Celebrating New Year around the globe – answers

ANSWERS

  1. Who follows the Gregorian calendar? Most people
  2. How far does New Year reach? beyond January 1st
  3. What is another name for Chinese New Year? Lunar New Year/ Spring Festival (either is correct)
  4. Which of the following form part of the Chinese New Year celebration?
    1. Fireworks
    2. Decorating with lanterns
    3. Special flowers (not mentioned)
    4. Wear red clothes (new clothes)
    5. Parades
    6. A 10-day celebration (15 days)
  5. What kind of power is ‘plugged into’ during Chinese New Year? Supernatural
  6. What does Rosh Hashana mean literally? ‘Head of the Year’
  7. Which month is Rosh Hashana? 7th month/September October (either is correct)
  8. How is it different from other New Year celebrations? Not light and fireworks/just brings communities together (anything like this)
  9. How many people celebrate Nowruz? over 300 million
  10. What does this festival mark? the beginning of Spring
  11. What type of calendar is used in Iran? a solar calendar
  12. As well as visiting the homes of friends and family, what do people do on this day when they visit? honour their elders
  13. What item represents patience and wisdom on the Hoff table? vinegar
  14. What is unique about the Islamic New Year? It’s a different day each year
  15. Which year is celebrated at this festival? 622AD (CE)
  16. How is the importance of the Islamic New Year described by David Seljak? a minor holiday/day
  17. As well as the New Year, what else is celebrated at Vaisakhi? Harvest Festival/Khalsa (either is correct)
  18. When does it take place? April 13th or 14th
  19. How is Songkran described? a 3-day water fight
  20. What does splashing water do for those who celebrate? it washes away bad luck from the previous year

Now go back and listen to any that you missed – it is important that you hear all the answers – this is what you must do when you practice any listening exercise. By doing this your listening skill will become much sharper.