高一英语必修3Unit1同步阅读

新课标（模块3）Unit1Valentine'sDAYValentine'sDayValentine'sDay(情人节)isnamedforSaintValentineanearlyChristianchurchman(牧师)whoreportedlyhelpedyounglovers.ValentinewaskilledforhisChristianbeliefsonFebruary14morethan1,700yearsago,butthedaythathashisnameisevenearlierthanthat.Morethan2,000yearsago,theancient(远古的)Romanscelebratedaholidayforlovers.Aspartofthecelebration,girlswrotetheirnamesonpiecesofpaperandputtheminalargecontainer.Boysreachedintothecontainerandpulledoneout.Thegirlwhosenamewaswrittenonthepaperbecamehisloverorsweetheartforayear.LoversstillputtheirnamesonpiecesofpaperandtheysendeachotherValentine\'sDaycardsthattelloftheirlove.Sometimestheyalsosendgifts,likeflowersorchocolatecandy.Americansusuallysendthesegiftsandcardsthroughthemailsystem.Butsomeusedanotherwaytosendthismessage.Theyhaveitprintedinanewspaper.Thecostisusuallyafewdollars.Someofthemessagesaresimpleandshort,Jane,Iloveyouverymuch.Otherssaymore.Thisone,forexample,Don,rosesarered.Violets(紫罗兰)areblue.IhopeyoulovemeasmuchasIloveyou.Forever,Mary.Mostofthenewspapersthatprintsuchmessagesarelocal,butUSATodayissoldthroughouttheUnitedStatesand90othercountriesaswell.ThismeanssomeonecansendaValentinemessagetoaloverinafar-awaycityortownalmostanywhereintheworld.Thesemessagescost80dollarsandmore.Anemployee(职员)ofUSATodaysaysreaderscanhaveasmallheartorroseprintedalongwiththeirmessagesthisyear.WillthiskindofValentine\'sDaymessagereachtheoneyoulove?Well,justmakesureheorshereadsthenewspaper.NewYear'sDayLikemanypeopleallovertheworld,Americansenjoycelebratingthearrivalofeachnewyear.AlmosteveryonemakesanoccasionofNewYear\'sEveinordertoseetheoldyearoutandwelcomethenewone.InNewYork,afavoritegatheringplaceonDecember31isNewYorkCity\'sTimesSquare.ThousandsofAmericansandinternationaltouristscrowdthisfamousspot(attheintersectionofBroadwayandSeventhAvenue)andcranetheirneckstowatchforHappyNewYeartoflashacrosstheelectronicallycontrolledsignthatmovesaround.Whenthemomentarrivesbedlambreaksforth.Bellsring,whistlesblow,peoplecheerwiththeirhappyexcitement.Thecheerfulscenegoesoneafteranotherinpublicsquaresthroughoutthecountry,butnotatthesamemoment.BecauseofthefourtimezonesintheUnitedStatestheNewYearcomestotheCentralStatesonehourlater,totheMountainStatestwohourslater,andfinallytotheWesternStatesthreehoursaftertheEasternStateshavesaidgoodbyetoanotheryear.Sobyfollowingtheradioandtelevisionbroadcastseveryonecanenjoythefestivitiesinotherpartsofthecountryaswellastheirown.Somepeopleprefertoseetheoldyearoutatachurchservice.Althoughtheholidaydoesnothavereligiousorigin,manychurchesholdWatchNightservicesonNewYear\'sEve.ThosewhogotochurchescansolemnlyrenewtheirdedicationtoGodforthecomingyear.Thecustomofvisitingfriends,relativesandneighborsisoneofthepopularactivitiesonNewYear\'sDay.ThisactivityiscalledOpenHouse.ThecustomofOpenHousewasinauguratedbyGeorgeWashingtonduringhisfirsttermasPresident.OnJanuary1,1789,PresidentWashingtonfirstopenedthedoorsofhisofficialresidencetoallwhowishedtocome.AnOpenHouseisjustwhatthenameimplies:thefrontdoorisleftopen.Insidethedoorthereisaspiritofrelaxedcordiality,andguestsarefreetoarriveandleavewhentheylike.Invitationsmaysaysimply,DropinafterthegameorComedrinkaNewYear\'stoastwithus.OnJanuary1,now,familiesholdOpenHousesothattheirfriendscanvisitthemthroughoutthedaytoexpressgoodwishesforthenewyear.ManychampionshipfootballgamesarescheduledforNewYear’sDay,andthereisusuallyanelaborateparadebeforeeachfootballgame.Often,muchofthedayisspentwatchingthesegamesontelevisionAprilFool'sDay(April1)Insixteenth-centuryFrance,thestartofthenewyearwasobservedonAprilfirst.Itwascelebratedinmuchthesamewayasitistodaywithpartiesanddancingintothelatehoursofthenight.Thenin1562,PopeGregoryintroducedanewcalendarfortheChristianworld,andthenewyearfellonJanuaryfirst.Thereweresomepeople,however,whohadn'theardordidn'tbelievethechangeinthedate,sotheycontinuedtocelebrateNewYear'sDayonAprilfirst.OthersplayedtricksonthemandcalledthemAprilfools.Theysentthemonafool'serrandortriedtomakethembelievethatsomethingfalsewastrue.InFrancetoday,AprilfirstiscalledPoissond'Avril.Frenchchildrenfooltheirfriendsbytapingapaperfishtotheirfriends'backs.Whentheyoungfooldiscoversthistrick,thepranksteryellsPoissond’Avril!(AprilFish!)TodayAmericansplaysmalltricksonfriendsandstrangersalikeonthefirstofApril.OnecommontrickonAprilFool'sDay,orAllFool'sDay,ispointingdowntoafriend'sshoeandsaying,Yourshoelaceisuntied.Teachersinthenineteenthcenturyusedtosaytopupils,Look!Aflockofgeese!andpointup.Schoolchildrenmighttellaclassmatethatschoolhasbeencanceled.Whateverthetrick,iftheinnocentvictimfallsforthejokethepranksteryells,AprilFool!Thefools'errandsweplayonpeoplearepracticaljokes.Puttingsaltinthesugarbowlforthenextpersonisnotanicetricktoplayonastranger.Collegestudentssettheirclocksanhourbehind,sotheirroommatesshowuptothewrongclass-ornotatall.Somepracticaljokesarekeptupthewholedaybeforethevictimrealizeswhatdayitis.MostAprilFooljokesareingoodfunandnotmeanttoharmanyone.ThemostcleverAprilFooljokeistheonewhereeveryonelaughs,especiallythepersonuponwhom