On the eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula, the desert turns green as clouds cover it like a blanket. This is the country of Oman’s monsoon(季风)season. The natural event, which lasts for three months, draws hundreds of thousands of tourists with cool weather and beautiful views. It began this year on June 21.
A 60-year-festival, in Oman’s Dhofar area, draws about 50,000 people dressed in all kinds of clothes every night for dance competitions, musical performances and exorcisms(驱魔). In the middle of the clouds, people celebrate Oman’s
diverse culture of Arab, African and Asian roots.
Officials in Dhofar started the monsoon festival in 1998. “The monsoon festival now draws performers from 40 countries,” said festival director Talal al-Massahli. He added that 60 percent of the visitors come from Oman, while the rest come from nearby countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Salem Ashoor, leader of the local Ahmad al-Kabir Sufi order, said various(各种)groups use the festival to share their cultures. The Sufi order for example, performed a musical exorcism in front of almost 500 people.
Khalid al-Najar is a weather expert. He explains that the mountains around Salalah, Dhofar’s capital city, trap wetness from the Indian Ocean monsoon. Air pressure pockets above Saudi Arabia and Tibet drive air currents(气流)to Oman. These weather currents create a unique(独特的)environment, which has heavy fogs and green mountains and coasts.
Thomas Wagmann, on holiday from Dubai, said, “Compared to Dubai, this Dhofar area is wonderful because you can be outdoors all the time. You don’t even have to worry about sunburn because there’s no sun.”
8. What does the underlined word “diverse” in paragraph 2 mean?
A.Active | B.Different | C.Amazing | D.Merry |
9. What can visitors enjoy when watching the performance of various groups?
A.Different cultures | B.Fairy stories |
C.Fashion shows | D.Local music and dances |
10. What did Khalid al-Najar mainly talk about?
A.The beautiful natural scenery of Oman |
B.The reason why tourists come to Oman |
C.The Oman’s special geographic position |
D.The cause of Oman’s unique climate during the festival |
11. What did Thomas Wagmann like about Dhofar?
A.The same weather as Dubai | B.The beauty of the country |
C.Its sunless weather | D.Its sunny climate |