1 . Festivals in March Around the World in 2024

SXSW Festival, USA

8th-16th March, 2024

SXSW is a famous festival in Austin. This media festival features plenty of film, music, and comedy events. SXSW also hosts tech panels (讨论会). Therefore, you have an opportunity to interact with celebrities and well-known businessmen. Austin is also famous for its outstanding drink and food! Travelers of all ages and interests can find something to enjoy at SXSW.

Pasifika Festival, New Zealand

9th-10th March, 2024

The Pasifika Festival showcases Pacific Island cultures. It takes place in Auckland where you can see contemporary art, music, dance, and cuisine from various Pacific communities. You’ll be able to witness and gain a deeper understanding about cultures like Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, and Maori, among others.

St Patrick’s Day, Ireland

14th-17th March, 2024

St Patrick’s Day celebrates Irish culture, music, food, and entertainment. Wrap up the party on St Patrick’s Day with a massive street carnival on 17th March. You’ll find parades, vendors (商贩), live music stages and fun across the centre of Dublin. You will find festivities all over Ireland, not just in the capital city.

Cape Town Jazz Festival, South Africa

22nd-31st March, 2024

For over twenty years, the Festival has attracted nearly 40, 000 people annually to its five major venues. It features music by dozens of musicians worldwide. Performers play Jazz, R&B, rap and so on. Enjoy the area before and after the Festival. Cape Town has extremely beautiful art and culture, restaurants, bars and outdoor activities.

1. Where can people attend a street carnival according to the text?

A．In Ireland.

B．In South Africa.

C．In the USA.

D．In New Zealand.

2. Which festival lasts the longest?

A．Pasifika Festival.	B．SXSW Festival.
C．St Patrick’s Day.	D．Cape Town Jazz Festival.

3. What can people do during the four festivals?

A．Attend technical panels.	B．Enjoy beautiful music.
C．Meet well-known people.	D．Appreciate contemporary art.

4 . Everyone in the Smiths shares the housework. Let’s see what they usually do.

Prepare (准备) breakfast Monday to Wednesday: Mrs. Smith Thursday and Friday: Mr. Smith Saturday: Sam & Bob Sunday: Linda	Help in the kitchen Mrs. Smith cooks dinners. Mr. Smith does the dishes. Sam sets the table. Bob clears the table. Linda cleans the kitchen.
Tidy the living room Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: Mrs. Smith and Linda The other days: Mr. Smith and the boys. ●The kids clean their rooms every Thursday and Sunday. ●The kids take out the rubbish in turn (轮流).

1. When does Linda prepare breakfast?

A．On Monday.

B．On Friday.

C．On Saturday.

D．On Sunday.

2. What does Mr. Smith do to help in the kitchen?

A．He cleans the kitchen.	B．He does the dishes.
C．He clears the table.	D．He cooks dinners.

3. How often do the kids clean their rooms?

A．Once a week.	B．Three times a week.
C．Twice a week.	D．Three times a month.

5 . All students have bad times. What do they usually do when they get into trouble?

My mom is like my friend. I talk about everything to her. Whenever I have some trouble, I can get good advice from her. I have another good friend — my diary. It knows all my secrets. Talking with my two friends always makes me feel better.

                                                                                             —— Linda

Laughing helps me when I’m upset. I usually watch funny movies and TV shows. I also love spending my hard time with my best friend Dave. He is humorous and always makes me laugh.

                                                                                               —— Peter

Every time I feel bad, I go climbing alone. The study says exercising can help cheer one up (精神振奋). And the beautiful view at the top of the mountain makes me forget all my troubles. Sometimes I shout at the mountain top. It feels fantastic.

                                                                                                 —— John

1. Linda’s ________ knows all her secrets.

A．sister

B．teacher

C．diary

D．computer

2. The underlined word “humorous” probably means “________”.

A．quiet

B．funny

C．careful

D．serious

3. John always ________ when he feels bad.

A．goes climbing	B．watches movies
C．talks with his friends	D．reads books

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Linda often asks her teacher for advice.

B．Dave often helps Peter with his homework.

C．John likes climbing mountains with his friends.

D．Exercising can help people feel good.

6 . There is much conversation about boundaries these days, but what exactly are boundaries? Simply put, boundaries are limits we personally set in order to protect our physical, emotional, and mental health, and they can be set with ourselves, with others, or with both.     1     — physical boundaries, emotional boundaries, and time or effort boundaries.

    2    . They help us to protect ourselves from harm - keep us safe. They also help us to maintain our sense of self and feeling of control over our lives.     3    . The most common reason is that your boundary may mean someone else’s disappointment. Here are some tips when you are setting boundaries.

Initially, be clear and direct. The more clear and direct you are, the more others will be able to respect the boundaries you set. “I’m heading home today at 5 pm” will be understood more clearly than “I need to head home sometime around 5 or 5: 30 pm.”     4    . We can’t expect people to respect our boundaries if we don’t respect theirs. Further more, be willing for others not to like the boundaries you set. At first, this can feel difficult. But ultimately other people will respect you more for having clear boundaries and know what to expect from the relationship, which will become healthier and stronger.     5    .

Once you set boundaries, it’s important to maintain them. At the beginning, it may feel challenging to set and maintain them, but eventually, they can become second nature and we find ourselves in relationships built on mutual respect and care-the kind of relationships we all want to be in.

A．Or it will need to end

B．Boundaries have cons and pros

C．Then be respectful of others’ boundaries

D．Naturally, they may be met with resistance

E．There are many different types of boundaries

F．Boundaries are important part of a healthy life

G．However, people often have a difficult time setting them

9 . In which city did the woman and John stay the longest?

A．Vienna.

B．Rome.

C．Paris.

10 . Dear readers,

“Persist.” — Viet Thanh Nguyen

“Success is no accident.” — Chris Bohjalian

“Keep writing and it’ll get easier.” — Lisa Jewell

“Be patient with yourself.” — Min Jin Lee

These are words of advice taken from our interviews with award-winning and bestselling authors. Notice, though, not a single mention of their status, prizes, or advances—in other words, their success. And while status, literary awards, and money can be indicators of a successful writer, one must actually sit down and write for any of those things to happen. That’s what all of these pieces of advice have in common: putting words on the page.

In this issue, you’ll find articles to help you succeed, no matter your goals. If it’s to figure out whether that mess of a novel you’ve got sitting in a drawer can be rescued or if you need to move on, Andromeda Romano’s article will offer questions to ask yourself. Michael La Ronn’s essay will give you an example of how an unexpected opportunity might be just the push you need. Or, if you’ve had trouble finding an agent, Ryan Van Cleave’s collection of tips and advice from 22 literary agents on every aspect of the business might change your luck. Matty Dalrymple shares ways to reach more readers and build a community with them.

Wish you success and happy new year!

1. The advice mentioned at the beginning highlights the importance of ______.

A．a big dream

B．constant practice

C．earning money

D．achieving success

2. Whose article may help those who are unsure whether to save an unsuccessful novel?

A．Matty Dalrympl.	B．Michael La Ronn.
C．Ryan Van Cleave.	D．Andromeda Romano.

3. Who might be the target readers of this issue?

A．Writers.

B．Businessmen.

C．Booksellers.

D．Literary agents.