Edinburgh,     1     (locate) in the southeast of Scotland, is the capital city of Scotland.

With     2     (it) museums, shops, wonderful historic castles and many restaurants, there are many interesting things for visitors     3     (enjoy) all year round.

Besides, there is more to have fun in Edinburgh. Each year, the Edinburgh International Festival     4     (take) place in the city. In late summer, for three weeks, the festival presents classical music, theatre, opera and dance throughout the city. Whatever your cultural     5     (taste) are, you are sure to find something to enjoy.

So far, the Edinburgh International Festival has earned its reputation(声誉)as one of the world’s     6     (great)celebrations of the arts. The founders believed that the programmes should be of the highest possible artistic standard presented by     7     best artists in the world, that the festival should enrich the cultural life of Europe an     8     that it should provide a platform(平台)for the flowering of the human spirit.

The popularity of the festival led     9     the birth of another festival soon—the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Both of them have been     10     (wide) popular over the past 70 years.

2 . If you are a fruit grower—or would like to become one—take advantage of Apple Day to see what’s around. It’s called Apple Day but in practice it’s more like Apple Month. The day itself is on October 21, but since it has caught on, events now spread out over most of October around Britain.

Visiting an apple event is a good chance to see, and often taste, a wide variety of apples. To people who are used to the limited choice of apples such as Golden Delicious and Royal Gala in supermarkets, it can be quite an eye opener to see the range of classical apples still in existence, such as Decio which was grown by the Romans. Although it doesn’t taste of anything special, it’s still worth a try, as is the knobbly(多疙瘩的) Cat’s Head which is more of a curiosity than anything else.

There are also varieties developed to suit specific local conditions. One of the very best varieties for eating quality is Orleans Reinette, but you’ll need a warm, sheltered place with perfect soil to grow it, so it’s a pipe dream for most apple lovers who fall for it.

At the events, you can meet expert growers and discuss which ones will best suit your conditions, and because these are family affairs, children are well catered for with apple-themed fun and games.

Apple Days are being held at all sorts of places with an interest in fruit, including stately gardens and commercial orchards(果园). If you want to have a real orchard experience, try visiting the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, near Faversham in Kent.

A family dinner is an important tradition     1     (celebrate) Spring Festival. Nowadays, some people choose to have the dinner in a restaurant. We     2     (eat) out for the Spring Festival family dinner for the last three years, and we have enjoyed it no less than eating at home. I don’t understand     3     some people refuse to embrace the change.

Can’t they admit that the     4     (preparation) for the dinner are hard work? I really don’t think     5     is worth the effort of spending so much time preparing for a single meal, and then another hour cleaning up the mess     6     it’s over. We work all year, so why can’t one day be about spending time with family and     7     (relax)?

Eating out is a good choice and it has nothing to do with loss of traditions. We still have the dinner with the same people, just in a different place. The occasion is more     8     (enjoy) without all that tiring cooking, and the dishes taste better!

In my opinion, what or where we eat on Spring Festival Eve really     9     (make) no difference. Eating out may change the form of this tradition, but the love between the family members sitting around the table together remains     10     same.

We use flowers as messengers, to say something we might have trouble saying     1    (direct) ourselves. Over time flowers have come to symbolize the most powerful human experiences: beauty, love, hope, and rebirth. Sweet flowers alone can say     2     one fears expressing. We’ve listed some of the most famous flowers     3     have a special significance.

In Mao Zedong’s poem Ode to the Plum Blossom(《咏梅》), the plum blossom was used     4    (praise) great soldiers who sacrificed their lives for a better life for Chinese people.

    5     great Chinese poet Li Bai from the Tang dynasty once compared Yang Yuhuan’s beautiful face to blooming peonies(牡丹). Flowering in May, peonies’ large petals and strong colors are linked to prosperity(繁荣) and     6    (rich) in traditional Chinese culture.

The orchid(兰花) is well known for its delicate smell. Beautiful articles and poems     7    (call) “lanzhang” by Chinese people in ancient times.

Roses, of course, have the     8    (colorful) meaning among all the flowers. Red roses, to this day, mean “I love you. ” A red rose, rather than yellow roses,     9    (act) as the traditional romantic gift given to your love on Valentine’s Day.     10    (send) yellow roses can be risky, as they represent either friendship or envy.

8 . Last weekend I was lucky enough to attend one of Spain’s most famous carnivals in the city of Cádiz. You can only understand what it is like after seeing it for yourself. Everybody was fancily-dressed from top to toe.     1    

Almost instantly after stepping off the train, we were filled with joy.     2     Many people parading through the streets playing traditional music filled people with happiness. As we wandered around and took in the animate atmosphere, the creativity of some costumes was incredible! You could really tell that people put a lot of time and energy into making some amazing costumes.

Then there were the groups dotted around the city.     3     This gave the carnival a pure essence of originality, as they were singing from their heart. Furthermore, the fact that I was not able to understand the inside jokes did not matter, as I was transfixed by the actions and expressions they provided.     4    

As the night progressed, the streets got more packed with people. When we passed a convenience store, we danced along to the music coming through the owner’s speakers.     5     It was a marquee with a DJ set inside, literally like a mini festival. After this wacky weekend of festivity, it is true to say that the Spanish know how to party!

9 . Argentina lies in South America. There are many festivals in Argentina during the year. Therefore, you can enjoy the different interesting festivals when traveling there. First of all, we should talk about the Tango Festival in Argentina, which is held in the capital of this country—Buenos Aires, from February to March. You ought to know that Argentina is the home of tango, so Argentineans admire this dance very much. Even if you cannot dance perfectly, you should join the people and try to perform this dance.

The next festival in Argentina is Open Polo(马球) Tournament. You should go to Palermo to see this festival in Argentina. This festival is held every year and is the most important polo tournament in Argentina. This kind of sport is considered the most important in Argentina. Attending this festival in Argentina, you will be able to communicate with different people, admire the fascinating competition between the teams of different countries, such as Argentina, England, Australia, as well as the US. This festival in Argentina is usually held between November and December every year. So don’t miss the opportunity if you travel to Argentina at this time.

Another festival in Argentina is the Semana Musical Llao Llao. This is a festival of classical music. The festival was created in 1993 and is held at the Llao Llao Hotel, near Bariloche. The festival is held yearly in October. So if you admire this kind of music, you should travel to Argentina in October. There are also many carnivals in October.

There are also many carnivals in Argentina in summer. Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about festivals in Argentina into just one article. We hope that you have found this article interesting and eye-catching.

Festivals are celebrated all around the world,     1     have a wide range of origins. Every festival has     2     (it) different customs and unique charms. Customs play a     3     (significance) role in festivals,     4     sometimes they can change over time. With the     5     (develop) of modern society and the spread of new ideas, some traditions and customs may fade away and others may     6     (establish). Festivals are becoming more and more commercial, with businesses     7     (take) advantage of the celebrations. Online shopping websites and social media apps have made     8     much easier for the public to spend     9    (much) on gifts for their loved ones. Although some believe festivals should not be commercialised, others believe the increase in     10     (spend) is good for the economy and public happiness.