Section B
Text B Christmas Tradition
For millions of people around the world, the very word "Christmas" brings warmth and joy to their hearts and homes. To some, it is simply a very popular holiday. But for many, it honors the birth of Jesus Christ. Here is a brief history of Christmas and some of the traditions connected with it.
1.warmth 温暖
2.honors 荣誉，礼遇
3.brief 简短的 简要的
4.connected 有联系的，有关联的
Why December 25th?
Well, during the first two centuries after Jesus' death, Christmas was not celebrated at all. Various attempts were made to determine the date of birth of Jesus, and at first, May 20th became the favored date. By the middle of the fourth century, however, Pope Julius selected December 25th as the day on which to celebrate Christ's birth.
1.attempts 试图，努力去做
2.determine 决定，确定
3.favored 有利的，受到优待的
4. selected 挑选，选中
Before that, December 25th had been a widely celebrated day in the Roman world. On that date, people honored a Roman sun god. Many modern Christmas customs, such as having a tree in the house and preparing special meals, came from this ancient celebration.
1.Roman 罗马
2.customs 习俗
Let's decorate the tree!
The Christmas tree tradition was started in Germany in the late fifteenth century. At that time, there was a popular theater play which included a fir tree hung with apples. Today, more than 80 percent of American families buy and decorate a tree at Christmas.
1.decorate 装饰
2.fir tree 杉树
3.hung 悬挂
How many Christmas cards do you usually send?
The first commercial Christmas cards were made in London in 1843. A rich man paid an artist to design a card. He then proudly sent it to his friends and relatives to wish them a "Merry Christmas." It was a good idea and it soon caught on. Today, Americans exchange millions of Christmas cards every year.
1.commercial 商业的 商用的
2.artist 艺术家
3.exchange 交换
Santa Claus is coming to town!
St. Nicholas was the original Santa Claus or "Father Christmas". He was widely known as a kind man who loved children. After his death, a story developed that he used to visit children on Christmas Eve and give them presents. When the Dutch people came to live in America many years ago, they brought their St. Nicholas, or Sinter Klaas in Dutch, with them. Sinter Klaas is therefore where we get the name Santa Claus.
1.original 原来的，最初的，原始的
2.developed 发展
3.Dutch people 荷兰人
4.therefore 因此
5.Santa Claus 圣诞老人
What's in that stocking?
According to the story, the practice of hanging up stockings is connected with St. Nicholas. It is believed that St. Nicholas learned about a man who was hopelessly in debt. He also learned that the man and his daughters were about to be sold as slaves.
1.stocking 长筒女袜
2.According to 根据
3. hopelessly 无望地
4. slaves 奴隶
Nicholas went to the man's home at night and threw a bag of gold through the man's window. The bag of gold landed in one of the daughters' stockings that had been hung up to dry. Today, all the above traditions are still kept as ways of celebrating Christmas.
翻译：
世界上有数以百万的人认为，正是“圣诞”这个词给他们的心灵和家庭带来了温暖和欢乐。对有些人来说，圣诞节仅仅是一个非常受欢迎的节日，而对许多人来讲，它是庆祝耶稣基督的日子。以下是关于圣诞节的简单历史和一些与之相关的习俗。
为什么定在12月25日？
耶稣去世后的最初两个世纪，人们根本不庆祝圣诞节。但有人曾多次尝试确定耶稣的生日，起初大家倾向于5月20日。然而到了公元4世纪中叶，尤里乌斯教皇选择12月25日作为庆祝耶稣诞生的日子。此前，12月25日已经在古罗马王国被广泛庆祝。在那天，人们纪念一位罗马太阳神。现代的许多圣诞节习俗，如在家里摆上一棵树、准备特别的食物等，就是源于这一古代庆典。
咱们一起装饰圣诞树吧！
圣诞树的传统于15世纪末起源于德国。那时有一出戏非常受欢迎，剧中就有一棵挂有苹果的杉树。今天，80%以上的美国家庭要在圣诞节购买和装饰圣诞树。
一般要送多少张圣诞贺卡？
第一张商业圣诞贺卡于1843年在伦敦问世。一位富人付钱给一位艺术家，请他设计一张贺卡。然后他很自豪地把设计好的贺卡送给他的亲朋好友——祝愿他们“圣诞节快乐”。这主意不错，并且很快就流行开来。如今，美国人每年要互赠数百万张圣诞贺卡。
圣诞老人来镇上啦！
圣尼古拉是圣诞老人的原型。他因心地善良、喜爱孩子而广为人知。圣尼古拉去世后，有故事传说他常在圣诞节前夜去看望孩子们，并送给他们礼物。很多年以前，当荷兰人来到美国定居时，他们就带来了圣尼古拉，荷兰语中称辛特克拉。“圣诞老人”就是从辛特克拉演化而来的。
圣诞袜里装的是什么？
据说，悬挂袜子的习俗同圣尼古拉有关。人们认为，圣尼古拉得知有一个人因欠债无力偿还而深感绝望；而且他和几个女儿还将被卖身为奴。深夜，圣尼古拉去了这个人的家，把装有金子的袋子从窗口扔进去，而袋子正好落入他女儿的一只正在悬挂晾晒的袜子里。
这些庆祝圣诞的种种习俗至今仍然保留。
