1 . New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate and enter the new year with a smile on your face. This year, there’re plenty of local activities for all ages and interests, so the smiles will come easily.
BLUE CONCERT
Blues band the Coyotes is playing at the Dance Barn，at 8 Barn View in Sudden Valley, The show will start at 9 p. m. and benefit the charity Bikers Fighting Cancer. Tickets cost $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Call 224-2308 for more information.
NEW YEAR’S LAUGHS
Ring in the New Year and laugh out the old one at the Upfront Theatre Comic improvisers will hit on all the highlights of the year with The Last Laugh of 2008. The 9 p. m. show will cost $15 and is open to all ages. The 11 P. m. show is to 21 and older and costs $18, which includes a champagne (香槟酒) toast. Call 733-8855 for more information.
MAZE
For a fun activity earlier in the evening，walk the labyrinth (迷宫) at the Leopold Crystal Bellroom. Wander through the maze, based on the French Chartres Cathedral, for free from 4 to 9 P. m. Call 752-0048 for more information.
COUNTRY DANCING
At the Bellingham Eagles Hall, live local music will help get the dance started at 8 p. m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and free for kids 12 and younger. For more information, call 676-1554.
1. Which of the following activities may be free for Tom aged 16?| A．COUNTRY DANCING. | B．NEW YEAR'S LAUGHS. |
| C．MAZE. | D．BLUE CONCERT. |
| A．676-1554 | B．733-8855 | C．752-0048 | D．224-2308 |
| A．Wander through the maze. | B．The champagne toast. |
| C．Its live music. | D．The Last Laugh of 2008. |
| A．$10 is enough to book a ticket to Blue Concert |
| B．you can read the text on a telephone book |
| C．all these activities are international ones |
| D．New Year’s Laughs will hold shows three times |
2 . While the United States celebrates Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November every year, some Americans mark the day with sadness. The United American Indians of New England call the national holiday a National Day of Mourning. They will mark the day in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the place where some of North America's first European settlers landed. Organizers describe the event as a time to remember “the genocide (种族灭绝) of millions of native people, the theft of native lands and the attack on native culture.”
Native American groups have been holding the National Day of Mourning since 1970. But they say their message is especially urgent now. That is because the town of Plymouth is getting ready to hold a number of events marking the settlers' arrival. The original settlers, known as the pilgrims (清教徒), first landed in the Native Americans' land, which is now Massachusetts, nearly 400 years ago. As the anniversary nears, the native people whose ancestors met the pilgrims want to make sure the world hears the whole story. The Wampanoag tribe helped the European settlers survive. Its members say the settlers brought diseases, racism and oppression.
On November 28, 2019, people Taking part in the National Day of Mourning gathered on Cole's Hill. The hill overlooks Plymouth Rock, a memorial to the colonists' arrival. The area also has a large statue of the Wampanoag leader in 1620. At the gathering, Native Americans from tribes around New England beat drums, offered prayers and read speeches. Then they marched through the streets of Plymouth joined by like-minded supporters.
Organizers said that the marchers called attention to the situation of missing and murdered native women. They also noted government action on migrants from Latin America and the detention (拘留) of children.
Paula Peter is a Wampanoag writer and activist. Peters sees progress in how Americans think about their history. They are starting to look past the false Thanksgiving story about pilgrims and natives living peacefully together, she says, She adds that the work of native groups continues to honor their ancestors. They are taking their history out of the margins and moving it to the center of attention.
1. Some Americans mourn on the day of Thanksgiving in memory of ________.| A．the death of native people. | B．the damage to native lands. |
| C．the loss of native culture. | D．the ruin of native places. |
| A．It has been 50 years since the last mourning day was held. |
| B．Events marking the settler's arrival are going to be held. |
| C．The world needs to know the truth about the pilgrims. |
| D．Native people are suffering racism and oppression now. |
| A．People gathered at Plymouth Rock. | B．Natives prayed and read speeches. |
| C．Americans won supporters in the streets. | D．Marchers looked for missing native children. |
| A．critical. | B．indifferent. | C．tolerant. | D．supportive |
3 . We know that St. Patrick's Day festivities may include a little bit of drinking. But there are plenty of kid-safe St. Patrick's Day events around metro Phoenix, too. Here are the lucky St. Patrick's Day celebrations for kids.
3/17: Lucky St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes
Kids can make their own treats at the Children's Museum of Phoenix this St. Patrick's Day. Children can make and decorate their-cupcakes with rainbow candies and chocolate pots of gold. To-go containers will also be provided.
Details：1-3 p. m, Friday, March 17. Children's Museum of Phoenix, 215 N.7th Street, Phoenix. $3 for members. $4 for non-members. 602-253-0501.
3/17-19: Fountain O'Green Artisan Market
This community festival will include sculptures paintings, handcrafted jewelry and apparel from selected local and regional artists, live music and dance performance throughout the weekend. There will also be a food court.
On Friday, emerald-colored water will shoot from the town's fountain at noon. Take the kids to see the annual tradition and picnic in the park.
Details: 10 a. m.-5 p. m., Friday-Sunday, March 17-19. Avenue of the Fountains and Saguaro Boulevard, Fountain Hills. Free. 480-488-2014.
3/17: St Patrick's Day Party at AZ Air Time
Kids above 12 years old can collect their free, green glow necklaces and jump for three hours, scale the rock climbing wall or dive into the giant pit of foam. Jump sacks required.
Details: 8-11 p. m. Friday, March 17. AZ Air Time. 13802 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 145, Scottsdale. $15, which is a $14 savings, 480-427-2000.
1. In which program can kids find the food court?| A．St. Patrick's Day at the Irish Cultural Center. | B．Fountain O' Green Artisan Market. |
| C．St. Patrick's Day at AZ Air Time. | D．Lucky St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes. |
| A．Lucky St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes. | B．St. Patrick's Day at the Irish Cultural Center. |
| C．Fountain O'Green Artisan Market. | D．St. Patrick's Day at AZ Air Time. |
| A．Parents of younger children. | B．People addicted to alcohol. |
| C．Organizers of festivals. | D．Educators and businessmen. |
4 . In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an international festival of music, dance and theatre in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
It quickly attracted famous names such as Alec Guinness, Richard Burton, Dame Margot Fonteyn and Marlene Dietrich as well as the big symphony orchestras(交响乐团). It became a fixed event every August and now attracts 400,000 people yearly.
At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge to the official festival. Eight uninvited theatre groups turned up in 1947, in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform, and they did so in a public house no longer used for years.
Soon, groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre by little-known playwrights(剧作家) in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.
Today the “Fringe”, once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre, music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yet as early as 1959, with only 19 theatre groups performing, some said it was getting too big.
A paid administrator was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing(给……提供场地) 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1.25 million tickets were sold.
1. What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival in the beginning?| A．To bring Europe together again. |
| B．To honor heroes of World WarⅡ. |
| C．To introduce young theatre groups. |
| D．To attract great artists from Europe. |
| A．They owned a public house there. |
| B．They came to take up a challenge. |
| C．They thought they were also famous. |
| D．They wanted to take part in the festival. |
| A．Popular writers. |
| B．University students. |
| C．Artists from around the world. |
| D．Performers of music and dance. |
| A．has become a non-official event |
| B．has gone beyond an art festival |
| C．gives shows all year round |
| D．keeps growing rapidly |
5 . Always something to celebrate
Edinburgh is the world's festival city. There are 12 festivals throughout the year, half of which are celebrated during the months of July and August.
Hundreds of thousands of people visit the Scottish capital during the summer. Here are some of the events they can enjoy:
The Edinburgh International Festival
This is the original Edinburgh festival, which began in 1947. Actors, musicians, dancers and opera singers from all over the world perform to huge audiences. You need tickets for most events which take place in theaters around the city.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (艺穗节)
This is the largest arts festival in the world with thousands of shows taking place across the city. More than 20,000 artists take part, as the festival is open to anyone. Visitors can choose from a huge variety of acts.
Join thousands of visitors and locals at the Royal Mile, Edinburgh's main street, to watch all kinds of performers and shows.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival
The largest book festival in the world began in 1983 and takes place every year in Charlotte Square Gardens, in the centre of Edinburgh. There are more than 700 events for children and adults who love books. You can meet many authors, talk to them, ask them to sign a book or listen to them talk about their stories. Children can listen to stories and watch illustrators (插画家) draw pictures.
The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival
Music lovers come to this festival to enjoy music shows around the city. One of the highlights (精彩部分) of this musical event is the street carnival (嘉年华), which is free to all. Artists perform street theatre, dance and circus (马戏团) shows in amazing costumes, and everyone can join in the dancing.
1. What do we know about the Edinburgh International Festival from the article?| A．It started in 1947. |
| B．It's held at the Royal Mile. |
| C．It's free to Scottish people. |
| D．It takes place in July every year. |
| A．The Edinburgh International Festival. |
| B．The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. |
| C．The Edinburgh International Book Festival. |
| D．The Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival. |
| A．They can try on different costumes. |
| B．They can join a singing competition. |
| C．They can take part in a street carnival. |
| D．They can get pictures from famous painters. |
6 . If you're from the northern hemisphere (北半球), you'll find Christmas to be rather different in New Zealand.
New Zealanders continue the British tradition of having a family dinner during the middle of the day on Christmas Day.It usually begins on Christmas morning by exchanging presents which will be left under the Christmas tree in the home.
It may seem a bit strange to hear songs, such as White Christmas or Deck the Halls, in the middle of summer！Nevertheless, Christmas carols (颂歌) are popular.
New Zealand is an extremely(极端地) diverse(多样的) society.People from many cultures do not recognize Christmas in the same way as the early European settlers.
| A．They all stop on Christmas Day. |
| B．The most obvious difference is the weather. |
| C．Most New Zealanders do not go to church regularly. |
| D．However, Christmas is a special time for all New Zealanders. |
| E．Many towns and cities in New Zealand hold Christmas celebrations. |
| F．The Christmas meal itself is increasingly becoming a relaxing affair. |
| G．People will hear them played or sung in shopping malls during the holiday season. |
7 . The Guide to Film Festivals
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes, France in May
Top prize: Palme d’Or
History: The first Cannes Film Festival took place in September 1939, but it didn’t happen again until after World War II. The Palme d’Or prize was introduced in 1955. The festival became established during the 1960s and is now known as the world’s most important and influential film festival.
Did you know? About 20 feature films compete each year for the Palme d’Or. Previous winners include Michael Moore and Quentin Tarantino. Unlike the Oscars, the top prize is frequently shared between two films. Famous films that have won the Palme d’Or include Apocalypse Now, Taxi Driver, La Dolce Vita and The Third Man. The festival attracts more than 40,000 people every year.
Venice Film Festival
Venice, Italy in August/ September
Top prize: Golden Lion
History: The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival still in existence. The film festival was in 1932 and it attracted over 25, 000 people. The festival did not appear again until 1934, when there was a competition between 19 countries. The festival was held three times during World War II and has been held almost every year since then.
Did you know? Films at the 61st Venice Film Festival in 2004 were nominated for 16 awards at the Oscars — the highest ever for the festival. These films included Vera Drake, Shark Tale, Collateral and Finding Neverland.
The London Film Festival
London, UK in October/ November
Top prize: Non-competitive
History: The London Film Festival started in 1956 when a group of film critics led by the famous Dilys Powell, the film critic for The Sunday Times, got together over dinner. They discussed the festivals at Cannes and Venice, and they agreed that London needed one, too. They wanted to give people the opportunity to see films from around the world that were not being shown in the cinemas. The first festival showed 20 films at the National Film Theatre on the South Bank.
Did you know? The festival is one of Europe’s largest public film events, screening about 280 films from 60 countries. Although it is non-competitive, the British Film Institute awards the Sutherland Trophy to the most original and imaginative first feature film screened at the festival.
1. The Venice Film Festival____| A．didn’t attract many people at first |
| B．has been running longer than any other film festival |
| C．is regarded as the most essential film festival |
| D．has been held every year since 1934. |
| A．To make some films public. | B．To bring film critics together. |
| C．To choose the best original feature films. | D．To compete with other film festivals. |
| A．producing | B．watching | C．judging | D．showing |
8 . Tomato Festival
Started in 2005, the Tomato Festival has grown into a local tradition in Malta. In recent years, the festival has added amusement parkstyle rides and a yearly Creature Feature, which screens old horrible movies. There are also dance competitions, parades and pancake breakfast. Third weekend in August.
Address: 833 Tinkham Rd, Fountain Park, Wilbraham, Massachusetts 01095
Phone: (413)599-0010
Brat Days
Don’t mistake this festival for a day filled with poorly behaved children. Begun in 1953, the gathering is the biggest festival in the city each year and features more than 50 stands (摊位) selling the sausage, as well as a contest to see who can quickly eat the most bratwurst (德国式小香肠) in ten minutes.Early August.
Address: 17th and New Jersey sts, Kiwanis Park, Sheboygan, Wisconsin 53081
Phone: (920)457－9491
Hope Watermelon Festival
The festival dates back to the 1920s, when many trains went through this small town and local watermelon growers would sell their watermelon to parched travellers. These days, the festival sees a Watermelon Queen crowned (加冠的) and sometimes a worldrecord watermelon grown. There are also more than 300 stands selling arts and crafts from a sixstate area, as well as a car show and the Watermelon Olympics. Early August.
Address: 108 W 3rd St, Hope, Arkansas 71801
Phone: (870) 777-3640
Oyster Festival (牡蛎节)
Featuring appearances from tall ships and oyster boats, this festival has regularly drawn 60,000 visitors a year since it began in 1978. More than 3,000 volunteers make the festival possible each year. Norwalk is less than a twohour drive from many of New England’s larger cities, making it easy to attend the festival during a trip to New York or Hartford. Weekend after Labor Day.
Address: Sea view Ave, Veteran’s Park, East Norwalk, Connecticut 06855
Phone: (800) 866-7925
1. Which of the following festivals has the longest history?| A．Oyster Festival. |
| B．Tomato Festival. |
| C．Brat Days. |
| D．Hope Watermelon Festival. |
| A．The Creature Feature. |
| B．The Watermelon Olympics. |
| C．The Eatingbratwurst Contest. |
| D．Dance Competitions. |
| A．Brat Days |
| B．Tomato Festival |
| C．Hope Watermelon Festival |
| D．Oyster Festival |
9 . When I lived in France last year, my friends and I, decided to have a “friendsgiving” in November because we were so far away from our families. We decided to have the dinner at my friend Brigitte’s apartment in Paris. There was only one problem. It was difficult to get a turkey because French people don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. The day before our “friendsgiving” dinner, Brigitte and I went to four different markets to look for a turkey. It took us five hours, but we finally found one. We were so excited!
The next day, everyone brought different foods from their home country to share. There was Moroccan (摩洛哥的) food, Italian food, German food, and of course French food. While we waited for the turkey to cook, we played cards and told stories. That’s when we heard a loud BANG! We all ran to the kitchen. There was water everywhere. The water pipes under Brigitte’s kitchen sink were broken. The kitchen was filling with water very fast.
“Jack, you all grab the food and run to the roof (屋顶)!” Brigitte yelled. We took all the food, plates, drinks and silverware and ran to the roof. Brigitte ran outside to turn off the water. That’s when we realized the turkey was still in the oven. We ran to the flooded kitchen, grabbed some gloves, and pulled the turkey out of the oven.
In the end, we all had an amazing “friendsgiving” dinner on a Parisian rooftop with all of our good friends. The turkey was a little darker and “crispy” but still delicious.
1. Jack decided to have_____in France in November last year.| A．a party | B．a picnic | C．a friendsgiving | D．a Thanksgiving |
| A．five hours | B．forty minutes | C．two days | D．a week |
| A．The friends shared different foods. |
| B．They played cars and told stories happily. |
| C．Jack and Brigitte cooked the turkey. |
| D．The water pipes were suddenly broken. |
| A．Run to the roof with all the food. | B．Run outside with all of the things. |
| C．Turn off the water with the gloves. | D．Pull the turkey out with the gloves. |
| A．Amazing turkey, delicious dinner. | B．A little afraid, pretty amazed. |
| C．A little darker but still delicious. | D．Just amazed, totally afraid. |
10 . Everyone knows about New Year’s Eve and Independence Day. But did you know that there are enough holidays to fill every day of the year? Here are just a few we found interesting.
World Hello Day
To celebrate this day, say hello to at least ten different people. World Hello Day began in the autumn of 1973, shortly after the end of a war in the Middle East. Brian and Michael McCormack of Omaha, Nebraska, wondered what they could do to encourage world peace. They felt the best way was by getting people to talk with one another.
The McCormacks sent letters to the leaders of every country in the world about the first World Hello Day. They wrote the letters in as many different languages as they could. Officials wrote back from sixteen countries and encouraged Brian and Michael to make World Hello Day a yearly event. The holiday has been held on the third Sunday of November every year since. The McCormacks have received letters from many famous people congratulating them for their efforts.
International Day of the Seal (海豹)
March 22 is the official International Day of the Seal. But the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., and many other zoos and research centers around the world celebrate this holiday on the third weekend of March. The holiday was created to tell people about the dangers seals face from pollution and fishing nets.
At the National Zoological Park, you can find out how seals live and ways to help protect their habitats (栖息地).
Do it! Day
Are you a procrastinator? Here’s a day to finish all those things you’ve been meaning to do. Do It! Day is celebrated on the first Wednesday in September. “The whole idea is to feel good about getting things done,” says the founder of Do It! Day, Ethel Cook. She came up with the idea as part of her work helping businesses get organized. Cook hopes everyone will turn their Do Its into Did Its.
1. World Hello Day was set to .| A．create peace worldwide |
| B．stop the war in the Middle East |
| C．encourage foreign language learning |
| D．spread knowledge about different countries |
| A．By reporting it on TV. |
| B．By meeting famous people. |
| C．By publishing it in the newspapers. |
| D．By writing letters to world leaders. |
| A．On March 22. |
| B．On the third weekend of March. |
| C．On the third Sunday of November. |
| D．On the first Wednesday in September. |
| A．cleans up things quickly | B．puts off things until later |
| C．always comes up with good ideas | D．feels good about getting things done |
