Brazil, the【小题1】(large)country in South America, is famous for the Amazon rainforest and soccer. But on the hottest days, people travel there for another reason – the Carnival. Full of excitement and fun, the Carnival is held【小题2】(annual) in February or March.

The word “Carnival” comes from the Portuguese “Carne Vale”, 【小题3】means “farewell to meat”. In the early 1600s, the Portuguese【小题4】(bring)Europe traditions to Brazil. 【小题5】(inspire) by black people brought there by the slave trade, they started【小题6】(they)own carnival with dances and music.

With its beautiful floats (花车), 【小题7】(attract)clothes and happy people, the Samba Parade is the most fantastic event of the Carnival. Samba is said【小题8】(be)the soul of Rio. “This is【小题9】the passion for samba lies – the atmosphere is electric as even the oldest men and women sing and dance【小题10】the music,” travel guidebook Lonely Planet noted.

Every culture in the world celebrates festivals. Though different festivals have different origins, the spirit of 【小题1】 (share) joy, gratitude, love, or peace is common in all festivals.

The harvest festival, 【小题2】 takes place after all the crops have been gathered in, can be found in almost every culture. People celebrate it   【小题3】 (show) their gratitude to the year’s supply of food. But the 【小题4】 (celebrate) vary from country to country. In ancient Egypt, it featured a parade and a great feast with music, dancing, and sports during the springtime 【小题5】 during the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, families gather to admire the shining moon and enjoy delicious mooncakes.

Customs change with the 【小题6】 (develop) of modern society. In China, many big cities 【小题7】 (give) up the custom of lighting   firecrackers in order to avoid air pollution.

Nowadays, businesses take advantage of the celebrations and make festivals 【小题8】 (commercialise). Although some are 【小题9】 it, others believe the increase in spending is good for the economy and public happiness.

Festivals reflect people’s wishes, beliefs, faiths and attitudes towards life. If you study festivals 【小题10】 (careful), you may be surprised to find that different cultures actually have a lot in common after all.

Labor Day in the US falls 【小题1】 the first Monday of September every year. It has a rich history centered around workers. Although most Americans 【小题2】 (possible) consider Labor Day as a unique American experience, in reality, Labor Day has 【小题3】 (it) origins in Canada.

Caused by the labor conflicts in 1870 in Toronto, a parade 【小题4】 (be) held in 1872 in support of a strike against the 58-hour workweek. As 【小题5】 result, 24 union leaders who were responsible for 【小题6】 (organize) the event were arrested under anti-union laws.

The first Labor Day celebration in the US can be traced to Sept. 5, 1882. It was designed 【小题7】 (comfort) city workers after numerous strikes and even violence in some cases. Labor Day 【小题8】 (celebrate) since President Grover Cleveland declared that day Labor Day in 1894. The extended weekend helps Americans 【小题9】 choose to travel. Originating as a celebration for the working class, Labor Day has also evolved into the unofficial end of the summer season and for many school 【小题10】 (district) it has been the beginning of the academic year again.