Interesting Festivals Around the World

Holi, India

One of the oldest Indian festivals Holi is celebrated as a symbol of good over evil, the arrival of spring and the end of winter. Holi celebrations begin with a performance of religious ceremonies in front of a big fire, hoping that the prayers will destroy the internal evil. Holi has become so popular that it is also celebrated in other Southeast Asian countries.

Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil

The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is the biggest carnival in the world. It comes between the end of February and the beginning of March every year. The carnival includes performances by samba schools. The most famous dance is, of course, samba, a traditional Brazilian dance influenced by African traditions.

Pingxi Lantern Festival, China

It is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar, at the very end of the Chinese New Year. This ceremony lasts whole night, when thousands of sky lanterns light over the Pingxi District in Taiwan, China. The lanterns are released to ward off the evil and let people know the town is safe. The main lanterns normally reflect Chinese zodiac signs(生肖). Each of them has its own theme music, which makes the whole performances even more wonderful. In addition to the main lanterns, there are also hundreds of smaller ones, usually carried by children.

La Tomatina, Spain

The biggest tomato fight you will ever see happens every year on the last Wednesday of August in Bunol near Valencia, Spain. Since 1945, La Tomatina participants(参与者) have traditionally been throwing tomatoes at each other just for entertainment purposes. History suggests that the event started by accident. Today, La Tomatina is so popular that tomatoes are delivered in big trucks for thousands of people from all over the world.

1.Which festival doesn’t come in spring?

A Holi.

B La Tomatina.

C Rio de Janeiro Carnival.

D Pingxi Lantern Festival.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。通读全文，根据最后一段的“The biggest tomato fight you will ever see happens every year on the last Wednesday of August”可知，La Tomatina在8月庆祝，不是春季。故选B。

2.Which has the closest meaning to the underlined phrase “ward off”?

A Take off.

B Bring about.

C Keep away.

D Turn back.

解析：选C。C词义猜测题。根据划线词后面的“let people know the town is safe”可知，这个镇上的人们放飞天灯是为了驱邪，即ward off表示“避开，阻挡”，与keep away同义。故选C。

3.What can we know about La Tomatina?

A It happens at the end of winter every year.

B It is the biggest dance party in the world.

C People fly off sky lanterns in Bunol, Spain.

D Festival participants throw tomatoes for fun.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据最后一段的“La Tomatina participants have traditionally been throwing tomatoes at each other just for entertainment purposes.”可知，在西班牙番茄节上，人们相互投掷熟透多汁的番茄是为了娱乐。故选D。

4.In which part of a magazine can you most probably read this text?

A Culture.

B Geography.

C Science.

D Environment.

解析：选A。A 推理判断题。本文向我们介绍了四个属于不同国家传统而有趣的节日，与文化相关。故选A。