Traditional Festivals in Modern Times

5 . I’d never been to a Day of the Dead festival before. As my dad and I looked around for seats, I _______ Marco, my best friend, hurrying toward us. “Hi, Mr. O’kane,” he _______ my dad. Then he turned to me. “Nate! Will you help me?"

“Whatever you need,” I said.

Marco threw me parts of a _______ : Mexican sandals（凉鞋）, a straw hat, a cane(手杖), a gray wig, and an“ old man” mask（面具）. “My cousin couldn’t_______ !” Marco’s voice rang with worry.

“It’s part of a traditional dance” he said.

“You expect me to dance? ” I _______ . “I don’t dance!”

Marco smiled. “It’ll be fun. And hurry! We’re _______ late.”

“ We’re going to do a lot of stomping(跺脚). Slow at first. Keep one hand _______ on your back, like an old man with an ache.” added Marco.

The speakers _______ : “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for The Dance of the Little Old Men!”

“Be quick,” Marco _______ to me to follow his lead.

We all began stomping slowly to music. I could only see ________ the small holes of the mask. I continued to stomp, trying to ________ what to do. I leaned on my cane and kept a hand low on my back. After a few minutes of dancing like that, my back ________ started to ache.

The music ________ . And we stomped quickly. Performing with Mexican sandals was ________ . People laughed as we hopped and kicked, but after a moment the laughter turned into cheers.

Marco gave me a thumbs-up. As the audience clapped for our group, I said to him happily, “You were right. That was ________ .”

Cold Food Festival is a     1       (tradition) Chinese holiday celebrated before Qingming Festival, which usually falls on April 4 or 5.

Legend has     2     that Chong'er, a prince of Jin, experienced many hardships while he moved around the warring states. Once, when the prince suffered from     3     (starve), Jie Zitui, offered him food. Later, when Chong'er became the duke of Jin, he ordered a search for Jie who had gone into hiding in the remote mountains with his mother. The duke wanted Jie to serve     4     one of his ministers. Contrary to     5    many people might assume, Jie, who preferred living a simple life in the Mianshan Mountain to     6     (become) a politician, refused the duke's invitation. Chong'er ordered the mountain to be burned down to force Jie out of hiding.     7     (fortune), Jie did not give in and the fire ended up killing him and his mother. Feeling extremely sorry, Chong'er required that the setting of fire     8     (forbid) on the anniversary of Jie's death. This meant all food was eaten cold. Therefore the festival is thus named.

Mianshan Mountain,     9    the tragedy happened, is now a famous tourist destination in Shanxi province. In many areas of Shanxi, locals still remember this tradition.     10    cold food is not the only choice for people during the celebration, the practices of making typical cold dishes for the event have been preserved.

A holiday linked to a maths concept may not seem that     1    (excite), especially for those who are not fond     2    the subject. However, America’s Pi (“π”) Day ------ observed     3    (annual) on March 14 to honour the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, widely recognized as 3.14 ------ is an exception. That is because the    4     (celebrate) don’t just include fun math activities, but also a slice, or two, of delicious pies!

The tradition     5    (begin) at a museum called the Exploratorium in San Francisco. On March14,1988, at 1:59 pm, the museum’s then-technical curator, Larry Shaw, convinced colleagues to celebrate the day,     6    also happens to be Albert Einstein’s birthday, by parading around one of the museum’s circular spaces and consuming fruit pies. The group had     7     a good time that museum officials decided to make Pi Day    8    annual event where visitors are treated to special pi-related activities. Schools, libraries and universities around the country soon began organizing similar activities and in 2009, US lawmakers made the celebration official.

Today, Pi Day is celebrated in many creative ways.    9    (encourage) more girls to seek out careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, female television meteorologist wear     10    is referred to as “ the dress” on March 14 every year.

8 . I just marked my first Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in China._______a week after arriving for my graduate studies, I was kind of homesick—memories of past _______ back in Serbia with family and friends exchanging scenes in my mind. On the morning of Friday, September 13rd, the _______ on the campus was very cheerful. Chinese students explained to us the importance of the day as gifts of mooncakes were _______ . Then came the night. The full moon appeared: huge, _______ball high above the campus, and eyes looked at it with _______. Unlike previous nights, a cool breeze swept through the campus.With Serbian music playing on my headphones, I danced my way, _______ in the wind, and forgetting myself for a moment.

As I _______ back into my room, I was fascinated by the festival’s idea. My _______ mind pushed me online where I came across the poem Prelude (前奏) to Water Melody, by the well-known Chinese writer Su Dongpo. This poem concisely(精确地) seized what I was ________ . The message and the tone both resonated (共鸣) with my feelings. Writing to his family, Su wondered what time it was back at home. ________ the time differences between China and Serbia, I was constantly trying to ________ what time it was back at home.

Eventually, Su asked his family to join him in ________ the timeless perfection of a full moon in a ________ night.What a way to finish! I, too, was hoping that all was well with my family. Despite the distance and ________ that comes with not seeing or hearing from a loved one, we were all flourishing (繁盛的) under the watch of the ________ moon.

And while we may go away from home, as happens from time to time; the family remains the most important ________ to our productive existence. As the Chinese used the holiday to ________ with the loved ones, the Serbian community also got together, shared a meal and walked on the streets under the neon (霓虹灯) lights.

As I write this, a day after the Festival, I cannot help but look forward to the next. Thank my Chinese friends, whose________ made me and a crowd of other foreign students experience an ________Mid-Autumn Festival.

Summer in Britain

The summer is a great time to be in Britain. The British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Tate Gallery are all a must-see for everybody who     1     (come) to the country ，but there are also a lot of interesting things to do for those     2    love the outdoors.

The Notting Hill Carnival (诺丁山狂欢节） changes the face of the famous London borough in the last weekend of August. It’s the     3    ( large) street festival in Europe. First     4     ( hold) in 1964，it’s a celebration of Caribbean culture but now includes Brazilians, Africans, Europeans and anybody else who likes to dress     5     ( colourful) and feels the urge to dance to the sound of a beat.

With its     6     ( popular) growing, it’s estimated (估算） that 50，000 performers will take part in the parade，     7    ( attract) more than 1 million people over the weekend.

In mid-August，in Bristol, a city about 200km from London, the sky is filled     8     colours during its annual balloon fiesta. If the weather is good, more than 100 hot air balloons     9     ( rise) from the fiesta’s site in Ashton Court.

Britain is full of traditions and sometimes just stopping at a country pub for a beer     10     having a cream tea in a small tearoom can make a moment special. Always be sure where you are, and learn enough English to ask for directions. Have a nice holiday!