Anchorwoman: Well, happy Lunar New Year Eve, everyone. Such an exciting time. Today is the start of a new lunar year. 

Anchorman: Yeah. So people from East and Southeast Asian cultures across the world are ringing in a new year of prosperity, hope and calm. So the new year is 15 days of celebrations. The festivities usher out the old year and bring in luck for the new one. The holiday originally focused on bringing good fortune for farming and harvest. Banquets and festivals are typically held featuring fireworks and dancing dragons. The fireworks are believed to scare off monsters and bad luck away. Gotta scare away those monsters.

Anchorwoman: No monsters. Now, 2023 is also the Year of the Rabbit. The Chinese zodiac dictates which animal represents a given year, so each animal repeats every 12 years. The animals are given characteristics and are thought to represent the personalities of people born in that year. The rabbit is characterized to be gentle in spirit, approachable, good-humored and expressive. So people born in the years 1963, 75, 87 and so on and so forth are thought to have the traits of the rabbit.

Anchorman: There are several Lunar New Year traditions, including no showering on the first day for fear of washing away good luck. So, Jeremy, no shower. You did that last year. Children receive crisp money in a red envelope, also called red packets, representing good luck. And there are lots of red decorations, a symbolic color meant to bring good fortune. New clothes are also seen as a fresh beginning, bringing good luck. So, Jenny, there’s your excuse.

Anchorwoman: OK. I love go shopping. 

Anchorman: Here’s a closer look at the significance of Lunar New Year around the globe. Lunar New Year is a major holiday, especially for people in China, which is why it’s often called Chinese New Year. The 16-day celebration also goes by the name the Spring Festival. This is a time for family, friends and feast, and to honor family ancestors ― all to help bring in that good luck in the new year. One of the 12 zodiac animals represent each year of the lunar calendar and 2023 marks the Year of the Rabbit, which represents longevity, peace and prosperity. There are so many traditions tied to this festival, like scrolls with good-luck messages, and firecrackers, and paper lanterns, and of course, the food. Let me tell you, throughout the New Year’s festival season, certain dishes have symbolic meaning and bring good luck: fish for prosperity, dumplings for wealth, and noodles for longevity, and so much more. The Lunar New Year season ends with the Bang and the Lantern Festival.

1. ring in sth.: to ring bells to celebrate sth., especially the new year 鸣钟欢庆（尤指新年）

2. usher out 带出

3. scare sb. away / off: to make sb. go away by frightening them 把……吓跑。例如：They managed to scare the bears away. 他们设法把熊吓跑了。

4. zodiac: the imaginary area in the sky in which the sun, moon and planets appear to lie, and which has been divided into twelve equal parts each with a special name and symbol 黄道带（天球上的十二个等份区，各有其名称和符号，日、月、行星分布其中）

5. dictate v. to control or influence how sth. happens 支配；摆布；决定

6. and so on and so forth: used at the end of a list to show that it continues in the same way等等。例如：We discussed everything ― when to go, what to see and so on. 我们什么都商量过了——什么时候走、看什么等等。

Anchorwoman: Well, happy Lunar New Year Eve, everyone. Such an exciting time. Today is the start of a new lunar year. 

Anchorman: Yeah. So people from (Q1) ______________________ across the world are ringing in a new year of (Q2) _______________________________. So the new year is 15 days of celebrations. The festivities usher out the old year and bring in luck for the new one. The holiday originally focused on bringing good fortune for (Q3) ___________________________. Banquets and festivals are typically held featuring (Q4) ______________________________. The fireworks are believed to scare off (Q5) _________________________ away. Gotta scare away those monsters.

Anchorwoman: No monsters. Now, 2023 is also the Year of the (Q6) _______________. The Chinese zodiac dictates which animal represents a given year, so each animal repeats every 12 years. The animals are given characteristics and are thought to represent the personalities of people born in that year. The rabbit is characterized to be gentle in spirit, (Q7) _________________, good-humored and expressive. So people born in the years 1963, 75, 87 and so on and so forth are thought to have the traits of the rabbit.

Anchorman: There are several Lunar New Year traditions, including (Q8) ________________on the first day for fear of (Q9) ___________________. So, Jeremy, no shower. You did that last year. Children receive crisp money in a red envelope, also called (Q10) ____________________, representing good luck. And there are lots of red decorations, a symbolic color meant to bring good fortune. New clothes are also seen as (Q11) _____________________, bringing good luck. So, Jenny, there’s your excuse.

Anchorwoman: OK. I love go shopping. 

Anchorman: Here’s a closer look at the significance of Lunar New Year around the globe. Lunar New Year is a major holiday, especially for people in China, which is why it’s often called Chinese New Year. The 16-day celebration also goes by the name the Spring Festival. This is a time for family, friends and feast, and to honor family ancestors - all to help bring in that good luck in the new year. One of the 12 zodiac animals represent each year of the lunar calendar and 2023 marks the Year of the Rabbit, which represents (Q12) __________________________. There are so many traditions tied to this festival, like scrolls with good-luck messages, and firecrackers, and paper lanterns, and of course, the food. Let me tell you, throughout the New Year’s festival season, certain dishes have symbolic meaning and bring good luck: fish for (Q13) _________________, dumplings for (Q14) ___________, and noodles for (Q15) ___________________, and so much more. The Lunar New Year season ends with the Bang and the Lantern Festival.

Anchorwoman: Well, happy Lunar New Year Eve, everyone. Such an exciting time. Today is the start of a new lunar year. 

Anchorman: Yeah. So people from (Q1) East and Southeast Asian cultures across the world are ringing in a new year of (Q2) prosperity, hope and calm. So the new year is 15 days of celebrations. The festivities usher out the old year and bring in luck for the new one. The holiday originally focused on bringing good fortune for (Q3) farming and harvest. Banquets and festivals are typically held featuring (Q4) fireworks and dancing dragons. The fireworks are believed to scare off (Q5) monsters and bad luck away. Gotta scare away those monsters.

Anchorwoman: No monsters. Now, 2023 is also the Year of the (Q6) Rabbit. The Chinese zodiac dictates which animal represents a given year, so each animal repeats every 12 years. The animals are given characteristics and are thought to represent the personalities of people born in that year. The rabbit is characterized to be gentle in spirit, (Q7) approachable, good-humored and expressive. So people born in the years 1963, 75, 87 and so on and so forth are thought to have the traits of the rabbit.

Anchorman: There are several Lunar New Year traditions, including (Q8) no showering on the first day for fear of (Q9) washing away good luck. So, Jeremy, no shower. You did that last year. Children receive crisp money in a red envelope, also called (Q10) red packets, representing good luck. And there are lots of red decorations, a symbolic color meant to bring good fortune. New clothes are also seen as (Q11) a fresh beginning, bringing good luck. So, Jenny, there’s your excuse.

Anchorwoman: OK. I love go shopping. 

Anchorman: Here’s a closer look at the significance of Lunar New Year around the globe. Lunar New Year is a major holiday, especially for people in China, which is why it’s often called Chinese New Year. The 16-day celebration also goes by the name the Spring Festival. This is a time for family, friends and feast, and to honor family ancestors - all to help bring in that good luck in the new year. One of the 12 zodiac animals represent each year of the lunar calendar and 2023 marks the Year of the Rabbit, which represents (Q12) longevity, peace and prosperity. There are so many traditions tied to this festival, like scrolls with good-luck messages, and firecrackers, and paper lanterns, and of course, the food. Let me tell you, throughout the New Year’s festival season, certain dishes have symbolic meaning and bring good luck: fish for (Q13) prosperity, dumplings for (Q14) wealth, and noodles for (Q15) longevity, and so much more. The Lunar New Year season ends with the Bang and the Lantern Festival.