There’s no better way to get to know a country than by taking part in its festivals. Our yearly round-up of Germany’s best festivals will give you a taste of German culture, tradition, and art at its best. Here are some of them.
Carnival
Carnival is also called the “Fifth Season” in Germany. Alongside many colorful costume balls, the highlight of this festival is the Rose Monday Parade with marching bands, dancers, and decorated floats parading down the streets across Germany. Carnival is celebrated throughout the country but centered in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Muenster, and Mainz.
International Film Festival in Berlin
Every February, Berlin rolls out the red carpet to host the Berlin International Film Festival. What to expect? More than 400 films from all over the world, parties, historic theatres and special events open to everyone who loves film. Besides Cannes, Berlinale is the most important film festival in Europe.
Oktoberfest in Munich
Every September and October, over 6 million visitors from around the world come to Munich to celebrate Bavarian cuisine, music, and traditions. There are many colorful parades, open-air concerts, and fun rides to enjoy for the whole family.
Wine Festival and Wurstmarkt in Bad Duerkheim
Although this fair is officially called “ Wurstmarkt”(sausage market), it’s famous for its celebration of excellent local wines. Located in Rhineland, the second largest region in Germany where wine is produced, the Wurstmarkt prides itself on being the world’s biggest wine festival. This event has been celebrated every September for almost 600 years.
1. What’s the text mainly intended to introduce?| A．Rich German culture, tradition and art. |
| B．Some of the best festivals in Germany. |
| C．Exciting ways to get to know Germany. |
| D．Some popular destinations in Germany. |
| A．appeal for visitors | B．diversity of activities |
| C．region of celebrations | D．length of time for celebrations |
| A．Cologne. | B．Berlin. | C．Munich. | D．Rhineland. |
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【推荐1】Here’s how Father’s Day is celebrated in some countries around the world.
Australia
Its Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of September. It’s said that it chose September because the time when much of the world observes Father’s Day was already too full of holidays. The day is typically spent in showering Dad with cards and gifts in much the same way as we do in America.
Sweden
It celebrates Father’s Day on the second Sunday in November. Norway, its neighbor, does the same. This year their Father’s Day falls on Sunday, November 14. The tradition originally came from the American Father’s Day observance and was celebrated in June, but businesses advocated that the holiday be moved to November, a typically slow month for the economy. Because of this, Father’s Day gifts are so attractive and popular.
Germany
Its Father’s Day always falls on a Thursday in May. This year, it was celebrated on Thursday, May 13. It’s a national holiday, and in most areas of the country the following Friday is as well, so many celebrate with a 4-day weekend filled with outdoor Father’s Day activities.
Russia
Russia’s Father’s Day began as a celebration for soldiers, which then became a holiday specially for men. Over time, the celebration of men has evolved into the country’s modern Father’s Day. Because it has much to do with soldiers, the holiday is known as Defender of the Fatherland Day, and is celebrated annually on February 23rd with activities that many men participate in.
1. Which country celebrates Father’s Day in a similar way to America?| A．Sweden. | B．Germany. | C．Australia. | D．Russia. |
| A．It wants people to spend more. | B．It can have more time to celebrate. |
| C．Norway observes it in November. | D．There’re too many holidays in June. |
| A．It falls on the same day as another holiday. |
| B．It affected Germany’s Father’s Day. |
| C．It has a 4-day celebration each year. |
| D．It was rooted in honoring soldiers. |
【推荐2】Thanksgiving is an important festival in North America. We interviewed several students from the US and Canada. Here is what they have told us about their Thanksgiving experiences.
Josie from New York, USA
“In America, Thanksgiving is celebrated every year at the end of November. It is to remember the first group of people from Europe to live in America. When they first arrived, they found the environment strange. But they learned to survive after some native American friends showed them how to grow and find food. Thanksgiving is meant to be a traditional celebration.”
Todd from California, USA
“Thanksgiving is the first day of Christmas shopping. That means we have four weeks to buy Christmas presents for our families and friends. For me and my friends, the most important part of the festival is the big football game on TV. The match is watched by millions of people all over America. Thanksgiving is seen as an exciting day for football!”
Ian from Saskatoon, Canada
“In Canada, Thanksgiving is held on the second Monday in October. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving Day, many people go to church. Thanks is given for all the good things that happened to them during the year. I always give thanks for the nice big turkey I’m going to have at the family dinner! Like all festivals, Thanksgiving is about food!”
Katie from Maritimes, Canada
“On Thanksgiving Day, we have dinner with all our cousins, aunts and uncles. It is always very busy. Sometimes we have two Thanksgiving dinners because we go to both our grandparents’ houses. The dinner is usually attended by more than twenty people at each house! My mother and my aunts do all the cooking but the washing-up is done by me and my cousins. And that’s not an easy job! But I don’t mind because Thanksgiving is meant to be a time to give thanks.”
1. People in the USA and Canada .| A．all have the same opinion of Thanksgiving |
| B．have different opinions of Thanksgiving |
| C．feel that Thanksgiving is about food |
| D．have no interest in Thanksgiving |
| A．On the second Monday in October. |
| B．On the second Monday in November. |
| C．At the end of October. |
| D．At the end of November. |
| A．Josie. | B．Todd. | C．Ian. | D．Katie. |
| A．Students learn to give thanks on Thanksgiving. |
| B．Many students like spending Thanksgiving at home. |
| C．Students have different experiences on Thanksgiving. |
| D．Thanksgiving is an important festival in North America. |
How's your vacation？I'm visiting my uncle in Spain. He lives in the sunny and beautiful city of Valencia, in Spain.
Yesterday, I had great fun. My uncle took me to the tomato festival in Bunol, which is just 30 miles away from where my uncle lives. You have probably never heard of this festival before. Neither have I. The tomato festival is called “La Tomatina” in Spanish. It was the biggest and messiest tomato fight in the world. When we first got to the square where the festival took place, it was very crowded with people from all around the world, and many trucks were carrying tomatoes. My uncle told me the crowded people here were around 38,000 and this was more than four times the population of Bunol.
The tomato fight started as soon as the first banger was beaten. Then everyone including me started throwing tomatoes at each other. I took red tomatoes and threw them at anyone that ran，moved，bent down，or turned around. Tomatoes must be squashed(捏扁)before people threw them in order not to hurt anybody.
After a little while, the streets, people and nearby buildings were splashed(溅起)with red. There was no winner in this fight, but we all had fun. As soon as a second banger was beaten, people stopped throwing.
I really had a great time. I wish you were here, too. I hope I hear from you soon. Take care.
From Spain
Linda
1. From the letter，we can know ________________| A．Linda lives in Valencia |
| B．Linda doesn't want to go to Spain |
| C．Linda is visiting her uncle in Spain |
| D．Linda is studying in Spain |
| A．Bunol is 30 miles away from where Linda's uncle lives. |
| B．Linda had heard of this festival before. |
| C．It was the first time Linda had gone to this festival. |
| D．Linda's uncle took her to the tomato festival in Bunol. |
| A．The fight started. |
| B．The fight stopped. |
| C．The fight got bigger and bigger. |
| D．The fight continued again. |
| A．“La Tomatina” is a fun and popular festival in Spain. |
| B．“La Tomatina” is a day for eating tomatoes. |
| C．Michael has a great vacation. |
| D．Linda enjoyed the beautiful city of Valencia. |
【推荐1】There are many fun, free activities that you can do as a family.All that is required is a bit of imagination and some time.And the best part is that these are the kind of fun, family memories a child will remember for a lifetime.
Family Game Night
Kids often get games for Christmas or birthdays, and would love to have a chance to play with their family.Or, make up some games of their own.Charades (字谜游戏) is a fun game that will challenge children to use their imagination.Divide the family into teams and let each team come up with words and the other has to act out.
Family Art Time
Pick some time for the family to sit down and come up with their own art.It doesn’t need to be just a drawing—take some old magazines, let the kids cut out pictures and paste them into their own shape.Or let them use leaves, branches and whatever else they can find to make something from their imagination.
Family Picnic
Taking the family for a picnic is a great way for some fun that doesn’t cost any money.If the weather is nice, take them to a park or playground and let them have a day of playing.
Family Field Trip
A family field trip doesn’t have to cost a cent.Ask a nearby farm if you can bring your kids out for a tour and to see some of the animals.Or take them to a park to find certain items from nature.Ask a local business if you could bring the family for a tour to see how things work—you might be surprised at the number of people who would be excited to share what they do with others, and it could be an interesting lesson for kids.
1. When playing the game charades, kids are supposed to ________.| A．prepare some cakes for each other | B．be quick to follow others’ actions |
| C．sing a song for each other in turn | D．connect actions with certain words |
| A．Family Picnic ＆ Family Field Trip |
| B．Family Game Night ＆ Family Picnic |
| C．Family Game Night ＆ Family Art Time |
| D．Family Field Trip ＆ Family Game Night |
| A．it costs a lot to visit a park for a family |
| B．you should ask for permission from the farm owner |
| C．you may share your own experience with workers |
| D．all the people will be excited to share what they have with you |
【推荐2】It is hardly surprising that clothing manufacturers (生产商) follow certain uniform standards for various features (特征) of clothes. What seems strange, however, is that the standard adopted for women is the opposite of the one for men. Take a look at the way your clothes button. Men’s clothes tend to button from the right, and women’s from the left. Considering most of the world’s population—men and women—are right-handed, the men’s standard would appear to make more sense for women. So why do women’s clothes button from the left?
History really seems to matter here. Buttons first appeared only on the clothes of the rich in the 17th century, when rich women were dressed by servants. For the mostly right-handed servants, having women’s shirts button from the left would be easier. On the other hand, having men’s shirts button from the right made sense, too. Most men dressed themselves, and a sword drawn from the left with the right hand would be less likely to get caught in the shirt.
Today women are seldom dressed by servants, but buttoning from the left is still the standard for them. Is it interesting? Actually, a standard, once set, resists change. At a time when all Women’s shirts buttoned from the left, it would have been risky for any single manufacturer to offer women’s shirts that buttoned from the right. After all, women had grown so used to shirts which buttoned from the left and would have to develop new habits and skills to switch. Besides, some women might have found it socially awkward to appear in public wearing shirts that buttoned from the right, since anyone who noticed that would believe they were wearing men’s shirts.
1. What is surprising about the standard of the clothing industry?| A．It has been followed by the industry for over 400 years. |
| B．It is different for men’s clothing and women’s. |
| C．It works better with men than with women. |
| D．It fails to consider righthanded people. |
| A．They tended to wear clothes without buttons |
| B．They were interested in historical matters |
| C．They were mostly dressed by servants. |
| D．They drew their swords from the left. |
| A．adopting men’s style is improper for women |
| B．manufacturers should follow standards |
| C．modern women dress themselves |
| D．customs are hard to change |
| A．analyzing causes | B．making comparisons |
| C．examining differences | D．following the time order |
【推荐3】Leaf peeping, the practice of traveling to watch nature display the fall colors, is a beloved annual activity, especially in New England. Typically, by the end of September, leaves take on warmer colors throughout the U.S. But this year, many areas haven’t even shaken off the green shades of summer. In Maine, forest rangers reported less than 70% color change and modest leaf drop.
It’s commonly believed that trees, like people, must prepare for winter. When fall arrives, and day length and temperature drop, trees respond by ending green substance production and absorbing remaining nutrients, causing leaves to lose the original color. Greens give way to yellows, reds and oranges that make for dramatic autumn displays.
Warm fall temperatures can make the fall colors appear later. Worse, dry summers can cause leaves to miss the fall color turn altogether. Delay of the start of the fall colors, which has been moving later into the fall, could continue. “My observations in the last decade have had more years that were later than what we consider historical averages. It can be a trend as the planet warms,” said the expert Jim Salge.
It’s not just the plants that suffer. “Turning leaves offer an irresistible mass of color — which, by estimate, brings in as much as billions of dollars a year in tourism in New England,” said Andy Finton, a forest ecologist. That’s another good reason to focus on preserving forests. Leaf peeping can stay part of the area’s feature if forests are given enough protection. “If we can keep them unharmed, they’ll provide things we’ve depended on, as well as fall inspiration,” said Finton.
1. What is special about the leaves in Maine this year?| A．They take on warm colors. | B．They drop earlier than normal. |
| C．They stay green longer. | D．They totally miss the fall color turn. |
| A．Ways of trees surviving winter. | B．Explanation of leaves changing color. |
| C．Functions of the green substance. | D．Effect of climate change on fall leaves. |
| A．The earth gets drier. | B．The temperature gets higher. |
| C．The earth gets warmer. | D．The leaves delay color change. |
| A．To introduce leaf peeping. | B．To report the right time for leaf peeping. |
| C．To call on people to admire fall leaves. | D．To warn people to take care of forests. |
