IXL | Read about art, music, and traditions

Read the text about a New Year's

tradition.

Some people in Europe have an unusual New Year's Eve tradition. They pour lead! To celebrate the new year, they melt this metal so it becomes a liquid. Then, they pour it into cool water, where it hardens again.
Why do people do this? The newly hardened metal forms shapes. Tradition says that these shapes can tell your fortune for the new year. For example, a shape that resembles a pair of glasses means you will live for a long time. If your piece of metal looks like a frog, you will win lots of money. And if you get a flower, you should expect to make new friends in the coming year. Whether people believe the fortunes or not, they consider pouring lead to be a fun tradition.

Based on the text, why do some people pour lead into water on New Year's Eve?

to see better

to earn money

to learn their fortunes

ref_doc_title.

Learn with an example

question

Read the text about sand

animation.

Sand animation is a form of live sand art that is beautiful to watch. Sand artists start with a piece of glass that has light underneath it. Then, the artists spread sand onto the glass. The light under the glass lights up the sand. Sand artists form their art by drawing pictures in the sand using their fingers. They can make many different scenes filled with people, mountains, buildings, or seas.
Sand artists can rapidly create new designs. So, they tell stories with their art. Each picture lasts only a few moments. The artist wipes the scene away to create the next scene in the story. Most sand artists also play music and move in time to the beat as they make designs in the sand. So, people can watch and listen as sand artists work and create their stories.

Based on the text, what is sand

animation?

art made by finger painting light colors on top of dark colors

art made by adding sand to paintings

art made by moving sand around on a lighted table

solution

Look at the text in bold below. It tells you what sand animation is.

Sand animation is a form of live sand art that is beautiful to watch. Sand artists start with a piece of glass that has light underneath it. Then, the artists spread sand onto the glass. The light under the glass lights up the sand. Sand artists form their art by drawing pictures in the sand using their fingers. They can make many different scenes filled with people, mountains, buildings, or seas.

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