※39～42
        Japanese people love to give gifts to their sibling or closefriends. You may want to give a birthday present to your Japanesefriend but feel confused about what to give. In fact, there are somethings that people will see as impolite gifts in Japan. It soundsinteresting, doesn’t it? Let’s learn some more about those thingsand the reason why they cannot be given as a gift.
       At first, all of things displaying the number 4 and 9 should beprohibited to give as a gift. The number 4 is read as shi in Japanese.Also there is another word read as shi, and the word means death.        The other number that should be avoid is the number 9. Number 9 is read as ku in Japanese, and there is another word readas ku which means suffering. A comb is also an item that shouldavoid being gifted. Why? A comb is read as “kushi” in Japanese. Aswe have mentioned that “ku” means suffering and “shi” meansdeath. Giving a comb as a gift means “suffering and death”. As aresult, gifts should bring good luck for people, not bad luck such assuffering and death.       What is more, Japanese people believe that giving a clockas a gift means the symbol of time running out. Giving scissors orknives means breaking the relationship between each other.       From the information above, we can make sense of thecultural differences in Japan and also learn not to be rude to peoplefrom other countries. Giving a gift is a blessing we would like togive to the ones we love after all.Adapted from Taiken Japan
* sibling 兄弟姊妹 display 顯示 avoid 避免 suffering 苦難mention 提及 confuse 使困擾 relationship 關係 rude 魯莽的
【題組】39.What does “prohibited” probably mean in the reading？
(A) Take something away.
(B) Make something happen.
(C) Stop something from being done.
(D)Get something done.