大学英语泛读教程2(第三版)-电子教案review 4-6

Review 2 Units 4-6

A. Reading Comprehension

Read the following article about festivals. Then choose the best answer to each question.

Fascinating Festivals

We all know the major holidays and festivals around the world. In Christian countries, there’s Christmas; for Muslims, Ramadan, and for the Chinese, there’s Lunar New Year. However, there are many lesser-known festivals that involve some rather different kinds of celebrations. Here are some of the most interesting.

Thaipusam

This Hindu celebration is held in honor of Murugan, the god of war. Although the main event takes place in Southern India, Hindu populations in other parts of the world, including Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa, mark the occasion. Thousands of worshippers carry burdens known as kavadi to a holy temple in the city of Palani. At their simplest, the kavadi can be a small object such as a pot of milk. However, hardcore devotees will undergo piercings with metal rods through their cheeks and lips to show the strength of their faith. Some will even attach metal hooks to their backs to pull burdens such as ox carts or tractors.

Boryeong Mud Festival

If getting caked from head to toe in mud is your idea of a fun time, then this frenzied beach party is just the thing for you. The South Korean city of Boryeong is famed for its mud, which is used in beauty products, and the mud festival was originally conceived as a PR ploy for a cosmetics manufacturer. The event lasts two weeks, and features mud slides, mud skiing and colored mud for body painting. The centerpiece, though, is the mud fight on the final weekend, with tens of thousands of revelers rolling around in a gigantic mud bath on the beach.

Goose Pulling

This rather gruesome activity was once practiced across Europe and in the United States. A goose was hung from a rope or bar, and competitors had to ride past on horseback and attempt to pull the animal’s head off. To make it harder, the unfortunate bird’s head was greased. These days, this practice is confined to Belgium, the Netherlands and parts of Germany, where it is part of the Shrove Tuesday celebrations. Live geese are no longer used following years of protests from animal rights activists.

El Colacho

Perhaps the wackiest festival of the bunch, this holiday in the Spanish village of Castrillo de Murcia involves a man dressed as the Devil jumping over a mattress of babies. The infants exposed to this insane stunt have been born within the last year. The devil’s jump, as it is known, is said to cleanse their souls.

1. Which of the following words from the text is NOT used to describe a

participant in a festival or event? V ocabulary

a. revelers c. competitors

b. devotees d. activists

2. Which of the following statements is true? Inference

a. One event involves children who jump.

b. One event takes place at a cosmetics factory.

c. One event is held only in India.

d. One event used to be held in other countries.

3. What Does the author mean by saying "is just the thing for you" in paragraph three? Inference

a. You will like the Boryeong Mud Festival.

b. The Boryeong Mud Festival can offer you a lot of things.

c. You can eat cakes in the frenzied beach party.

d. You may have your own ideas about the festival.

4. Which of the following is true about the Goose Pulling? Detail

a. The event was only practiced in rural areas.

b. The event is more popular than it was before.