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The Interesting The Interesting Traditions of April Traditions of April Fool’s Day Fool’s Day
The Interesting The Interesting Traditions of April Fool’s Traditions of April Fool’s
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The Interesting The Interesting Traditions of April Fools Traditions of April Fools
DayDay•Text Learning
•After-reading exercises
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.
The Interesting Traditions The Interesting Traditions of April Fool’s Dayof April Fool’s Day
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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.
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The Interesting Traditions The Interesting Traditions of April Fool’s Dayof 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!"
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The Interesting Traditions The Interesting Traditions of April Fool’s Dayof 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.
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The Interesting Traditions The Interesting Traditions of April Fool’s Dayof 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.
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The Interesting Traditions The Interesting Traditions of April Fool’s Dayof April Fool’s Day
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。
有趣的愚人节传说
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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。
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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！”
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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。
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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。
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有趣的愚人节传说
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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。
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.
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。
ExerciseThis 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。
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practical joke 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。
practical a. 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。
practice n. 实践，实际，练习 e.g
.Practice makes perfect. 熟能生巧。
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uncertain 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
certain a. 肯定的，有把握的 certainly ad. 当然 certainty n. 确信，确实，必然
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come aboutcome 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。
表示发生的词及短语还有： take place, happen, occur 等。
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？
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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。
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observe 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？
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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。
hear ofhear 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 aboutbe given information about sth. 听说有关某人某物的内容比较详尽hear fromreceive a letter, a telephone call, etc. from sb. 接到某人的来信或电话
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play tricks onplay 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。
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something false 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
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……by taping…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。
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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.
alikealikead. 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。
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” 。
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
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。
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whatever the trick 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)
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fall for sth. 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
keep upkeep upmaintain 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。
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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 withmove or progress at the same rate as sb. or sth. 跟上某人或某物
e.g.
Slow down--- I can’t keep up with you. 慢点儿，我跟不上你啦。
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。
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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。
To receive … is considered a great honor…
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。
The Christmas Day falls on Monday.
After-readingAfter-reading ExercisesExercisesTranslation
1 月 1号为新年
圣诞节是在星期一
与朋友以及陌生人开些小玩笑
适用于学生和教师
相信这个玩笑
New year’s Day falls on January 1.
play small jokes on friends and strangers alike
be applied to students and teachers alike
fall for the joke
中了某人的诡计 fall for one’s trick
After-readingAfter-reading ExercisesExercisesTranslation
往饼干里塞棉花
往口袋里塞旧衣服
保留一整天
持续不断地打击敌人
集玩笑、诓骗和爱于一体
stuff a biscuit with cotton
stuff the bag with old clothes
keep up the whole day
keep up the attacks on the enemy
combinations of trick, deception, and love 集勇敢、无畏与一身
a combination of bravery and fearlessness
After-readingAfter-reading ExercisesExercisesTranslation
无意伤害任何人
故意出错
起源于法国
知道这个短语的由来
作为历法改革的结果
be not meant to harm anyone
be meant to make mistakes
come about in France
know how the phrase comes about
as a result of the change of the calendar 作为这场战争的结果
as a result of the war
After-readingAfter-reading ExercisesExercisesTranslation
推行新历法
推行新的经济措施
这个日期的变化
一个计划的改变
让他们去做徒劳之事
introduce a new calendar
introduce new economic measures
the change in the date
a change in a plan
send them on a fool’s errand
派这个男孩去办事 send the boy on an errand
