中国人为什么要过年？

春节，即农历新年，俗称 “过年”，是中华民族最隆重的传统节日，它与清明节、端午节、中秋节并称为中国四大传统节日，核心是辞旧迎新、阖家团圆、祈福纳祥。

2026 年春节为 2 月 17 日（农历正月初一），民间传统节期从腊月初八（腊八节）或 腊月二十三（祭灶节）开始，至正月十五元宵节结束，以除夕和正月初一为高潮。

The Spring Festival, known as the Lunar New Year and commonly referred to as "Guonian" (passing the year), is the most important traditional festival of the Chinese nation. Along with the Qingming Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival, they are known as China’s four major traditional festivals. Its core themes are bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, family reunion, praying for good fortune and blessings.

The 2026 Spring Festival falls on February 17, which is the first day of the first lunar month. The traditional folk celebration period begins with the Laba Festival (the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month) or the Kitchen God Festival (the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month), and concludes on the Lantern Festival (the fifteenth day of the first lunar month), with New Year's Eve and the first day of the lunar year as the highlights.

起源

春节可追溯至殷商时期的岁首祭神祭祖活动，与上古岁时祈年、驱邪除祟相关，核心是庆祝丰收、祈求来年顺遂。

The Spring Festival can be traced back to the rituals of worshipping gods and ancestors at the start of the year during the Shang Dynasty. It is associated with ancient ceremonies of praying for a good harvest and driving away evil spirits, with the core themes of celebrating harvests and wishing for a smooth and prosperous new year.

定型

西汉太初元年（公元前 104 年），汉武帝颁行《太初历》，以农历正月初一为岁首，春节日期自此固定，习俗逐步成型。

In 104 BCE (the first year of the Taichu reign of the Western Han Dynasty), Emperor Wu of Han issued the Taichu Calendar, which set the first day of the first lunar month as the start of the year. From then on, the date of the Spring Festival was fixed, and its customs gradually took shape.

发展

自隋唐起，春节正式成为法定假日，守岁、拜年等习俗也随之广泛普及；到了宋元明清，年俗内容不断丰富，贴春联、放鞭炮、吃年夜饭等核心仪式逐渐定型；进入近现代，央视春晚、电子拜年等新形式又为传统节日注入了时代活力。

Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Spring Festival officially has become a statutory holiday, and customs such as staying up overnight on New Year's Eve and paying New Year calls has become widely popular. During the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, festival traditions were further enriched, with core rituals like putting up Spring Festival couplets, setting off firecrackers and having a New Year's Eve dinner gradually taking shape. In modern times, new forms such as the CCTV Spring Festival Gala and electronic greetings have injected contemporary vitality into this traditional festival.

地域差异

北方吃饺子、逛庙会；南方吃汤圆 / 年糕、舞龙舞狮；部分少数民族如藏族过藏历新年、壮族过 “壮年”，习俗融合地域文化。

People in northern China typically eat dumplings and visit temple fairs, while those in the south enjoy tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) or niangao (rice cake) and watch dragon and lion dances. Some ethnic groups have their own celebrations: Tibetans observe the Tibetan New Year, and the Zhuang people celebrate Zhuangnian Festival, with customs deeply integrated with local cultures.

现代转型

团圆凝聚

年夜饭、守岁、拜年等习俗强化家族与社会纽带，是 “家文化” 的集中体现。

Customs such as the New Year’s Eve dinner, staying up late on New Year’s Eve, and paying New Year visits strengthen family and social bonds, and are a concentrated expression of family culture.

辞旧迎新

扫尘、放鞭炮、贴春联等仪式表达告别过往、迎接新生的期许，契合 “一元复始” 的哲学思想。

Customs like house cleaning, setting off firecrackers, and putting up Spring Festival couplets express the wish to bid farewell to the past and welcome a new beginning. They are in line with the philosophical idea of "the renewal of all things".

祈福纳祥

从祭神祭祖到迎财神、祈丰年，贯穿对平安、健康、财富、子嗣的美好愿望，是农耕文明 “天人合一” 观念的反映。

From worshipping gods and ancestors to welcoming the God of Wealth and praying for a good harvest, the festival embodies people’s sincere wishes for peace, health, wealth and offspring. It reflects the ancient agricultural civilization’s concept of "harmony between man and nature".

第一部分 阅读理解

第一节

1. B 解析：根据A篇第一段“allowing the public to get up close and personal with the latest discoveries”可知，展览的目的是向公众介绍最新的科学发现，故选B。A、C、D项均未在文中提及。

2. C 解析：根据A篇第二段“Visitors can try their hand at programming a robot”可知，游客可以尝试编程机器人，故选C。A项“购买可持续食品”、B项“参加免费科学课程”、D项“免费体检”均与原文不符（原文是“品尝”可持续食品、“参加每日讲座”而非课程，未提及体检）。

3. B 解析：根据A篇第三段“a new device that can detect early signs of heart disease using artificial intelligence”可知，该展览使用人工智能检测早期心脏病，故选B。A项“来自世界各地的专家开发”错误（原文是“顶尖大学的研究人员”）；C项“仅对成年人开放”错误（未提及年龄限制）；D项“已广泛应用于医院”错误（原文是“可能革新健康监测方式”，尚未广泛应用）。

4. C 解析：根据B篇第二段“Minimalism is not just about getting rid of possessions; it’s a lifestyle that emphasizes simplicity, intentionality, and mindfulness”可知，极简主义主要是一种简单且有目的性的生活方式，故选C。A、B项是极简主义的表现，而非核心；D项是其好处，不是定义。

5. A 解析：根据B篇第三段“With fewer clothes to choose from, fewer items in the home, and fewer commitments on the calendar, we have more mental space to focus”可知，极简主义通过减少选择来缓解决策疲劳，故选A。B、C、D项是缓解决策疲劳后的结果，而非原因。

6. B 解析：根据B篇第二段“For many people, minimalism is a way to reduce stress... more meaningful life”可知，作者支持极简主义；再根据最后一段“However, minimalism is not for everyone”可知，作者也客观指出其不适合所有人，态度是支持但客观，故选B。

7. C 解析：根据C篇第一段“recent research suggests that a combination of different approaches is the most effective way to master a second language”可知，结合不同方法学习语言最有效，故选C。A、B项是部分人的观点，并非研究结论；D项原文未提及（词汇和语法同样重要）。

8. B 解析：根据C篇第二段“Vocabulary is the building blocks of any language, and without a sufficient number of words, it’s impossible to communicate effectively”可知，词汇是有效沟通的基础，故选B。A项是语法的作用；C、D项是听力练习的好处。

9. C 解析：根据C篇第三段“Watching movies, listening to music, and having conversations with native speakers are all great ways to practice these skills（listening skills）”可知，看目标语言的电影是练习听力的好方法，故选C。A项是练习写作；B项是练习阅读；D项是记忆语法，均与听力无关。

10. B 解析：根据C篇最后一段“Finally, consistency is key. Learning a language takes time and effort, and it’s important to practice every day”可知，成功学习语言的关键是每天坚持练习，故选B。A项“短时间学大量单词”、C项“一次专注一种技能”、D项“每周和母语者交流”均未提及是“关键”。

第二节

11. B 解析：根据空后“Before you start studying, take a few minutes to plan your session”可知，此处讲的是“规划学习时间”，对应选项B。

12. D 解析：根据空后“Your study environment plays a crucial role in your ability to focus”可知，此处讲的是“创造良好的学习环境”，对应选项D。

13. A 解析：根据空后“it’s important to take short breaks every 45-60 minutes”可知，此处讲的是“定期休息”，对应选项A。

14. E 解析：根据空后“Keeping your mind active is essential for staying focused”可知，此处讲的是“保持思维活跃”，对应选项E。

15. F 解析：根据空后“It’s important to take care of your body and mind if you want to stay focused”可知，此处讲的是“照顾好自己”，对应选项F。

第二部分 语言知识运用

第一节 完形填空

16. A 解析：根据前文“I was a shy and quiet student... I always felt like I was not good enough”可知，作者害羞自卑，强迫自己待在舒适区，force oneself to do sth. 强迫自己做某事，符合语境。allow允许；encourage鼓励；help帮助，均不符合。

17. B 解析：根据前文作者害羞，以及“speaking in front of the entire class”可知，作者一想到在全班面前演讲就害怕，terrified害怕的，符合语境。excited兴奋的；curious好奇的；confused困惑的，均不符合。

18. C 解析：根据后文老师的鼓励话语可知，老师说服作者参加演讲比赛，persuade说服，符合语境。warn警告；beg恳求；order命令，均不符合师生语境。

19. A 解析：根据老师的话“You have a beautiful voice and interesting ideas”可知，老师鼓励作者表达自己，express表达，符合语境。prove证明；improve提高；challenge挑战，均不符合。

20. A 解析：根据后文“I wrote about my love... I practiced in front of the mirror”可知，作者花几周时间准备演讲，prepare准备，涵盖“写演讲稿、练习”等动作，更全面。write写；practice练习；revise修改，均只是准备的一部分。

21. B 解析：根据前文作者害羞，以及“books had helped me”可知，书籍帮助作者克服害羞，overcome克服，符合语境。fight斗争（不接宾语时需加against）；hide隐藏；forget忘记，均不符合。

22. B 解析：根据“I even asked my family and friends to listen”可知，作者让家人朋友听演讲并给出建议，advice建议，符合语境。gift礼物；support支持；praise表扬，此处作者是准备阶段，需要的是建议而非表扬。

23. C 解析：one's heart is racing是英语中描述 “心跳加速” 的固定常用表达，侧重因紧张、激动等情绪导致心跳节奏变快，完美贴合语境。A. beating：虽可表示 “心脏跳动”（如the heart beats），但仅描述心脏的常规生理跳动，无法体现 “加速” 的状态，不符合紧张的语境。B. breaking（破碎）、D. sinking（下沉）：均为语义不符的干扰项，无法与 heart 搭配表达生理状态。

24. D 解析：根据“I took a deep breath”和“the words came out smoothly”可知，作者深呼吸后开始演讲，start doing sth. 开始做某事，符合语境。stop停止；continue继续；avoid避免，均不符合。

25. B 解析：根据“the words came out smoothly”可知，作者越讲越自信，confident自信的，符合语境。nervous紧张的；comfortable舒适的；tired疲惫的，均不符合。

26. A 解析：根据“the class erupted in applause”和老师的表扬可知，作者感受到了成就感，achievement成就感，符合语境。sadness悲伤；relief放松；disappointment失望，均不符合。

27. C 解析：根据前文作者害羞，以及“started speaking up in class more often”可知，演讲比赛帮助作者战胜了害羞，conquer战胜、克服，符合语境。embrace拥抱；keep保持；accept接受，均不符合。

28. B 解析：根据后文“the courage to take action despite it（fear）”可知，此处指勇气不是没有恐惧，而是带着恐惧行动，courage勇气，符合语境。success成功；happiness幸福；strength力量，均不符合。

29. B 解析：根据语境“we should never let fear... from pursuing our dreams”可知，不要让恐惧阻止我们追求梦想，prevent sb. from doing sth. 阻止某人做某事，是固定搭配。protect保护；save拯救；free释放，均不符合。

30. C 解析：根据前文“the courage to take action”可知，我们需要勇气去尝试，courage勇气，符合语境。patience耐心；wisdom智慧；opportunity机会，均不符合。

第二节 语法填空

31. seeking 解析：考查非谓语动词。主语people与seek之间是主动关系，用现在分词作伴随状语，故填seeking。

32. involves 解析：考查时态和主谓一致。全文用一般现在时，主语it（hiking）是第三人称单数，谓语动词用第三人称单数形式，故填involves。

33. anxiety 解析：考查名词。reduce是及物动词，后接名词作宾语，anxious的名词形式是anxiety（不可数名词），故填anxiety。

34. sharing 解析：考查非谓语动词。主语people与share之间是主动关系，且与creating并列，用现在分词作伴随状语，故填sharing。

35. which 解析：考查定语从句。先行词是cycling lanes，指物，关系词在非限制性定语从句中作主语，用which引导，故填which。

36. planned 解析：考查形容词。修饰名词route，用形容词作定语，planned意为“计划好的”，故填planned。

37. If/When 解析：考查状语从句。句意：如果/当安全进行时，户外活动能带来很多乐趣。此处引导条件状语从句或时间状语从句，可填If或When（句首首字母大写）。

38. put 解析：考查固定句型。why not后接动词原形，表建议，意为“为什么不做某事”，故填put。

39. yourself 解析：考查反身代词。句意：亲自体验大自然的美，for oneself亲自，结合主语you，故填yourself。

40. rewarding 解析：考查形容词。find it + 形容词，此处用形容词作宾语补足语，reward的形容词形式是rewarding（有意义的、值得的），故填rewarding。

第三部分 写作

第一节 读后续写

1. which → whose 解析：考查定语从句。先行词是activity，与aim之间是所属关系，用whose引导定语从句，表“……的”，故将which改为whose。

2. activity → activities 解析：考查名词复数。a series of后接可数名词复数，activity的复数形式是activities，故将activity改为activities。

3. 去掉it 解析：考查定语从句。that引导定语从句，在从句中作read的宾语，it多余，故去掉it。

4. prepare → preparing 解析：考查固定搭配。spend time doing sth. 花费时间做某事，故将prepare改为preparing。

5. me → myself 解析：考查反身代词。主语是I，宾语与主语一致，用反身代词myself，express oneself表达自己，故将me改为myself。

6. speak → speaking 解析：考查固定搭配。start doing sth. 开始做某事，故将speak改为speaking。

7. judge → judges 解析：考查名词复数。结合语境，比赛的评委不止一人，用复数形式judges，故将judge改为judges。

8. great → greatly 解析：考查副词。修饰形容词successful，用副词作状语，great的副词形式是greatly，故将great改为greatly。

9. play后加an 解析：考查固定搭配。play an important role in在……中起重要作用，important以元音音素开头，用an，故在play后加an。

10. overcomes → overcame 解析：考查时态。定语从句描述的是书中的故事，用一般过去时，故将overcomes改为overcame。

第二节 书面表达（参考范文）

Dear Peter,

I’m glad to receive your email and thank you for your concern about my study and life in Senior Three.

The most unforgettable school activity for me is the Senior Three Speech Contest held last month in our school hall. It aimed to relieve our study pressure and encourage us to face challenges bravely. All senior three students took part in it, and we talked about our dreams and struggles in the past two years.

I was nervous at first but finally summoned up my courage to deliver my speech. I shared my experience of overcoming learning difficulties, and won warm applause. This activity made me more confident and taught me to keep a positive attitude.

Now I can balance my study and mood better, and I’m determined to keep working hard for my college dream.

Looking forward to your reply.

Yours,

Li Hua