S: Hi Evan ,what’s up E：not much ,what about you? S: Pretty good. The spring festival is coming soon . Do you know the origin of Chinese New Year . E: Yeah , a little . Spring festival starts from the beginning of the spring . It is the first term of the twenty-four in coordination with the changes of nature .the first day of lunar calendar. It is the most important and popular festival in China . S: Yeah , Spring festival is also my favorite.Because I could have a long holiday . As far as I know , Spring festival originates from the word “nian”，which in modern Chinese means “year”. Nian is a monster that start to prey on human at the night before the new year. So people putting up red paper and firing firecrackers to scare away the monster Nian.which lead to the birth of spring festival . E: What do you usually prepare for the festival . S:In my family ,we need to clean the house and buy enough vegetables and meat to guarantee having a good holiday . H:Yeah , we will do the same thing and I am asked to do the cleaning , because my mother said it could get rid of the ill-fortune .It is so boring. S:Oh , what a pity .What do you usually do at the new year’s eve . E:We usually have a family reunion dinner ,Of course , including, beef , fish ,chicken, and many delicious food. After that , we usually see the spring festival gala and stay up until the dawn . Then the first day of the new year coming and we eat dumplings for breakfast . What about you. S:The same as you , our family have supper together and play cards and talk all night . It is so impressive that I can remember it for long time .And the senior would give the junior the pocket money , which is my favorite time . After the new year’ eve , do you visit your relatives ? E: Yes , every year we dress new clothes and call on my grandparents a, uncles and aunts.I will acquire a lot of money, happy time. Do you have a plan this year? S: Yes , this year our family intend to travel to HaiNan island and celebrate the spring festival there . I am excited when my mother told me the decision .And you ? E: I have no plan . I think staying at home with my parents is better . Can you tell me something about the traditional custom of the spring festival ,such as pasting spring couplets , set off firecrackers and so on . S: of course ,there is a lot of fun when pasting spring couplets ,spring couplets are a pair of red paper with blessing characters. It can

construct the cheerful atmosphere of the festival. E: I remember that our family ‘couplets was always made by my grandpa in the past. However, recently, we bought the spring couplets in the market. S: yeah, fire-crackers is a indispensible thing during the festival, which are meant to say goodbye to the old year and greet in the new year. The firecracker is an unique product in China. It can also foster a joyful atmosphere. It’s a wonderful invention , what do you think . E: Indeed good . eat and eat, As the old Chinese saying goes: food is everything. Because there are a plenty of delicious food waiting for you. The tradition is to have different main courses everyday from the 1st day of the New Year to the 15th day of the New Year, from Jiao Zi (dumplings), noodles, spring rolls, sticky rice cakes, and Tang Yuan (stuffed rice balls). Do you like the dumplings? S:oh, yes. I can`t wait . Dumpling is my favorite. You know? Besides the delicious taste, each food has a meaning as well: for instance, Jiao Zi looks like gold ingot, implying a wealthy year ahead. You cannot have a complete Spring Festival without having jiaozi ! E:absolutely, the whole family will sit together to make jiaozi and celebrate the Spring Festival. Another tradition is staying up late on new year`s eve. However, now there are less and less people in cities who will stay up late to see New Year coming. S: I agree with you ,but a new habit has been fostered among the Chinese . watching the new year`s gala which is a variety show held by China Central Television (CCTV) since 1983. . It brings laughter to billions of people and creates many popular words. What`s your opinion? E: en , there is no doubt that the gala has become one part of the new year`s eve. Everybody will talk about the show next morning. If you miss it ,you will be out.

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