Question

阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在文后第53至第57小题的空格里填上适当的单词或短语，并将答案转写到答题卡上。注意：每空不超过3个单词。

The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago. There are some traditions that you can find almost anywhere, anytime, such as sending birthday cards, blowing out the candles on a birthday cake and singing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song. Others are only found for certain ages and in certain countries.

In China, on a child’s second birthday, family members put many things on the floor around the child. According to Chinese tradition, the first thing that the child picks up tells you what profession the child will choose later in life.

For Japanese children, the third, fifth and seventh birthdays are especially important. At this age, there is a special celebration Shichi-Go-San (seven, five, three in Japanese) when children go to the temple wearing a new kimono (和服). The priest (僧侣) gives them special sweets, and the parents usually organize a party for their friends in their home.

In Argentina, Mexico and several other Latin American countries, girls have a special birthday celebration when they reach the age of fifteen. After a special ceremony (仪式), the girls dance a waltz with their father and other boys.

Eighteen is the traditional ‘coming of age’— the age when (in many countries) you have the right to vote, join the army and (in Britain) drink alcohol or buy a house.

In many English-speaking countries, a twenty-first birthday cake often has a key on top, or the cake itself is sometimes in the shape of a key. The key means that the young person is now old enough to leave and enter the family home at any time they want to!

Title:     53    

Places	Special age	Ways to observe
China	Two	Children pick up something.
Japan	Three, five and seven	Children go to the temple in    56   . Parents organize a party.
Latin American countries	55	Girls dance a waltz with their father and other boys.
____54____	Twenty-first	The cake often has    57  on top.

Answer

53. Birthday traditions     54. English-speaking countries

55. Fifteen   56. a new kimono     57. a key

【解析】略