March, April and May are months full of festivals and events all over the world. Here are some wonderful festivals around the world that happen in spring.

SongKran--Thailand

Dates: 13th-15th, April

In Thailand, it’s time to celebrate the coming monsoon season, which will bring the rain many people have been looking forward to. They celebrate it with a festival called Songkran，when people head out to the streets with water guns to spray(喷，洒）everyone who walks past. If you walk on the streets where the festival is celebrated, prepare to get soaked!

Naghol--Vanuatu

Dates: Every Saturday from April to May

Every year, villagers come together to celebrate the harvest of yams, an important part in the people’s diet in Vanuatu. The festival is most famous for its “land di ving ceremony”. During the ceremony men and boys dive to the ground from high wooden towers with only two thin vines(藤条) attached(附于)to their ankles(脚踝）. The divers’ heads have to lightly touch the ground when they jump---something very dangerous if the vines are not measured（测量）properly.

Cherry Blossom Viewing ---Japan

Dates: The cherry blossom season is different from year to year depending on the weather forecast.

The cherry blossom season has huge importance to the people of Japan, who celebrate the days when the flowers finally blossom. Only a few days later, the petals(花瓣） fall to the ground, like pink snowflakes. This is one of the most beautiful things to see. In Japan, almost everyone has picnics in the parks to view the flowers.

Sinhalese New Year--Sri Lanka

Dates: 13th or 14th, April

Just like in many other countries in South an South East Asia, this is the time when the Sinhalese celebrate the traditional New Year, an ancient celebration which marks the end of the harvest season and is one of two times of the year when the sun is straight above Sri Lanka. There are a lot of delicious foods during the celebration.

1.What does the underlined word “soaked” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A. tired       B. wet      C. crazy       D. interested

2.The writer thinks that the “land diving ceremony” can be dangerous for the divers because ___________.

A. the divers may fall onto the ground if the thin vines break

B. the divers may bump into （撞在…上）the wooden tower on the way down

C. the divers’ ankles may get injured if the vines are tied too tightly

D. the divers may injure their heads if the vines aren’t measured properly

3.. We can learn from the passage that__________________.

A. the Cherry Blossom Celebration usually lasts a  long time in Japan

B. the Cherry Blossom Celebration is the most important festival in Japan

C. the time for the Cherry Blossom Celebration in Japan can be different yearly

D. people usually stay at home for celebration during the cherry blossom season

阅读下列回函:
Reply letter A
Thank you for your valuable suggestions. We have decided to show the Chinese character along with the Hanyu Pinyin for names of Chinese personages, places and specific things as from the next issue.
Reply letter B
Thank you for your suggestions. Next year will be the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. One of our staff reporters has just returned from Xinjiang and written a long article about her trip. Next year, we will have even more coverage of Xinjiang.
Reply letter C
Other readers have asked us for similar information and we have so far answered them individually. In this issue, we will print an open reply. We discovered after making a survey that there are few books to be found on China printed in English. Most are published by the Foreign Languages Press and China International press, from where it is possible to buy books directly.
Reply letter D
A majority of Chinese tourists travel abroad in order to see different landscapes and various cultures, to appreciate an exotic atmosphere and to get to know local customs. Some Chinese tourists nevertheless go to China towns, because they can eat Chinese food there. For those who don’t know English or the native language of the country they visit, it is convenient to go shopping or find entertainment in a Chinatown.
Reply letter E
We have taken on your suggestions to start a column on personalities. There are kinds of reports, such as movie stars, directors, businessmen, singers and so on. Our reports not only introduce their achievements, but also report their inner world. We hope you will enjoy it.
Reply letter F
Thanks for your appreciation of our magazine. We have mailed your letter and your e-mail address to Tingting. Since both of her two letters were sent by ordinary mail and did not give her e-mail address or telephone number. We could not get in touch with her any other way.
阅读下列信函,然后匹配相关信息:
Letter A
I have just started reading your magazine regularly and enjoy the articles very much. I have one comment to make. Can you include the Chinese characters for the names of people, places, etc that you mention with the Hanyu Pinyin of Romanized phonetic system that you use? For example, what is “Emei” or “Qitaihe”or “Shaoxing” in Chinese? It’s also helpful for those of us who are learning Chinese.
Letter B.
It was interesting to read the magazine. I wonder if you could start a column which introduces the Chinese elites of art, business, sports, politics, especially directors, actors, anchors(主持人)and singers. I believe readers will also appreciate a livelier style.
Letter C
I am a civil servant in Xinjiang, a region relatively underdeveloped in comparison with other provinces. But this does not mean it belong to another world. Xinjiang could benefit from overseas exchanges as well as contact with people living in other regions. Could you include articles about Xinjiang and its people? I suggest magazines report more about the western regions, especially exotic and charming Xinjiang.
Letter D
I am an avid(热衷的)reader of your magazine and it has helped me to introduce China to foreign friends. Thank you for great efforts to bring New China to the world. Next month, I may get the opportunity to go to Nigeria, so I must learn more about China’s history and culture. Could you kindly recommend a suitable book in English?
Letter E
It was interesting to read “Chinese Travelers Step out”. It seems a large percentage of Chinese tourists visit the West. In Indonesia, Chinese New Year is an official holiday. How would you assess the level of interest Chinese tourists have in Indonesia? Would they like to visit Chinatowns or other unique attractions in Indonesia?
信函                                         回函
【小题1】LetterA                                  A. Reply letter A
【小题2】LetterB                                  B. Reply letter B
【小题3】LetterC                                  C. reply letter C
【小题4】LetterD                                   D. Reply letter D
【小题5】LetterE                                  E. Reply letter E

D
I know what you’re thinking: pizza（比萨饼）? For breakfast? But the truth is that you can have last night’s leftovers in the a.m. if you want to.
I know lots of women who skip breakfast（不吃早餐）, and they have a ton of different excuses for doing it. Some say they don’t have time; others think they’re “saving” calories（卡路里）；still others just don’t like breakfast food . 
But the bottom line is that eating in the morning is very important when you’re trying to lose weight. “Eating just about anything from 300 to 400 calories would be better than nothing at all,” says Katherine Brooking R.D., who developed the super-easy eating plan for this year’s “SELF CHALLENGE”. And even pizza can be healthy if it’s loaded with vegetables, and you stick to one small piece. 
Breakfast is one meal I never miss, and the same goes for most weight loss success stories. Research shows that eating breakfast keeps you from overeating later in the day. Researchers at the University of Southern California found that breakfast skippers have a bigger chance of gaining weight than those who regularly have a morning meal.
So eat something in the morning, anything. I know plenty of friends who end up having no breakfast altogether, and have just coffee or orange juice. I say, try heating up last night’s leftovers—it may sound crazy, but if it works for you, do it! I find if I tell myself, “You can always eat it tomorrow,” I put away the leftovers instead of eating more that night. Try it. You may save yourself some pre-bedtime calories. And watch your body gain the fat-burning effects.
68. The word “leftovers” in Paragraph 1 probably means_______. 
A. food remaining after a meal         B. things left undone
C. meals made of vegetables           D. pizza topped with fruit
69. What can we infer from the text?
A. Working women usually have breakfast in a hurry.
B. Many people have wrong ideas about breakfast. 
C. There are some easy ways of cooking a meal. 
D. Eating vegetables helps save energy. 
70. According to the last paragraph, it is important to________. 
A. eat something for breakfast           B. be careful about what you eat
C. heat up food before eating it          D. eat calorie-controlled food
71. The text is written mainly for those________. 
A. who go to work early        B. who want to lose weight
C. who stay up late            D. who eat before sleep

Vitas 2008 Beijing Concert

Venue:  Capital Gymnasium

Time:　 2008-01-24 19:30

Price:　 TBD(Booking)

Tel.:    86-10-64177845

God Blessed Boy

Extremely Beautiful Voice

Unforgettable Hot Live

First appeared on the Russian stage in December 2000, this show became an extreme classic in Vitas' music history. Since then, moreover, more fans from other countries were caught by him from this video especially in China. The lack of Russian language was not in the way for dozen thousands of admirers from China, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan first to pay attention and then to love Vitas' creative work, his voice and songs. Undoubtedly his 2008 concert will also be considered as the yearly expectable concert in Chinese music scene and the most important event among his fans. Let's expect it!

Lang Lang Piano Solo Concert

Venue:  National Grand Theater-Concert Hall

Time:　 2008-01-03 19:30:00/2008-01-04 19:30:00

Price:　 TBD(Booking)

Tel:     800-810-1887

Acclaimed in the major concert halls of North America, Europe and Asia, Lang Lang - at the age of 20s - has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to connect with audiences on a deeply personal level and has established himself as one of the most exciting pianists of our time. Lang Lang's talent and personality make him an ideal ambassador for classical music and a role model for young people. He is the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Berlin Philharmonic and all "Big Five" American orchestras.

Li Yun Di Piano Recital（独奏会）

Venue:  National Grand Theater-Concert Hall

Time:　 2008-3-27 19:30:00 

Price:　 TBD(Booking)

Tel:    010-64177845

Remarks: The tickets for Li Yun Di Piano Recital will be available soon!

Called "extravagantly gifted and highly accomplished" by the Los Angeles Times, China pianist Li Yundi was born in 1982 in Chongqing and first gained worldwide attention after winning first prize at the 2000 Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw. He was the first person in 15 years to be awarded a first prize.

Soprano Te Kanawa Solo Concert

Venue:  National Grand Theater-Concert Hall

Time:　 2008-01-02 19:30:00 

Price:　 180(Out)280(Selling)480(Selling)680(Selling)880(Selling)1680(Out)

Tel:     400-810-1887

Dame Kiri Janette Te Kanawa is an internationally famous New Zealand opera singer. In 1981, she was seen and heard around the world by an estimated 600 million people when she sang Handel's "Let the Bright Seraphim" at the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.

72．The main purpose of this passage is______.

      A．to attract people to attend these concerts

      B．enrich your knowledge of some famous musicians

      C．rouse your interest in music

      D．call on young people to learn from them

73．Which concert will you attend if you want to hear an opera?

       A．Vitas 2008 Beijing Concert        B．Lang Lang Piano Solo Concert

       C．Li Yun Di Piano Recital           D．Soprano Te Kanawa Solo Concert

74．About the tickets to Li Yun Di Piano Recital, which of the following is right?

       A．The price for the tickets hasn’t been determined.

       B．The tickets have been sold out.

       C．The price of the tickets is too high.

       D．It will be long before you can book the tickets for it.

75．What can you know from the advertisement?

      A．The lack of Russian language stops people in China loving Vitas’s songs.

      B．Some of the tickets for Soprano Te Kanawa Solo Concert have been sold out.

       C．Lang Lang is one of the first Chinese pianists to be engaged by the Berlin Philharmonic and all "Big Five" American orchestras.

       D．You have to pay the telephone bill if you call to book the tickets for Soprano Te Kanawa Solo Concert

Spain— what’s on

Joaquín Sorolla

First major exhibition devoted to the Spanish artist Joaquin Sorolla(1863-1923). The show brings together about 100 paintings by Sorolla, one of the key figures in the history of Spanish art. It offers a comprehensive survey based on examples of his finest works.

Kees van Dongen

First exhibition in Spain of the works of the Dutch painter Kees van Dongen(1877-1968), bringing together almost 100 of his works, and a number of works by Pablo Picasso, bearing witness to the friendship between the two artists.

Chopin Festival 2009

The annual festival dedicated（专注于）to the Polish composer Frederic Chopin(1810-1849). This year the festival is honoring five composers: Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy(1809-1847), Jaume Mas Porcel (1909-1993), Franz Josef Haydn(1732-1809), Isaac Albniz(1860-1909)and Wanda Landowska(1877-1959). Works by these composers are performed together with works by Chopin.

Antoni Solà

Exhibition of the works of the Spanish sculptor Antoni Solà(1780-1861). A resident of Rome from 1803, Solà made his name and fame there and became one of the only two foreigners to be appointed president of the Accademia di San Luca. He took part in Rome’s main cultural affairs and supported the imitation of ancient Greek art looking for idealized beauty.

1. To find further information about Pablo Picasso’s works, you should dial_________

A. 34-91-3302800            B. 34-97-1612106

C. 34-93-2563500            D. 34-93-2563000

2. If you are a music lover, which website would you like to visit?

A. http://www.bcn.cat.                  B. http://www.museodelprado.es.

C. http://www.festivalchopin.com.         D. http://www.museumares.bcn.cat.

3. Who was involved in Rome’s main cultural affairs?

A. Antoni Solà.     B. Kees van Dongen.     C. Isaac Albniz     D. Frederic Chopin

4. The event that lasts more than three months is_______.

A. Antoni Solà.         B. Joaquín Sorolla

C. Kees van Dongen      D. Chopin Festival 2009