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    Thousands of years ago, birthdays were considered special days. On birthdays, the bad spirits were able

to harm you and change your life. It was believed that the only way to solve the problem was to have your

friends and family around you, so that good wishes and presents would keep the bad spirits away. Also,

noisemakers were thought to be used at parties as a way of scaring away the evil spirits.

    The custom of lighting candles was created by people believing that the gods lived in the sky. By lighting

candles and torches, they were sending a signal or prayer to the gods, so they could be answered. Blowing

out the candles and making a wish were thought to be another way of sending a signal or a message.

    This is how the way we celebrate our birthdays came about. But different cultures celebrate in different

ways. 

    The birthday story in the Bible that we know best is about the birth of the Christ in Bethlehem. For nearly

2000 years since that day, the Christian world has been honoring this birth. The day many Englishmen

celebrate is, of course, Christmas. There are other references to birthday parties. King Pharaoh celebrated his

birthday by making a feast for his court followers. That was over 4000 years ago. The story of King Herod

tells that on his birthday he made a supper for his lords, high captains and other special friends in Galilee.

1. According to the passage, good wishes and presents given by one's friends and family on his birthday

    can _____. [ ]

A. cheer him up

B. prove that he's a popular person

C. bring him a big fortune

D. push bad spirits away

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage? [ ]

A. The custom of lighting candles originated with the gods.

B. The gods celebrate their birthdays by lighting candles.

C. People send messages to the gods by lighting or blowing out the candles.

D. The gods will help people realize their dreams on their birthdays.

3. The two ancient kings' ways of celebrating their birthdays show _____.[ ]

A. how great the two kings were

B. how different cultures celebrate in different ways

C. the two kings' excellent cooking skills

D. that their court followers were awarded the special honors

4. The passage is mainly about _____. [ ]

A. the functions of the noises made on birthdays

B. how to scare away the bad spirits on birthdays

C. the origin of a famous day Christmas

D. how birthdays came about