1 . Christmas Glow, RHS Wisley, Surrey
The garden is flowing with large lighted flowers. Some of the trees are brilliant, too. The glasshouse is decorated like a gingerbread house, and displays (展览) seasonal plants. There are lanterns around the lake. The cafe serves hot chocolate and apple juice.
●£9.90, adult £3.60, child
●20 Dec. to 2 Jan.
Festival of Light, Longleat Safari Park, Wiltshire
Longleat is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Large lanterns take the shape of some of the park’s animals, and there are also lots of characters in Beatrix Potter’s book, such as Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle Duck, Squirrel Nutkin, to mark the 150th anniversary of the author’s birth. There is also a 20-metre-high birthday cake.
●£27.85, adult £20.65, child under-threes, free
●15 Dec. to 2 Jan.
Festival of Light, Enchanted Park, Gateshead
Enchanted Park is an interactive walk through Saltwell Park, just south of the town centre, along a trail of light with performances and sculptures. “The story being told is Midwinter Night’s Tale, inspired by the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death.” Visitors can join stories and songs with Santa, and attend decorating workshops.
●£8, adult £2, child under-fours, free
●11-27 Dec.
Christmas at Kew Gardens or London
Kew is a special place to visit at any time of the day or year, but the festive light show gives it a magical twist, as the mile-long trail through the garden is decorated with 60,000 lights. Some of the garden’s oldest and tallest trees are also beautifully lit along the way.
●£16, adult £10, child under-fours, free
●24 Dec. to 2 Jan.
1. Which of the following events last the longest?| A．Christmas Glow, RHS Wisley, Surrey. |
| B．Festival of Light, Longleat Safari Park, Wiltshire. |
| C．Festival of Light, Enchanted Park, Gateshead. |
| D．Christmas at Kew Gardens or London. |
| A．Learn to write stories. | B．Play with wild animals. |
| C．Pay a visit to glasshouses. | D．Sing songs with Santa. |
| A．£16. | B．£26. | C．£36. | D．£48. |
2 . From a live music festival that champions Mother Nature to the sporting artistry of the HSBC Women’s World Championship, Singapore’s dynamic line-up of events in February will have you at the edge of your seat. Here are the concerts, festivals and celebrations that await you in the Lion City.
Chinatown CNY Celebrations
Immerse yourself in the rich culture and tradition of the Lunar New Year at the Chinatown CNY Celebrations. The seven-week long festivities include a slew of activities for the young and old alike, with nightly street shows, a festive bazaar (街市), and an international Lion Dance competition.
For two months, the streets of Chinatown will be decorated with lanterns and interesting motifs (图案), from gold coins to the mythical zodiac animals of the Chinese lunar calendar.
Date: 2 Jan - 22 Feb Venue: Chinatown
Dahlia Dreams
Inspired by the Lunar New Year, this enchanting floral showcase tells the mythological story of the Chinese zodiac animals. Weave your way through the Flower Dome’s elaborate topiary like sculptures, amidst more than 70 dahlia cultivars (品种) and indulge in an unforgettable visual feast. Date: 17 Jan - 23 Feb
Venue: Gardens by the Bay, Flower Dome
Have a Squeaky New Year!
Animal lovers can take a walk on the wild side at this Chinese New Year-themed event, happening across the Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Bark and Night Safari.
Keeping in theme with this year’s Chinese zodiac animal, visitors can check out the gambian pouched rat, clouded rat, speckled mousebird and more.
The event will be accompanied by lion dance performances, themed mascots and a special Zoo-diac trail to reveal your fortune forecast.
Date: 25 Jan - 8 Feb
Venue: Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Jurong Bird Bark and Night Safari
Chingay Parade Singapore 2020
Join Singaporeans as they celebrate the largest street performance and float parade in Asia. An annual celebration of Singapore’s multicultural tapestry (织锦), this year’s entertainment is themed ‘Colours in Harmony’, and will feature a mix of dazzling spectacle and dynamic performances.
Grab some street food and participate in games at the carnival along the parade route, and don’t forget to drop by NS Square for River Hongbao to marvel at the lanterns and fireworks.
Date: 31 Jan – 1 Feb Venue: F1 Pit Building
1. At the Chinatown CNY Celebrations, people could ______.| A．buy the lanterns and interesting motifs |
| B．enjoy an international Lion Dance competition |
| C．hear the mythological story of the Chinese zodiac animals |
| D．check out the gambian pouched rat and speckled mousebird |
| A．Chinatown. | B．Singapore Zoo. |
| C．Flower Dome. | D．F1 Pit Building. |
| A．To attract visitors. |
| B．To describe events. |
| C．To compare festivals. |
| D．To evaluate activities. |
3 . Famous food festivals around the world
Food festivals are held all across the world every year, and people from different parts come to these festivals in large numbers to satisfy their taste buds（味蕾）.
Galway International Oyster(牡蛎) and Seafood Festival
Galway, Ireland
September 26 to September 29, 2020
This is the world’s longest running oyster festival, first appeared in 1954. Apart from the excellent seafood that is served, the festival also features some exciting events such as oyster eating contest, live music, tasting parties, etc.
International Mango(芒果) Festival
New Delhi, India
June 30 to July 2, 2020
This festival is a celebration of everything about mangoes. It features the different kinds of mangoes and the various food items that are made from them. The festival also holds a number of special events such as mango-eating competitions, mango-tasting events, quiz competitions, and plenty of traditional and folk performances.
Garlic (大蒜) Festival
The Isle of Wight, England
August 17 to August 18, 2020
This is one of the largest events that the Isle of Wight hosts each year, and it shows recipes made from garlic. Some foods made out of garlic and garlic beer are available(可得到的) there. The festival also features live music and a country fair.
The Crave Sydney International Food Festival
Sydney, Australia
October 1 to October 31, 2020
This festival attracts a number of famous international chefs each year as visitors to experience the best of Australian food. From fine dining at famous restaurants to street food to cooking classes, this event has a lot in store for a visitor.
1. If you are only free at the beginning of July you can go to ______.| A．Garlic Festival. |
| B．International Mango Festival. |
| C．The Crave Sydney International Food Festival. |
| D．Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival. |
| A．Galway | B．Sydney |
| C．New Delhi | D．the Isle of Wight |
| A．Garlic Festival. |
| B．International Mango Festival. |
| C．The Crave Sydney International Food Festival. |
| D．Galway International Oyster and Seafood Festival. |
4 . The Sahara Festival is a celebration of the very recent past. The three-day event is not fixed to the same dates each year, but generally takes place in November or December. It is well attended by tourists, but even better attended by the locals.
During the opening ceremonies, after the official greetings from the government leaders, people who attend the festival begin to march smartly before the viewing stands, and white camels transport their riders across the sands. Horsemen from different nations display their beautiful clothes and their fine horsemanship. One following another, groups of musicians and dancers from all over the Sahara take their turn to show off their wonderful traditional culture. Groups of men in blue and yellow play horns and beat drums as they dance in different designs. On their knees in the sand, a group of women in long dark dresses dance with their hair: their long, dark, shiny hair is thrown back and forth in the wind to the rhythm of their dance.
The local and visiting Italian dogs are anxious to run after hares. The crowd is on its feet for the camel races. Camels and riders run far into the distance, and then return to the finish Line in front of the cheering people.
Towards the evening, there comes the grand finale of the opening day, an extremely exciting horserace. All the riders run very fast on horseback. Some riders hang off the side of their saddles（马鞍）. Some even ride upside down—their legs and feet straight up in the air—all at full speed. Others rush down the course together, men arm in arm, on different horses. On and on they went. So fast and so wonderful!
1. The Sahara Festival is a festival which _____.| A．has a very long history in North Africa |
| B．is held in the same place on the same day |
| C．is attended mainly by the people in the Sahara |
| D．is celebrated mostly by travelers from different countries |
| A．musicians, dancers, horses and hares |
| B．camel riders, musicians, dogs and hares |
| C．horsemen, dancers, camels and dogs |
| D．musicians, officials, camels and horses |
| A．first part | B．last part | C．middle | D．whole |
| A．how animals race on the first and the last days of the Sahara Festival |
| B．how people celebrate during the three-day Sahara Festival |
| C．what takes place at the closing ceremonies of the Sahara Festival |
| D．what happens on the opening day of the Sahara Festival |
5 . April 23 marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. Organizations in Britain have planned numerous events to honor him.
In Stratford-upon-Avon, his birthplace, the tourism organization has a great number of free events, including performances of Shakespeare’s plays, and a dazzling fireworks display. And the BBC is broadcasting a live show from Stratfore-upon-Avon, celebrating Shakespeare’s widespread influence on the world. In England’s capital, the London Shakespeare Centre is holding a series of public performances, exhibitions and activities. It isn’t just England that honors the anniversary of the death of this extraordinary writer. In Washington, D.C., the Folger Shakespeare Library, which houses the world’s largest collection of documents relating to William Shakespeare, is displaying a series of exhibitions.
Shakespeare is probably one of the most famous authors and is considered a genius. He wrote around 37 plays and 154 sonnets(十四行诗), and his work has been translated into over one hundred languages! He penned beautiful metaphors(暗喻), serious dramas and amusing tales.
Shakespeare also invented many new terms and phrases. If someone’s behavior suggested they were not being honest and should not be trusted, Shakespeare called their actions suspicious. If someone was being silly and perhaps looking like a fool, Shakespeare found their actions laughable. And Shakespeare called people who offered their opinions on the quality of something critics. Today, for instance, food critics and film critics give audiences their opinions of foods and films. The familiar phrase “break the ice” comes from Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew. “The ice is broken” when a difficult conversation or meeting is calmed by some basic introduction, such as a simple game. More common words coined by Shakespeare include road, gossip, lonely, bump and hurry.
Four hundred years after his death, Shakespeare surely lives on，in everyday speech, as the most famous writer of all time!
1. The passage is mainly about ______.| A．the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death |
| B．the influence Shakespeare has on written English |
| C．the friends of William Shakespeare |
| D．Shakespeare’s colorful and fruitful life |
| A．a great number of free events in Stratford-upon-Avon |
| B．a series of activities in the London Shakespeare Centre |
| C．a series of exhibitions in the Folger Shakespeare Library |
| D．a live show of Shakespeare in Washington, D.C. |
| A．an ice-breaker | B．a suspicious man |
| C．a critic | D．a laughable man |
Stilton Cheese Rolling
May Day is a traditional day for celebrations, but the 2, 000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include cheese rolling in their annual plans. Teams of four, dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes, roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course. On the way, they must not lack or throw their cheese, or go into their competitors’ lane. Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos (disappointingly, but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones). All the competitors are served with beer or port wine, the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese.
Fiery Foods Festival—The Hottest Festival on Earth
Every year more than 10, 000 people head for the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They come from as far away as Australia, the Caribbean and China, but they all share a common addiction—food that is not just spicy, but hot enough to make your mouth bum, your head spin and your eyes water. Their destination is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three days every March. You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper—officially the hottest pepper in the world—or any one of the thousands of products that are on show. But one thing's for sure—if you don't like the feeling of a burning tongue, this festival isn't for you!
La Tomatina—The World's Biggest Food Fight
On the last Wednesday of every August, the Spanish town of Bunol hosts La Tomatina—the world's largest food fight. A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the highlight of the week's events. The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes—official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd.
The battle lasts little more than half an hour, in which time around 50, 000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves, runs, or fights back. Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again—and fora much-needed wash!
In the Stilton cheese rolling competition, competitors on each team must| A．wear various formal clothes |
| B．roll a wooden cheese in their own lane |
| C．kick or throw their cheese |
| D．use a real cheese weighing about four kilos |
| A．three days | B．seven days |
| C．less than three days | D．more than seven days |
| A．The chief prize for the Stilton cheese rolling competition is beer or port wine. |
| B．More than 10,000 Chinese take part in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival. |
| C．Thousands of spicy foods are on show in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival. |
| D．An exciting tomato battle takes place at the beginning of La Tomatina. |
International Teachers’ Day is celebrated on October 5. Being held ever since 1994, it is in honor of teachers' organizations worldwide. Its aim is to encourage supports for teachers and to meet the needs of students.
China―In 1939, Teachers’ Day was set for August 27, Confucius' birthday. In 1951, the celebration was stopped. However, it was founded again in 1985, and the day was changed to September 10.
India―Teachers’ Day is celebrated on September 5 in honour of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second president of India, whose birthday falls on that day.
Russia―In Russia, Teachers’ Day was celebrated on the first Sunday of October between 1965 and 1994. Since 1994, the day is observed on October 5, just the same day as World Teachers’ Day.
The US―In the US, Teachers’ Day is non-official holiday. It is celebrated on the Tuesday of the first full week of May. A number of activities are organized in schools to honor teachers. The celebrations can continue for the whole week of May.
Thailand―In Thailand, National Teachers’ Day is celebrated every year on January 16. The first Teachers’ Day was held in 1957. The day is a holiday in schools.
1. What country celebrates Teachers’ Day in October?
| A．India. | B．The US. | C．India. | D．Russia. |
| A．stopped | B．celebrated | C．held | D．fell |
| A．China has celebrated Teachers’ Day since the year 1931. |
| B．Teachers’ Day is an official holiday in the United States. |
| C．Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday is in September. |
| D．Teachers’ Day is a working day in schools of Thailand. |
| A．The first Teachers’ Day was held in 1965 in Thailand. |
| B．Teachers’ Day falls on Confucius' birthday in China. |
| C．International Teachers’ Day aims to benefit the students. |
| D．Teachers’ Day is celebrated on the same day all over the world. |
