Carnival began in Europe. It was followed by forty days without meat, as people prepared for the Christian festival of Easter. Think of carnival, and you think of 【小题1】(crowd), costumes and confusion. “Carnival” 【小题2】(come) from two Latin words, 【小题3】(mean) “no more meat”. People saw carnival 【小题4】 a last chance to have fun at the end of the winter season.

The most famous carnival in Europe was in Venice. For weeks on end，people wearing masks did 【小题5】 they wanted without being recognized, so that many crimes went 【小题6】(punish). As you wander through the streets, you see thousands of masks─ elegant or frightening, sad or amusing, traditional or modern.

The government realized this problem and made laws 【小题7】 (solve) it. At the end of the 18th century, masks were banned 【小题8】 (complete) and carnival became just a memory. 【小题9】 in the late 1970s the tradition 【小题10】   (revive) by students. They began making masks and organizing parties, and threw bits of brightly colored paper at tourists. At present, people from all over Europe arrive in Venice to enjoy the fun.

The Tradition of Making New Year’s Resolutions

There are so many ways to celebrate New Year and especially New Year’s Eve. Traditions of the season include the making of New Year’s resolutions. That tradition 【小题1】 (date) back to the early Babylonians. While popular modern resolutions may include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking, the early Babylonian’s 【小题2】 (popular) resolution was to return borrowed farm 【小题3】 (equip).

The tradition of using a baby 【小题4】 (signify) the New Year began in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, 【小题5】 (represent) the annual rebirth of that god as 【小题6】 spirit of fertility (多产). Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth.

【小题7】 the early Christians criticized the practice as pagan (异教徒), the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the Church to rc-evaluate its position. The Church finally allowed 【小题8】 (it) members to celebrate the New Year with a baby, 【小题9】 was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus.

The practice that an image of a baby with a New Year’s banner (横幅) is used as a symbolic representation of the New Year 【小题10】 (bring) to early America by the Germans. They had used it since the fourteenth century.

Dancing is universal. Humans【小题1】 (simple) love dance. It brings us together whether we are the ones on the dance floor or are watching the professional performance of others. Evidence of dance has been found【小题2】 (date) back 9,000 years and it has grown into a worldwide phenomenon up to now.

In 1982 the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) established April 29 us International Dance Day to celebrate the【小题3】 (amaze) diversity and talent of dancers all over the globe. This date 【小题4】 (choose) because it marks the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, the【小题5】 (create) of modern ballet.

The ITI created this holiday to promote dance across the world, to allow people【小题6】 (understand) dance better, and to help the dance community promote their work. The hope is for governments and opinion leaders to become increasingly aware【小题7】 the value and importance of dance in all is forms and support it. On top of all this, International Dance Day was created for us to just enjoy dance for【小题8】 it is and share the joy with others.

Every year the ITI selects【小题9】 dancer to write the official holiday message. The website lists the location of【小题10】 (they) annual celebration as well as other advertised events worldwide.