New Year's Eve · Worksheet 1
The New Year Travels Around the World
Read the story. 英文を読もう。
1The new year does not come to everyone at the same time. It moves around the world like a relay race. The first people to see it live on Kiritimati, a small island in the Pacific Ocean. About 25 hours later, people in American Samoa finally say goodbye to the old year.
2In Sydney, more than one million people watch fireworks over the Harbour Bridge. Later, in Madrid, people hold twelve green grapes in their hands. When the big clock rings twelve times, they eat one grape with each sound. It is not easy, because the bells are fast! People say that if you finish all twelve, you will have good luck for twelve months.
3In Rio de Janeiro, people wear white clothes and go to the beach. Many of them jump over seven waves and make a wish each time. Some people also put white flowers into the sea as a gift for a goddess of the sea.
4Then the new year reaches New York. Since 1907, a big ball has come down a pole in Times Square at midnight. Why a ball? Long ago, ships checked the time by watching a falling ball. The first ball was made of iron and wood, and it had 100 light bulbs. As the ball falls, the crowd shouts, "Ten, nine, eight..." and paper confetti fills the air.
5After midnight, many people sing an old Scottish song, "Auld Lang Syne." It is a song about old friends and good times. Japanese people know the same melody as "Hotaru no Hikari." So next time you hear it in a store at closing time, smile. Somewhere in the world, people sing it to welcome a brand-new year.
- relay race リレー競走
- island 島
- fireworks 花火
- grape ぶどう（の1粒）
- midnight 真夜中、夜の12時
- wish 願い／願う
- goddess 女神
- pole 柱、さお
- crowd 群衆、人ごみ
- confetti 紙吹雪
- melody メロディー、旋律
- brand-new 真新しい