The Water Splashing Festival (泼水节) of the Dai ethnic minority falls in April. It is the most important festival 【小题1】 (observe) by the Dai people in the Dehong area of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province.

During the festival 【小题2】lasts three or four days, people are dressed in their best clothes and participate in a variety of rich and colorful 【小题3】(activity). Dragon boat racing, fireworks displays and other performances such as Peacock Dance 【小题4】(hold) on the first day. And the most popular event 【小题5】(be) water-splashing on the second day. People splash water on each other, hoping to take away sicknesses and disasters. The wetter you get, the 【小题6】(lucky) you will be. The last day is usually for the young people to play games as a way 【小题7】(express) their love for each other.

The Water Splashing Festival 【小题8】(vivid) exhibits the Dai’s respect for water and the culture of music and dance, food, and costumes. It is also a cultural bridge 【小题9】Xishuangbanna and Southeast Asian countries that share 【小题10】same festival culture of water-splashing.

Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back former students and celebrating a school’s 【小题1】(exist) in the United States. People, towns, high schools, and colleges come together, usually in late September or early October, to welcome back alumni(校友)and former residents. It 【小题2】(build)around a central event, such as a banquet and, most often, a game of football, or, 【小题3】occasion, basketball, ice hockey or soccer. When celebrated by schools, the activities vary widely. However, they usually consist of a football game, activities for students and alumni, a parade 【小题4】(feature) the school’s marching band and sports teams, and the coronation(加冕)of 【小题5】(it) Homecoming Queen, or Homecoming King. A dance commonly follows the game or the day after the game. 【小题6】(attach) to a football game, Homecoming traditionally occurs on the team’s return from the longest road trip of the season. The game, 【小题7】it is football or another sport, will typically include the home team playing a 【小题8】(considerable)weaker opponent. The game is supposed to be 【小题9】easy win and thus weaker schools will sometimes play 【小题10】(low) division schools.

Each country has its own unique culture, often represented by symbols, such as foods, arts, and music. When you think of America, what symbols come to your mind first?

Perhaps one of 【小题1】 most famous symbols of the US is fast food. Fast-food restaurants became popular when people began driving cars around the country. Many of the earliest fast-food restaurants were drive-ins (免下车餐馆) where people ate 【小题2】 their cars while they were parked. However, now drive-throughs have become popular. You can just drive up to a window, pick up the food,【小题3】then drive away. Americans spend about 10% of 【小题4】(they) income on fast food. No wonder America 【小题5】(call) the “Fast-food Nation”!

Jazz is often considered “America’s music”. It is a music style created in the United States by African American musicians. Jazz music【小题6】(definite) broke through the color barriers, and has become a key part of American culture. One of the early jazz【小题7】(performer), Louis Armstrong, helped jazz beyond the United States to the world. Jazz musicians freely make up their own music【小题8】(express) their own feelings, even while【小题9】(play) in a group.

There are many other symbols of America, such as the Statue of Liberty, Hollywood, and Broadway. These are but a few symbols 【小题10】show something of American culture.