有什么有趣的 something important重要的事情 Text

23. …by taping… 句中by是介词，后接动名词构成介宾结构，作方式状语。 e.g. The old lady made a living by selling vegetables. 这位老太太靠卖菜为生。 他为了替这位生病的孩子筹钱当众卖唱。 He collected money for the sick boy by singing in public. Text

24. alike ad. in the same way同样地 e.g. The climate here is always cold, summer and winter alike. 这里的气候总是那么寒冷，夏季和冬季都是一样。 The teacher is so kind that she treats every student exactly alike. 这位老师很和蔼，对所有学生都一视同仁 alike还常用作形容词在句中作表语，相当于like one another; similar，意为“相同，相似” 。 e.g. Although they are twins, they don’t look alike at all. 尽管他们是双胞胎，但看起来一点都不像。 Text

25. whatever the trick whatever the trick is 这是一个省略句，whatever是一个连词，相当于no matter what, 但当whatever引导名词性从句时不可用no matter what来替换。 e.g. Whatever he found, he would put it away. =No matter what he found, he would put it away. Do whatever you like. (whatever = anything that) Text

26. fall for sth. allow oneself to be persuaded by sth., esp unwisely 信以为真 e.g. The salesman said the car was in good condition, and I was foolish enough to fall for it. 推销员说这辆汽车状况良好，而我那么傻，竟然信以为真。 Our monitor was clever and he never fell for the tricks we played on him. 我们班长很聪明，他从来不上我们的当。 fall for sb. be attracted to sb.; fall in love with sb. 被某人所吸引，爱上某人 e.g. They met, fell for each other and got married six weeks later. 他们俩一见钟情，六星期后就结婚了。 Text

27. keep up maintain维持，保持 e.g. They sang songs to keep their spirit up. 他们唱着歌以保持高昂的精神。 You are doing a wonderful job; keep up the good work. 你们干得很出色，要保持下去。 keep up with move or progress at the same rate as sb. or sth. 跟上某人或某物 e.g. The old man can’t keep up with all the changes in computer technology. 计算机技术的各种改进有些这位老人已跟不上了。 Slow down--- I can’t keep up with you. 慢点儿，我跟不上你啦。 Text

28. To receive … is considered a great honor… 句中to receive是动词不定式在句中作主语。动词不定式作主语时，为了避免头重脚轻，通常用it作形式主语；另外动词不定式通常表示抽象概念，谓语动词用单数。 e.g. To carry the heavy boxes is hard work. (=It is hard work to carry the heavy boxes.) 搬这些沉重的箱子是苦差事。 To reach the airport before 11 o’clock is necessary. (=It is necessary to reach the airport before 11 o’clock. ) 有必要在十一点前赶到机场。 Text

29. After-readingExercises Translation 1月1号为新年 New year’s Day falls on January 1. 圣诞节是在星期一 The Christmas Day falls on Monday. 与朋友以及陌生人开些小玩笑 play small jokes on friends and strangers alike 适用于学生和教师 be applied to students and teachers alike 相信这个玩笑 fall for the joke 中了某人的诡计 fall for one’s trick

30. After-readingExercises Translation 往饼干里塞棉花 stuff a biscuit with cotton 往口袋里塞旧衣服 stuff the bag with old clothes 保留一整天 keep up the whole day 持续不断地打击敌人 keep up the attacks on the enemy 集玩笑、诓骗和爱于一体 combinations of trick, deception, and love 集勇敢、无畏与一身 a combination of bravery and fearlessness

31. After-readingExercises Translation 无意伤害任何人 be not meant to harm anyone 故意出错 be meant to make mistakes 起源于法国 come about in France 知道这个短语的由来 know how the phrase comes about 作为历法改革的结果 as a result of the change of the calendar 作为这场战争的结果 as a result of the war

32. After-readingExercises Translation 推行新历法 introduce a new calendar 推行新的经济措施 introduce new economic measures 这个日期的变化 the change in the date 一个计划的改变 a change in a plan 让他们去做徒劳之事 send them on a fool’s errand 派这个男孩去办事 send the boy on an errand