星火英语15篇文章背完大学英语六级词汇：Unit2

Let's Dress Up——It's Halloween



From early childhood getting



dressed up is connected with



a special pastime in North America,



called Halloween. Halloween is



celebrated 1 on the last



night of October, when the air



is crisp and snow is



not far off. Every young



child is acquainted with



this exciting tradition.



On the last day



of October when dinner is finished,



children hurry to



dress up in a costume.



Darkness comes early at this time



of year and caution



must be practiced, foremost



by the children who are



going from house to house,



“trick or treat”.



Parents warn their children



not to dart 2 out



in front of cars.



In all the excitement



it is easy for children to



become distracted and ignore safety rules.



Planning what your costume



will be, ahead of time,



is part of the



fun of the evening.



Many mothers will spend time



fabricating outfits 3 for



their little girls who suddenly



turn into circus clowns,



beautiful ballet dancers or



weird 4 colorful bugs 5. Fathers may



help their sons construct



a costume of foil armor.



Little boys often enjoy pretending



they are in the army so



on Halloween it is possible



to see squads 6 of lieutenants 7



and sergeants 8 marching along



in the dark. We affiliate 9



this celebration with the supernatural



so some children may choose



to wear a skeleton costume



bearing a skull 10 and crossbones,



or even a monster costume.



The choice of wardrobe



for the evening is really limitless.



Witches can be seen



riding on broomsticks across well



illuminated 11 intersections 12. Earlier



in the evening they may



have concocted 13 a witch's brew 14



to quench 15 their thirst



for their arrival home.



Ghosts can be heard groaning 16



and moaning while they



glide 17 along city streets.



Beautiful butterflies flutter by



on their way to a party.



Pirates carrying swords and pistols



roam about, patches over one eye.



Small aliens search for



a new home here on Earth.



Wearing a cape 18 and mask



allows a child to become Superman



for a few hours and



enter the world of fantasy.



An ethnic 19 flavor is introduced



as a band of gypsies dance



along under a bright full moon.



Of course you can always



see a certain number of



Native American costumes,



the buckskin jackets and dresses



decorated with fringe and beads 20.



Some youngsters choose to



decorate only their faces with grease



paint instead of wearing masks.



In many ways this is



safer for a child,



making visibility clearer.



At the same time



a mask allows them to



remain anonymous 21 to all



but their closest friends.



Usually, on the night



before Halloween, family members



gather together to carve a pumpkin 22.



On Halloween night the candle lit



face of the pumpkin shines



from each home welcoming the little



ghosts and goblins to call.



Parents usually escort small children



around their own neighborhood



helping 23 to keep them safe.



Small children only visit random 24 houses,



their parent's friends mostly, while



older children knock at every door.



Crowding onto the front porch



of the house the children rap at



the door and chant



the refrain “trick or treat”.



Householders distribute candies, apples,



peanuts, or any edible 25 treat



into decorated wooden six quart baskets,



or plastic bags. They may



be asked to recite a poem



or sing a song



before receiving their treat.



Some lucky children may receive



cookies from a freshly baked



batch 26 of chocolate chip cookies.



On arriving home the children



will dump all the junk candy



out onto the floor



to examine their loot.



Usually there is a great racket



as brothers and sisters compare



what goodies they have collected.



Adults, too, like to



join in Halloween celebrations



by attending small house parties



or large group gatherings 27



at halls or arenas 28.



They may play the old traditional games



such as bobbing for apples,



which float in tubs of water,



telling ghost stories and



visiting a haunted house.



Everyone seems to get enjoyment 29



from being slightly afraid.



If you live in the country



the hooting 30 of an owl 31 or



even the howl of a wolf



underlines the spooky atmosphere



of Halloween evening. Clouds scuttle 32



across the face of the moon



and the flap of



a bird's wings can be heard



as it settles on



the bare branches of a tree.



Eyes gleam in the night as



a black cat crosses your path.



Bats swoop 33 about in the dark



startling those who are nervous.



On this evening it is



not necessary to be extravagant 34



to have a good time.



A little imagination and



a sense of fun will create



a memory of Halloween



night for many years.