This is a reading comprehension lesson to test
your ability to understand information written in
English. Read the information below
and then answer the 5 test questions.
Hey
if you cannot understand something on this page,
then use the Fun Easy English
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Holiday:Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a
Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the
world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings
of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and
family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated
in Mexico, where the day is a bank holiday. The celebration
takes place on October 31, November 1 and November 2, in
connection with the Christian triduum of Hallowmas: All
Hallows' Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.
Traditions connected with the holiday include building
private altars called ofrendas honoring the deceased using
sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and
beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as
gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.
Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican
holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of
years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess
Mictecacihuatl. The holiday has spread throughout the world:
In Brazil Dia de Finados is a public holiday that many
Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In
Spain there are festivals and parades, and, at the end of
the day, people gather at cemeteries and pray for their dead
loved ones. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe,
and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and
African cultures.
The Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico can be traced
back to a pre-Columbian past. Rituals celebrating the deaths
of ancestors had been observed by these civilizations
perhaps for as long as 2,500–3,000 years. In the
pre-Hispanic era skulls were commonly kept as trophies and
displayed during the rituals to symbolize death and rebirth.
The festival that became the modern Day of the Dead fell in
the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, about the beginning
of August, and was celebrated for an entire month. The
festivities were dedicated to the goddess known as the
"Lady of the Dead", corresponding to the modern Catrina.
This holiday is celebrated primarily in Mexico. After
spending many years growing up in New York, I moved to
San Diego, California which is located in the
southwestern United States. San Diego is on the border
of Mexico and has a very large Mexican population. You
can see evidence of this holiday being celebrated
throughout the city.
Test:
Reading Comprehension Day
of the Dead
Read
the information above. In the test questions
below choose which is the best answer for each
question. There are 5 questions. Good luck.
1. What does the Day of
the Dead holiday focus on?
a. communicating with the dead
b. visiting cemeteries
c. gatherings of family and friends
d. enjoying parties
2. Day of the Dead is
which of the following?
a. bank holiday
b. post office holiday
c. paid vacation holiday
d. international holiday
3. Which of the
following is NOT connected to the Day of the Dead holiday?
a. All Hallows' Eve
b. All Deceased Day
c. All Saints' Day
d. All Souls' Day
4. The deceased are
honored with which of the following?
a. marigolds
b. money
c. poetry
d. tacos
5. Scholars trace the
origins of the modern Mexican holiday to which of the
following?
a. a Pagan festival
b. an Aztec festival
c. a Christian festival
d. a Chinese festival
