Everyone has heard of Groundhog Day (土拨鼠日)..
People in America think that the groundhog awakens from its winter's sleep on February 2nd. The groundhog comes out of its hole. If the sun is shining, it will see its shadow. The shadow scares it. So it runs back into its hole. This means six more weeks of winter. If the day is cloudy, it will not see its shadow. Since it is not scared, it stays out of its hole.. These are the same things we say on Groundhog Day today.
They are known mainly to country people. City people just don't know how to look for them. City people think that a groundhog sitting by its hole may look like a root(根). It could also be seen as a clod (块) of earth. Or it may look like a broken fence-post(栅栏柱). But a farmer sees groundhogs anywhere he looks. They'll be watching like guards.
The groundhog is a native American. It may also appear as far north as Alaska. It is hated by farmers. The groundhog eats a third of its weight in a day. What a big appetite(胃口)！It may eat about a half-ton of alfalfa(苜蓿) in a summer. So 10 groundhogs in a big field would eat five tons.
Why do groundhogs eat so much? To prepare for winter. .This extra food is changed to fat. This fat is what they live on during their long winter's sleep.
A. It is an American holiday.
B. Groundhogs are strange animals.
C .This means that spring will soon come.
D. There are several ways to protect the groundhog.
E. In the fall, when there is a lot of food, they fill up.
F. It is found in most states east of the Rockies(落基山脉).
G. While it is not one of your major holidays, it is one that children love.
