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Chinese New Year Reading Comprehension

Motivate readers with this free printable Chinese New Year reading passage for 3rd grade and up. Read and test reading comprehension with the online quiz or print and use offline.


Chinese New Year - It's All About the Food

Chinese New Year is a time when families and friends get together. Food plays a very important part in the celebrations.

At the New Year's Eve dinner, families often have eight or nine different dishes. This is because eight and nine are lucky numbers. The Chinese word for eight rhymes with the word for good fortune. The word for nine means long-lasting.

Many foods at the feast have a special reason for being included: dumplings, because they look like golden nuggets; a whole fish or chicken to represent togetherness and good fortune; long noodles, to bring long life; oranges, because they are perfectly round and are symbols of good luck. Also, the Chinese word for orange sounds a lot like the word for wealth. It is a New Year's tradition to take oranges when visiting people's homes.

Sticky rice cakes and sweets are also served. There is a legend about a Kitchen God who reports to the Jade Emperor in heaven on whether families have been good or bad during the year. According to legend, when families serve the Kitchen God foods that are sticky and sweet, his mouth gets stuck together and he can't report any bad things about the family to the Jade Emperor.



Source: worksheetsplus.com/chinNY/chinNYfood.html Chinese New Year - It's All About the Food

©Courseware Solutions  Wordville.com for Fun English Language Arts Learning

What Chinese word is similar in sound to the Chinese word for orange?
round
wealth
complete
wealth The Chinese word for eight rhymes with what other Chinese word?
good fortune
nine
lucky
good fortune What does the Chinese word for 9 also mean?
long-lasting
good fortune
lucky
long-lasting What is served at dinner to represent togetherness and good fortune?
a whole fish
a whole chicken
Both are correct.
Both are correct. What is special about noodles at a New Year's dinner?
They bring long life.
They scare the Kitchen God.
They represent togetherness.
They bring long life. Why are dumplings served at special dinners?
They are very sweet.
They represent togetherness.
They look like gold nuggets.
They look like gold nuggets. Why are there often 8 or 9 dishes at the New Year's dinner?
Tables are only big enough for 9 platters.
8 and 9 are lucky numbers.
8 or 9 different foods are all most people can eat.
8 and 9 are lucky numbers. Who is the Kitchen God?
the father of the Jade Emperor
a figure who reports to the Jade Emperor in heaven
the person who cooks the New Year's feast
a figure who reports to the Jade Emperor in heaven Why do people serve the Kitchen God sticky foods?
so he can't eat
so his teeth won't fall out
so his mouth gets stuck together and he doesn't talk
so his mouth gets stuck together and he doesn't talk Why do you think guests bring oranges when they visit at New Year's?
It is a traditional wish for a lucky and prosperous year.
Oranges are in season then.
They have lots of Vitamin C.
It is a traditional wish for a lucky and prosperous year.

©Courseware Solutions   Wordville.com for Fun English Language Arts Learning




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