1 . Festivals are a great way to experience a destination in a different way. Whether you are looking for a unique cultural difference or the experience of sheer joy, there is something here for everyone in this article.

St. Patrick's Day

Dublin, Ireland & New York, the USA, March 17th

It has been a cultural and religious celebration held in memory of the death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland, since 1762. On that day, the whole city turns green and many Irish make traditional bread. It is also one of the most fun days of the year, when the whole city turns into a big green party.

South by Southwest (SXSW)

Austin, the USA, March

Founded in 1987, SXSW has been praised by music fans and the media worldwide as one of the top 10 music festivals in the world. It is not only a music feast but also dedicated to the integration of technology and films. You can also enjoy free food, drinks and music. Sounds good?

King's Day

Amsterdam, Netherlands, April 27th

King's Day may well be the best party in Holland and Amsterdam turns a very bright color of orange on April 27th. People celebrate King Willem Alexander's birthday with music, street parties, flea markets, and fun fairs. The king himself travels through the country with his family.

Just for Laughs

Montreal, Canada, July 14th—30th

For comedy lovers there is no other festival in the word better than Montreal's Just for Laughs. The festival concentrates most of its shows in the Latin Quarter. During the day street performers delight the crowds and at night the city comes alive with comedy all over the city.

Many people cherish the magic of Father Christmas. That is the reason     1     Letters from Father Christmas could be the perfect book for those who regard Christmas     2     a special time of year. The man who wrote these letters is one of the     3    (famous) names in English literature — J.R.R. Tolkien.

Every Christmas, an envelope with a North Pole stamp     4    (address) to Tolkien’s children. Each letter took Tolkien a long time     5    (complete). The letters told wonderful stories about Father Christmas’s life and adventures at the North Pole. The letters did, however, change as Tolkien’s children got     6    (old). The book tells us that as well as     7    (enjoy) the adventures of Father Christmas, Polar Bear and other     8    (character) at the North Pole, we can all share the true spirit of     9    (give) at Christmas time. By expressing love for his children     10     such a special way, Tolkien may indeed have been the real Father Christmas.

4 . April Fool’s Day

April Fool’s Day is a western festival. No one _________ exactly when and how April Fool’s Day began. However, there are some stories about _________ it came into being. One story _________ like this: in the sixteenth-century France, the start of the new year was on April first. It was celebrated _________ much the same way _________ it is today with parties and dancing into the late hours of the night.

Then in 1562, Pope(教皇)Gregory introduced a new calendar for the Christian world, and the new year fell on January first. There were some people, _________, who hadn’t heard or didn’t believe the _________ in the date, so they _________ to celebrate New Year’s Day on April first. _________ played tricks on them and called them “April fools”. They tried to make them believe that something false was __________. In France today, April first is called “April Fish”. French children fool their friends by sticking a paper fish to their friends’ __________. When the “young fool” __________ this trick, the prankster(恶作剧者)shouts “April Fish!”

Today Americans play small tricks on friends and strangers alike on the first of April. One __________ trick on April Fool’s Day is __________ down to a friends shoe and saying, “Your shoelace is untied.” School children might tell a classmate that school has been canceled(取消). __________ the trick is, if you fail for the joke the prankster shouts “April Fool!”

6 . Maybe you have heard the expression—when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So when you want to do business in France, you have to get to know French culture, to make marketing plans, and to run your business by local laws.

    1     The French take great pride in their language, so anyone who does not speak it may run the risk of being disrespected by his French colleagues or business partners. Also, another reason why learning French is important is that it is a great way to show every possible French business partner that you care and respect their country's culture and language.

The first thing you should do when meeting someone new is to shake his hand firmly and always look the person in the eye. In social meeting with friends, kissing is common.

Use first names only after being invited to.     2     The French will sometimes introduce themselves using their surname first, followed by their first name.

Dress well.     3     Your business clothing is a reflection of your success and social status. Always try to be tasteful and stylish. Women are advised to dress simply but elegantly. Wearing make-up is practised widely by businesswomen.

The French are passionate about food, so lunches are common in doing business in France, which usually consist of an appetizer (开胃菜), a main meal with wine, cheese, dessert and coffee, and normally take up to two hours.     4    

Do not begin eating until the host says “bon appetite”. Pass dishes to the left, keep wrists above the table and try to eat everything on the plate.     5     This may suggest that you find the food tasteless. If eating in a restaurant, the person who invites always pays.

Do you have any idea of New Year paintings? Knowing as “paper paintings” and “painted pictures”, New Year paintings are a specially art form in Chinese folk culture. Without New Year paintings, our traditional Chinese folk culture would much less colorful. The paintings get such a name because they are most posted during the Chinese New Year holiday for a decoration and they are also accepted as a symbol of New Year’s greetings. In the Song Dynasty New Year paintings are created on a large scale. With the printing techniques improving, the content and forms of New Year paintings became variety. The development of the paintings matured in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, where the art hit its heyday (全盛期). Nowadays there are many printing method of New Year paintings, included woodblock printing, watercolor painting, etc.