While popular in the U.S, the April Fool’s Day tradition is even more prevalent in European countries, such as France and Great Britain. Although the roots of the traditional tricking are unclear, the French and the British both have claims on the origin of the celebration.
One theory holds that the first April Fool’s Day was on April 1st of the year when King of France instituted the new calendar. This new system placed the day that had formerly been the first day of a new year on April 1st. many people were reluctant to adjust to the new calendar and continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on what had become the first day of April. Thus, they become the first April fools. Others began to give gag (恶作剧) gifts on the day to mock the foolishness of those who continued to celebrate the new year on April 1st.
An English story about the day, however, holds that it began sometime during the 1200s. at the time, King John of England was in the habit of making a road out of nearly every path he walked regularly. The citizens of one particular farm village were aware of this. To avoid having their green meadows and pastures disturbed with one of the king’s roads, they built a fence that prevented the king from walking though their countryside. The king sent a group of messengers to inform the villagers that they must remove the barrier. Upon hearing that the king was planning to do this, however, the villagers developed a plan of their own. When the messengers arrived, thy found what appeared to be a community of lunatics (疯子), with people behaving in a weird manner, throwing things and running around wildly. The messengers, alarmed at what they had found, reported to king john that these people were so mad as to be beyond punishment. So, the villagers saved their farmland by tricking the king. In Great Britain, tradition only allows April Fool’s tricks from midnight to noon on April 1st. Those who try to play tricks in the afternoon become fools themselves.
6. According to the passage, where was the April Fool’s Day celebrated?
A) In America B)In French C) In England D)still ill-defined
7. According to the passage, the first French April fools were ___
A) people who supported the new calendar B)people who opposed the new calendar
C) King of France D) all the people in France
8 In French new calendar, April 2should be ___of the old calendar.
A) January 2nd B) July 2nd C) February 2nd D) December 2nd
9 According to the English story, the first April fools were_______
A) the citizens of a particular village B)King John and his messengers
B) a group of messengers D) a group of mad people
10 According to the English story, the villagers built a fence______
A) because they were so mad as not to control their actions
B) because their farmland had been ruined by their king
C) because their king often walked on their farmland
D) to prevent their king from turning their farmland into roads

10.d

To avoid having their green meadows and pastures disturbed with one of the king’s roads, they built a fence that prevented the king from walking though their countryside.


9.b
The messengers, alarmed at what they had found, reported to king john that these people were so mad as to be beyond punishment. So, the villagers saved their farmland by tricking the king.

8.a
many people were reluctant to adjust to the new calendar and continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on what had become the first day of April.

7.b

Others began to give gag (恶作剧) gifts on the day to mock the foolishness of those who continued to celebrate the new year on April 1st.

6.d

the French and the British both have claims on the origin of the celebration.