Here are four traditional festivals in Spain.
Saint John's Eve
Saint John's Eve is a midsummer celebration being celebrated at the eve of the Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist. According to a legend, Saint John was born six months before Jesus, so the day of Saint John the Baptist was set to be celebrated six months before Christmas. Nowadays, for most people Saint John's Eve just marks the start of summer.
Festival of Saint Fermin
‘The festival is held annually in Pamplona, Spain, beginning at noon on July 6 and ending at midnight on July 14, honoring the city's first bishop and patron saint, Saint Fermin. The festival involves traditions such as running, bullfighting and fireworks.
Fallas in Valencia
This festival involves statues that have been constructed all year round being placed all around Valencia. That is not all. All of the statues at the end of the festival are just burned right in front of everyone's eyes. It is an annual celebration held in March. During the week of Fallas you will hear a lot of fire crackers exploding and beautiful ladies and girls called falleras being dressed in traditional Spanish dresses.
La Tomatina in Bunol
Have you ever wanted to throw something at someone's face? Well, La Tomatina festival will let you take out all your frustrations! This crazy tradition started more than 70 years ago and is celebrated every last Wednesday of August in Bunol. In this festival 20,000 people throw tomatoes at each other. For what? You might ask. Just for fun!
Giving children music lessons won't just introduce them to music—it could also greatly improve their language skills but it isn't understood if this is a side effect of a general improvement of cognitive（认知的）skills, or something that directly affects language processing.
Now, we are getting closer to an answer, thanks to a study of 74 Chinese kindergarten children, led by Robert Desimone from MIT. For the study, Desimone's team chose children from the Chinese education system, with the support of education officials who wanted to see how it might improve their learning.
The 4 to 5-year-old Mandarin-speaking children in the study were divided into three groups. One group received a 45-minute piano lesson three times a week, while another received extra reading instruction classes. The third group acted as controls, taking no extra lessons beyond their usual classes.
The classes lasted for six months, after which the children were tested on their ability to tell words based on differences in tones, consonants（辅音）, or vowels（元音）. The test results showed that the children who had taken piano lessons performed better at telling the difference between words that differ by a single consonant, when compared with the children who took extra reading lessons. Compared to the control group, both the music learners and the extra reading group did better in telling the difference between words based on vowel differences.
"It looks like for recognizing differences between sounds, including speech sounds, it's better than extra reading. That means schools could pay more attention to music," Desimone says. "It's not worse than giving extra reading to the children, which is probably what many schools are trying to do—get rid of the art education and just have more reading. "
Oct. 23rd is the beginning of Shuangjiang or Frost's Descent in English, the 18th of 24 solar terms（节气）in the Chinese lunar calendar. It refers to the time when frost（霜）starts to fall across China, or "the dews（露水）were frozen into frost" because of the coldness, as recorded in ancient Chinese books.
By the time of Shuangjiang, most of the harvesting work is already completed in northern China, and farmers are now able to enjoy a period of rest. But in the south the harvest is still on the go. Farmers have to take home the sweet potatoes before they are destroyed by the coming frost. After a year of farming, it is the time to plow the fields and prepare the soil for next year both south and north.
Autumn might be the most colorful season China with the leaves turning from golden yellow to red. Hiking has become popular since the ancient times as people can enjoy the special autumnal scenery. Du Mu, a well-known poet from the Tang Dynasty wrote the beautiful scenery in a poem: "I stopped the coach as charmed by the maple woods, Frosted autumn leaves out shine February flowers in redness. "
The Double Ninth Festival also falls during the season, a festival for the elders. Going hiking in the highlands is part of the celebrations practiced by the ancient Chinese people.
"Keeping warm" becomes a most important thing at this time of the year as the weather is getting colder. Persimmon（柿子）is the favored fruit in many areas. The Chinese believe that persimmons could not only keep off the coldness, but strengthen the muscles and bones. Also, chicken or mutton soup is believed to be good for the sleep and advised for the diet.
Shuangjiang brings the frost and freezing wind, and autumn has come to an end. But for most Chinese, it is not necessarily a sad time because in winter, they are able to have different but equally beautiful scenery.
Researchers from The University of Queensland (UQ) have helped design a new app to protect birds at risk of extinction across the world by eliminating language barriers among scientists. The Bird Language Diversity web app will help provide a "birds eye view", ensuring vital information is shared to improve worldwide conservation.
UQ's Dr Pablo Negret said the research team analysed more than 10 ,000 bird species, and found that l,587 species have 10 languages or more spoken within their distributions. "Scientific information on species can be spread across different languages, but valuable information can go missing or get lost in translation," Dr Negret said. "Without enough sharing of information, this can affect the effectiveness of conservation measures. "
Take the common bird Pochard for example. It is classified as vulnerable species（易危种）and crosses 108 counties in Europe, Asia and north Africa, where a total of 75 official languages are spoken. The survival of the common Pochard, and so many other species, depends on effective cooperation and policy agreements among people with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
This app reveals where threatened and migratory birds exist geographically, in relation to the language spoken in those regions. "We hope the app will encourage researchers and conservation organisations to interact with their peers in other regions, especially if they speak different languages, and be a starting point to allow everyone to work together to protect threatened species," Dr Negret said.
Dr Tatsuya Amano, a researcher and the co-author of the paper, said this work could extend further than bird species. "Any species, whether they're mammals, amphibians（两栖动物）, or plants, with a range crossing multiple countries will be impacted by language barriers, as well as species that migrate across different countries, such as marine species and butterflies," he said. "The significance of the impact of poor communication on such an important issue is evident, and is the reason why we're working hard to improve science communication across languages. "
World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated on April
23. If you love to read, this April holiday may be perfect for you. .
By Attending Special Events.
Local bookstores may hold events on this date, including literacy activities for children and reading. . It's also a chance to start a new tradition within your family. While larger bookstores may hold a variety of events, you can connect with independent booksellers to learn about their offerings. If they don't have anything planned, you might just inspire them to host a special event.
One celebrated aspect of World Book and Copyright Day is the role that libraries play in making books accessible and enjoyable for so many people around the world. Pay a visit to your local library on April 23, even if it isn't hosting a special event. Spending the day on books, you can create your own special event.
By Reading.
Check out a new book from your local library, purchase a book from a local bookstore, or just reread a favorite book you have at home. If you have a particularly busy day on April 23, reading a part of a book with your family can be a great way to end the day and to celebrate the holiday.
Reading is very important in human history. You're also supporting the work of writers who are devoted to the process of information and cultural exchange. Happy World Book and Copyright Day!
A. By lending books to your friends.
B. Here are three ways to celebrate the day.
C. When you read a book, you will become a part of the ongoing transfer of information and culture.
D. Perhaps the easiest way to celebrate World Book and Copyright Day is to read a book.
E. The holiday is a great opportunity to introduce the significance of books and reading to your child.
F. Read books on plants, and you will be knowledgeable about them.
G. By visiting the local library.
I used to travel to make myself relaxed. Two years ago, I was rather busy with my business and under a lot of 1 , so I went to Las Vegas for a holiday. I just wanted to get away and relax for a while. When I was on holiday, a(n) 2 suddenly came to me. I had long wished to pay a visit to the Greek island of Santorini. Therefore, the idea of a two-week European 3 alone was born.
I'd driven alone across the US before, but traveling to other countries whose languages aren't the same as mine 4 me. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to 5 with anyone. But I soon 6 that if I wanted to follow my dreams, I had to 7 out of my comfort zone. If I let 8 take control of me, I'd get nowhere.
As I 9 for more places to visit on my trip, I found Mykonos, Greece, which I 10 just as much as I liked Santorini. When I arrived in Europe, it was like I was in a dream.
What I appreciated best was the bus ride to Venice. As I rode the bus and enjoyed every new thing I saw, I was completely 11 from the pressure of my work. How 12 it was to see people riding their bikes to the 13 they would like to go to!
Some people might say, "It's not a big 14 ; it's just Venice. Thousands of people go there every day. " But it was more than that to me. It was about having a 15 and when it was time for it to come true, don't be afraid to let it go.
The tea that (attract) the word for centuries has finally received global recognition as a shared cultural treasure of mankind.
As is reported, traditional tea processing techniques and (they) associated（相关的）social practices in China were added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity 29th Nov, 2022. It consists of knowledge, skills and practices concerning management of tea plantations, the picking of tea leaves, the processing, drinking and sharing of tea.
According to UNESCO, in China traditional tea processing techniques are closely related to geographical location and natural environment while associated social practices (share) throughout the country. Over 2,000 tea varieties, mainly in six categories are grown in China. Not only have tea-related customs been found across the country, but they have influenced rest of the world through the ancient Silk Road and trade routes.
Tea can be (easy) seen in Chinese people's daily life. Tea is served in homes, workplaces, tea houses, restaurants and temples. (greet) guests is regarded as an important means of communication in socializing and ceremonies such as weddings. Up to now, China has 43 projects (include) in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List, ranks first in the world.
The event that stands out in Tom's memory happened one morning when Tom was only ten years old. He was at home with his elder sister Jane. Tom was doing his homework when he heard raised voices. At first he thought nothing of it since customers in the motorcycle shop directly below their flat often became loud, but he soon realized this time it was different.
"Quick! Quick! Remove the motorcycles from the shop. " someone shouted. Then a thick burning smell filled the air. When Tom opened the front door of their flat to investigate, a thick cloud of smoke greeted him. The motorcycle shop had caught fire and people were running and crying.
Jane, who had been playing the violin in her room, hurried to the living room. They rushed out of the door and along the corridor（走廊）through the smoke.
They were heading towards the stairway at the far end of the corridor when Jane suddenly stopped in her track. She turned around and headed back the way they came. Tom had no idea what she was doing, but he followed her.
Jane had suddenly remembered the lady in her 70s who lived next door to them, who they called Makcik.
Jane began banging on Makcik's door, but got no answer. As the smoke thickened around them, Tom could see many of their neighbors—some still in their pajamas（睡衣）—running for safety. The thought of fear crossed his mind.
"She would have run for safety like everyone else!" Tom cried. However, Jane refused to give up. "I know Makcik's still inside. " She said she was familiar with Makcik's daily routine and was certain she would still be sleeping. She pounded against the door. "Go downstairs. Go now! Go!"
注意：
1. 续写词数应为120左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Tom noticed the flame was reaching up.
Luckily, some neighbors passing by stopped and offered help.
