The April Fools’ pranks people play on others vary widely. Some are as simple as taping a “kick me” sign on someone’s back or saying “Your zipper is undone,” when it is not. Other tricks are quite elaborate. Let’s look at some of the most interesting ones.
Richard NixonRuns for President Again
Richard Nixon is bestknown for being involved in a huge scandal. Although he never went to jail for his involvement in a crime in 1974, he is the only US president who was forced to resign. He claimed that he was not a crook, but he was proven to be very dishonest. When a news piece on America’s National Public Radio (NPR)announced on April 1, 1992 that Nixon was running for president again nearly 20 years later, many people were angry. However, the person speaking on the radio wasn’t really the former president but someone pretending to be Nixon.
Taco Bell Buys the Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell, which is located in the US city of Philadelphia, is a major symbol of Americanindependence, justice, and freedom. When the fast-food restaurant chain Taco Bell announced in 1996 that it had purchased the bell, many Americans were upset. However, itturned out to be an April Fools’ joke that brought the restaurant a lot of attention, which was good for business.
Google Prank Leads to Pokémon GO
Google played tricks on people, too. On April 1, 2014, the company made a game that involved finding Pokémon characters with Google maps. It said the person who caught the most characters would get a job at Google as a “Pokémon Master.” That was just a joke, but another company, Niantic Labs, actually made a game from that idea: Pokémon GO!
1. What is the first day of the reading mainly about?
(A) The reason many people don’t like April Fools’ Day.
(B) April Fools’ celebrations in different countries.
(C) The best types of April Fools’ jokes.
(D) The origin of April Fools’ Day.
2. Why did people start using the term “April fools,” according to the passage?
(A) Some people celebrated the New Year in April after its date had been changed.
(B) Roman people changed their calendar, but not everyone was well informed.
(C) French people mocked celebrities at an event in April.
(D) People fooled others born in April.
3. According to the passage, which of the following saw increased profits due to an April Fools’ joke?
(A) A radio station.
(B) An internet company.
(C) A restaurant selling fast food.
(D) A former American president.
4. Rudy is going to introduce three interesting April Fools’ pranks in class tomorrow. Please check his script and find the INCORRECT information.
Rudy’s script about April Fools’ pranks
(1) A news report said that Richard Nixon was running for president again, but Nixon himself didn’t make the announcement.
(2) Taco Bell claimed it had bought the Liberty Bell. Although it wasn’t real, most Americans were unhappy about the news.
(3) Finally, Google’s prank involved offering a position at the company.
(4) Inspired by Google, Niantic Labs released a game called Pokémon Master.
