3 . A music festival is a community event focusing on live performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme. On the list are the music festivals for fans around the world. Find your favorite now!

Field Day

January 1, 2023, Sydney

Field Day means New Year’s Day for young people in Sydney. Seen as the city’s original multi-stage party, it’s a gathering of friends coming together for a great fun-filled first day of the year. There’s an air of hope and positive energy on a perfect summer’s day.

The Envision Festival

February 27—March 6, 2023, Uvita

The Envision Festival is an annual gathering in Costa Rica that aims to provide an opportunity for different cultures to work with one another to create a better community. The festival encourages people to practice art, music, dance performances, and education. Meanwhile, our connection with nature is expected to be strengthened.

The McDowell Mountain Music Festival

March 2—4, 2023, Phoenix

The McDowell Mountain Music Festival is Phoenix’s musical celebration of community culture. Since its foundation in 2004, it has been the only 100% non-profit music festival designed to support, entertain and educate the community. The festival attracts thousands of visitors each year from around the country, and it is an opportunity to experience true culture.

The Old Settler’s Music Festival

April 20—23, 2023, Dale

The Old Settler’s Music Festival is a nationally known music festival for American music. The festival is held in the country of Texas at the height of the wild flower season. The Old Settler’s Music Festival offers great music and activities for the whole family.

4 . “I feel unlikable, lonely and hopeless,” said Lisa, a bright teenager from a loving home. “It seems that nobody wants to become my friend. What’s wrong with me? ”

Like Lisa, many of us experience loneliness. The truth is that all people, no matter what their age or character — even the most outgoing, wealthy and popular — experience loneliness at least sometimes. It’s healthy and natural to want to be around people who care. After all, we’ve all heard “No man is an island.” That’s true. We all need others in our lives.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, explains that if we want friends, we must be friendly and reach out to others. But it has risk. Because we are often afraid of rejection (拒绝), many of us are unwilling to reach out to others. We take a safer way and wait for others to make friends with us. But if we want friends, we’ve got to get beyond this.

If making friends is your goal as well, you need to consider taking some measures (措施).

Be willing to take the initiative (主动权). If you see someone whom you would like to know, don’t wait for her to make the first move. Get close to her and begin a conversation. Let her know in a non aggressive (无攻击性的) way that you are interested in being friends with her.

Reach out to those who are lonely. When you see someone at school sitting alone, go over and talk to her. And don’t let popularity decide whom you reach out to. You’ll often be surprised at the beautiful qualities behind a shy appearance.

Ask questions. Start your first conversation by asking this possible friend what she likes to do or asking about her family. Be sure to ask questions that cannot be replied with “yes” or “no”. For example, don’t ask “Do you have a dog?” Instead, say “So, tell me about your pets.” Avoiding asking “yes” or “no” questions makes your possible friend not end your communication with a one word answer.

5 . Standing on the top of Mount Tai, I watched the sun rising through the cloud and taking its place in the sky. I haven’t seen many ______, but I can feel that seeing one from the top of Mount Tai must be one of the best ways to ______ the beauty of nature.

When I left for China, the ______ of climbing Mount Tai had not even ______ me. I was going to China to ______ its language, history and culture and gain a better understanding of international agricultural trade between my country and China.

Now I have stayed in China for a few weeks. In Beijing, my group have, ______ friendship with many Chinese students. Through our broken Chinese and their ______ English, we are still able to teach each other about our cultures. We ______ that we are all just students working towards the same ______ of having careers, families and lives and trying to make the world better. Cultural differences seem ______—even the language almost completely differs from our own. But their daily lives are similar to our own routines (常规). ______, people worry about the same things we do here. They are ______ food safety, pay close attention to the government and feel the effects of the economic markets.

This ______ makes me realize how many cultures my country has in common with other countries around the world. More importantly, it makes me ______ for travel, and I am i looking forward to having more ______ to engage in cross-cultural communication and learning.

6 . In my early teens, I was once given a film camera as a gift. On receiving it, I jumped on my bike, headed to Wimbledon Common and took photos, just for me: photos of trees and wildlife. I was out all day. On my way home I spotted a tree lit up by street lighting and tried to capture its splendour. Rushing home, I popped the spent film in a special little envelope and sent it off to a photography store, desperate to see how it came out. I took many photos then and loved the fact that when you processed your film you got back colour photos which froze the precious moments, gently encouraging the hobby and the payments for processing.

As I grew into adulthood, that simple, deep happiness gradually faded away. One weekend when I was busy answering the work calls, my eyes caught a box in the corner of the room. I suddenly felt a sense of sadness. The stress growing over these years had pushed the camera from beside my pillow to the box in the corner. I thought I needed a change.

I took out the camera and dusted it down. It was a great joy that it still worked. I bought new film and took the camera everywhere I went. Now it is always on hand to accompany me on journeys, to allow me time to myself. Even if the day is full and busy, I can seize some moments for myself to take photos, to observe the world around me.

The wall of my room now holds all my camera equipment along with photos I’ve taken. To me, the room represents how I’ve found happiness: by reconnecting to the younger part of myself I laid aside, by allowing room in my life for pleasure to exist, and by creating an environment that allows opportunities for delight.

In elementary school, George wasn’t     1    (exact) popular, but he always had a couple of really good friends. In middle school, he was really good at science and math. While most kids were going to     2     movies on weekends, George     3    (prefer) to design his own special projects. He dreamed of owning his own technology company someday. When George got to senior high school, some of the other students made fun of him for being into books and computers. This made George very upset,     4     he tried not to let anything keep his dream from     5    (achieve). George got excellent grades and was admitted     6     both Harvard and Yale, but he decided to go to Stanford because there were lots of     7    (opportunity) for people     8     wanted to work in Silicon Valley. This was the first time George had felt accepted by the people around him. He took many computer classes, and kept designing his own projects on weekends. During the summer months, he would take extra classes, and he ended up     9    (graduate) a year early. He took a job     10     a computer programmer at Apple. After five more years there, George left to start his own company, finally realizing his childhood dream.

8 . Jim Dwyer was once in the United States Air Force. Although he is retired, he is still _______ his country. This time it’s through _______ meals to those who truly need it.

Every Thursday, Dwyer starts his day at Meals on Wheels in Westminster, _______ eight hot plates and sending the nutritious meals to older adults.

“It’s _______ to help those in need because it offers us inner joy. You know it’s just the ability to help people that are _______ and not able to get out on their own. It’s something I get _______ from. And who knows? Maybe someday I might need this service too,” said Dwyer.

Dwyer was _______ to join Meals on Wheels when he _______ to make sure his elderly parents had hot meals to eat. “I saw on TV here in Westminster that they were looking for _______ for Meals on Wheels, and I said I could do that,” said Dwyer.

His ________ to work for his fellow Americans, as he did in the military, is ________. It is true that the meals bring ________ to those getting a plate.

“Jim is great. He has been one of our committed ________ for a long time,” said Darla Olson of Meals on Wheels.

As the saying goes, “It’s never too late to learn.” ________, Dwyer’s story tells us that it is also never too late to make ________ efforts to work for the good of the community.

9 . “Just sign here, sir,” the deliveryman (送货员) said as he handed Oscar Reyna a package.

The package consisted of (装有) a long, narrow box ______ wrapped in brown paper. ______ the box, Oscar saw an umbrella inside—a very old one with a beautifully carved handle. ______ he had not seen it for more than 20 years, he recognized it immediately.

Oscar was 16 when he first saw the ______ umbrella. He had gone to a concert with his grandparents. As they were leaving, he noticed an umbrella on an empty seat. Impressed by its ______, Oscar felt a strong desire to find its owner.

Oscar ______ the manager to look in the record of advance ticket sales. Just as he thought, a name matched the seat ______ Oscar had found the umbrella. The name was Mrs. Katie O’Brien.

Oscar talked his grandparents into going by Mrs. O’Brien’s house on their way home. He rang the bell, the door opened, and an elderly woman appeared. “May I ______ you?” she asked. “I’d like to return it if it’s yours,” Oscar said, ______ the umbrella as if presenting a gift that had long been wished for. “Why, yes! it’s mine, “ replied Mrs. O’Brien with a ______ smile and shining eyes. “It was given to me by my father years ago. Thank you so much for returning it. May I offer you a reward for your ______?” “No, ma’am.” he said, “my grandmother says that a good deed is its own reward.” “Well, that’s ______ what my father used to say. What is your name, Young man?”

Years later, Oscar was staring at the finely carved handle of the umbrella as he remembered Mrs. O’Brien. It was in perfect condition, considering how ______ it was. Why had it arrived here today? As if ______ , a note fell from the paper. It read: Mrs. O’Brien wanted you to accept this umbrella as a present for a kind, ______ gesture long ago.