广播听力：Worldwide Celebration of the New Year

Reporter:
In Australia, one of the first countries to welcome 2009, fireworks over Darling Harbour transformed the city of Sydney into a world of light and colour throughout the night.(www.hXen.com)

In New York City, thousands of revellers rang in 2009 in Times Square as the famous Waterford crystal ball dropped, signalling the end of the year 2008. As the clock struck midnight, a ton of confetti rained down while partygoers hugged and kissed.

In Johannesburg, South Africa, thousands of people took to the streets in a spectacular carnival of song and dance as they bid farewell to 2008.
Best wishes for the New Year also came from the crew on board the International Space Station.

"And at the dawn of a New Year Sandy, Yuri and I would like to wish everyone on beautiful planet Earth a happy new year."
Wang Ling,CRI news.