108 學年度學測英文 第 18 題

April Fools’ Day, one of the most light-hearted days of the year, has an unclear origin. Some see it as a celebration related to the turn of the seasons from winter to spring; others, however, believe that it 16 the adoption of a new calendar.

Ancient cultures celebrated New Year’s Day on or around April 1, which roughly coincides with the beginning of spring. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar, which called for New Year’s Day to be celebrated on January 1. However, many people, either refusing to accept the new date or not having heard about it, 17 to celebrate New Year’s Day on April 1. Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on “fool’s errands” or trying to fool them into believing something false. 18, the practice spread throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

Nowadays, on April Fools’ Day, people often 19 to create elaborate hoaxes to fool others. Newspapers, radio and TV stations, and websites have participated in the April 1 tradition of making 20 reports in order to fool their audiences. The BBC once reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a spaghetti crop and showed scenes of people harvesting noodles from trees. Guess what? Numerous viewers were fooled.