Whenacakeisbroughttothetableatabirthdaypartyitisusuallydecoratedwithcandles.ItissaidthatthetraditionoflightingbirthdaycandleswasinventedbytheancientGreeks;ithastakenondifferentmeaningsthroughtheyears.Today

　　Whenacakeisbroughttothetableatabirthdaypartyitisusuallydecoratedwithcandles.ItissaidthatthetraditionoflightingbirthdaycandleswasinventedbytheancientGreeks;ithastakenondifferentmeaningsthroughtheyears.Todayoneofthemostpopularbirthdaytraditionsistoblowoutthecandlesallatoncetomakeasecretwishcometrue.

　　InordertopleaseArtemisthegoddessofthemoontheancientGreeksarrangedsomethingspecialforbirthdays.Amoon-shapedcakewasbakedanddecoratedwithlitcandles.Theythoughtthesmokefromthecandleswouldcarryanoffering(祭品)upintotheskywheretheybelievedArtemislived.

　　ThetraditionoflightingbirthdaycandlescontinuedinEuropewherecandlesweresometimeskeptburningalldayonaperson’sbirthdaypartlyascelebrationandpartlytokeepawayevilspirits.Itwasbelievedthattheblowingoutofcandlesrepresentedone’sprayers(祈祷)tothegods.Someculturesbelieveitisabadlucktoblowoutthecandlesuntilaftertheeveningmealiseaten.

　　Traditionallyonecandlerepresentsayearoftheperson’sage.Somefamiliesprefertoaddanextracandleforgoodluck.Butthatpracticeisimproperwhenaveryyoungchildiscelebratingathirdbirthday.Generallyolderpeople’sbirthdaysarecelebratedbyplacingjustafewcandlestorepresentsuchasaneightfor80thbirthday.

　　Today’sbirthdaycandlesaremadeindifferentshapeslikeanimalsorflowers.Oneortwocandlesintheshapeofnumbersaresometimesusedinsteadoflotsofcandles;forexampleafour-shapedandazero-shapedcandlewouldrepresent40.

　　1.WhydidtheancientGreeksarrangesomethingspecialforbirthdays?

　　A.Tomaketheirdreamscometrue.

　　B.Tocelebrateaperson’sbirthday.

　　C.Toprotectthemselvesfromevilspirits.

　　D.Topleasethegoddessofthemoon.

　　2.WhatisthetraditionoflightingcandlesforbirthdayslikeinEurope?

　　A.Thecandleswerealwayskeptburningalldayonaperson’sbirthday.

　　B.Theblowingoutofcandlesrepresentedone’sprayerstothegod.

　　C.Someculturesbelieveitisrighttoblowoutthecandlesbeforetheeveningmeal.

　　D.TheEuropeanssometimeskeepburningthecandlesalldayjustasacelebration.