‭20240205RC20‬

‭ or questions 1 – 10, choose the option (A, B, C or D) which you think best‬
F
‭answers the question.‬

‭ What is the significance of the 10th-month celebration described in the Classic of‬
1
‭Poetry?‬
‭A It was a precursor to the Mid-Autumn Festival.‬
‭B It marked the end of the harvest season.‬
‭C It was the first recorded instance of Chinese New Year.‬
‭D It was a ritual to worship the Moon.‬

‭ How did the "Big Nuo" ritual contribute to the evolution of Chinese New Year‬
2
‭traditions?‬
‭A It introduced the practice of ancestor worship.‬
‭B It was the origin of the custom of cleaning houses before the New Year.‬
‭C It was a celebration of the New Year with rice wine.‬
‭D It marked the beginning of the tradition of visiting acquaintances.‬

‭ What does the term 'Zheng Ri' refer to in the context of the Han dynasty?‬
3
‭A The last day of the year.‬
‭B The first day of the first month.‬
‭C A ritual to commemorate ancestors.‬
‭D A type of New Year's greeting card.‬

‭ What was the purpose of the 'shousui' tradition during the Jin dynasty?‬
4
‭A To worship ancestors throughout the night.‬
‭B To stay awake all night until sunrise.‬
‭C To exchange gifts and well wishes.‬
‭D To perform exorcism rituals.‬

‭ What was the significance of the phrase 'chuxi' in the context of New Year's Eve?‬
5
‭A It indicated the practice of firing bamboo.‬
‭B It referred to the tradition of all-night revelry.‬
‭C It was a type of New Year's greeting card.‬
‭D It denoted the end of the year.‬

‭ How did the tradition of firing bamboo evolve during the Tang dynasty?‬
6
‭A Bamboo was replaced with paper cylinders filled with gunpowder.‬
‭B The bamboo was filled with rice wine instead of gunpowder.‬
‭C Firecrackers were linked with hemp rope to create bian pao.‬
‭D Bamboo firing was banned and replaced with firecrackers.‬

‭ What was the original purpose of the men zhuang during the Han dynasty?‬
7
‭A To serve as a symbol of good luck.‬
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‭ To be used as a name tag.‬

B
‭C To convey gratitude to teachers.‬
‭D To wish friends a happy New Year.‬

‭ What does the Chunlian couplet written by Meng Chang symbolise?‬

8
‭A The end of the year.‬
‭B The continuation of past legacies into the new year.‬
‭C The beginning of the spring season.‬
‭D The tradition of exchanging gifts.‬

‭ What does the term 'bao zhu' refer to in the poem Yuan Ri?‬
9
‭A The previous tradition of firing bamboo.‬
‭B The new tradition of paper-wrapped gunpowder cylinders.‬
‭C The sound of firecrackers.‬
‭D The act of giving money to children.‬

‭ 0 How did the practice of giving ya sui qian during the Qing dynasty differ from‬
1
‭earlier traditions?‬
‭A It was given only to the emperor's concubines.‬
‭B It was presented in colourful purses instead of red string.‬
‭C It was money based on age.‬
‭D It was threaded together by a red string or presented in purses.‬
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‭ nswer‬
A
‭1 B‬
‭2 B‬
‭3 B‬
‭4 B‬
‭5 D‬
‭6 A‬
‭7 C‬
‭8 B‬
‭9 C‬
‭10 D‬

‭ xplanation 1 The correct answer is B. The 10th-month celebration marked the end‬
E
‭of the harvest season, as indicated by the activities described such as cleaning‬
‭millet-stack sites and cooking meat. Option A is incorrect because the text‬
‭distinguishes this celebration from the Mid-Autumn Festival. Option C is incorrect as‬
‭it was not the first recorded instance of Chinese New Year. Option D is incorrect‬
‭because the Moon worship is associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival, not the‬
‭10th-month celebration.‬

‭ The correct answer is B. The "Big Nuo" ritual contributed to the evolution of‬
2
‭Chinese New Year traditions by introducing the practice of cleaning houses before‬
‭the New Year. Option A is incorrect because ancestor worship was mentioned in a‬
‭different context. Option C is incorrect as rice wine is mentioned but not in relation to‬
‭the "Big Nuo" ritual. Option D is incorrect because the tradition of visiting‬
‭acquaintances is mentioned later in the Han dynasty.‬

‭ The correct answer is B. 'Zheng Ri' refers to the first day of the first month, as‬
3
‭described in the context of the Han dynasty. Option A is incorrect because it refers to‬
‭the last day of the year. Option C is incorrect as it is a separate activity mentioned in‬
‭the same context. Option D is incorrect because it refers to a different tradition.‬

‭ The correct answer is B. The 'shousui' tradition involved staying up all night until‬
4
‭sunrise. Option A is incorrect because ancestor worship is not mentioned in this‬
‭context. Option C is incorrect as exchanging gifts and well wishes is part of a‬
‭different tradition. Option D is incorrect because exorcism rituals are not mentioned‬
‭in relation to 'shousui'.‬

‭ The correct answer is D. The phrase 'chuxi' denoted the end of the year and was‬
5
‭used to indicate New Year's Eve. Option A is incorrect because it refers to a different‬
‭tradition. Option B is incorrect as it is a separate activity mentioned in the same‬
‭context. Option C is incorrect because it refers to a different tradition.‬
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‭ The correct answer is A. The tradition of firing bamboo evolved by replacing‬

6
‭bamboo with paper cylinders filled with gunpowder. Option B is incorrect because‬
‭rice wine is not mentioned in this context. Option C is incorrect as linking firecrackers‬
‭with hemp rope to create bian pao is a separate development. Option D is incorrect‬
‭because bamboo firing was not banned; it was modified.‬

‭ The correct answer is C. The original purpose of the men zhuang was to convey‬
7
‭gratitude to teachers, as described in the context of the Han dynasty. Option A is‬
‭incorrect because it became a symbol of good luck later. Option B is incorrect as it‬
‭refers to a different use. Option D is incorrect because wishing friends a happy New‬
‭Year was a later development.‬

‭ The correct answer is B. The Chunlian couplet symbolises the continuation of past‬
8
‭legacies into the new year. Option A is incorrect because it does not refer to the end‬
‭of the year. Option C is incorrect as it does not specifically mention the beginning of‬
‭the spring season. Option D is incorrect because it does not refer to the tradition of‬
‭exchanging gifts.‬

‭ The correct answer is C. In the poem Yuan Ri, 'bao zhu' refers to the sound of‬
9
‭firecrackers. Option A is incorrect because it refers to the previous tradition. Option B‬
‭is incorrect as it refers to the new tradition of paper-wrapped gunpowder cylinders.‬
‭Option D is incorrect because it does not relate to giving money to children.‬

‭ 0 The correct answer is D. The practice of giving ya sui qian during the Qing‬
1
‭dynasty was presented in two forms: coins strung on red string or colourful purses‬
‭filled with coins. Option A is incorrect because it was not given only to the emperor's‬
‭concubines. Option B is incorrect because it was also presented on a red string.‬
‭Option C is incorrect because it was not specifically based on age.‬

‭ ips: When answering questions about factual texts, it is important to focus on the‬
T
‭specific details provided and avoid making assumptions based on general‬
‭knowledge. Look for direct references in the text to support your answers.‬