As we all know, festivals     1     (celebrate) all around the world and they have     2     wide range of origins, such as the seasons of the year, religions, famous     3     (figure), and important events. Of all the     4     (tradition) festivals, the harvest festival can be found in almost every culture. People celebrate     5     (show) that they are grateful for the year’s supply of food. Customs play a significant role in festivals, but sometimes they can change over time. With the     6     (develop) of modern society and the spread of new ideas, some traditions may fade     7     and others may be established. Festivals are becoming more and more commercial, with businesses     8     (take) advantage of the celebrations. Festivals reflect people’s wishes, beliefs, faiths and attitudes towards life. And if you study festivals     9     (careful), you may be surprised to find that different cultures actually have a lot     10     common after all.

A Festival for the Dead is held once a year in Japan. This festival is     1     cheerful occasion, for on this day, the dead are said to return to their homes and they are welcomed by the living. As they are expected to be hungry after     2    (they) long journey, food is laid out for them. Lanterns     3    (special) made for the festival are hung outside each house     4    (help) the dead to find their way. All night long, people dance and sing. In the early morning, the food that had been laid out for the dead     5    (throw) into a river or into the sea as it is considered     6    (lucky) for anyone living to eat it. In towns that are near the sea, the tiny lanterns,     7     had been hung in the streets the night before, are placed into the water when the festival is over.     8    (thousand) of lanterns slowly drift out to sea guiding the dead on their return journey     9     the other world. This is a moving scene, for crowds of people     10    (stand) on the shore watch the lanterns drifting away until they can be seen no more.