The day of February 2nd brings the most-watched weather forecast of the year because of a kind of little animal. Legend says that 【小题1】this morning, if a groundhog(土拨鼠)can see its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. 【小题2】it cannot see its shadow, spring is on the way.

Since a groundhog hibernates for the winter, its 【小题3】(come)out of the ground is a natural sign of spring. Centuries ago, people in Europe watched for other hibernating animals 【小题4】signs of winter's end. Germans 【小题5】immigrated to Pennsylvania in the mid1800s began keeping an eye on the groundhog. The widespread population of the little animal made 【小题6】easy for them to forecast the weather.

【小题7】(origin), February 2 is a holiday called Candlemas Day(圣烛节). Early people believed that if the sun came out on Candlemas Day, winter 【小题8】(last)for six weeks more.

In the 1880s some friends in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, went into the woods on Candlemas Day to look for groundhogs. This outing became 【小题9】tradition, and a local newspaper editor nicknamed the seekers "the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club". 【小题10】(start)in 1887, the search became an official event centred on a groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil. The ceremony still takes place every year.

Festivals have a wide range of 【小题1】(origin). However, no matter how different they seem, the spirit of 【小题2】(share) joy, gratitude, love is common. Of all the 【小题3】(tradition) festivals, the harvest festival is one of the most popular festivals, which takes place after all the crops 【小题4】 (gather) in. At the same time, though customs play a significant role in festivals, they can change over time. For example, some Chinese cities no longer allow people 【小题5】 (light) firecrackers, as they can increase air pollution. These days, festivals are becoming more and more commercial, with businesses 【小题6】 (take) advantage of celebrations. Online shopping websites and social media have made 【小题7】 much easier to spend more on gifts. People have divided opinions on it. All in all, festivals reflect people’s beliefs and attitudes 【小题8】 life. They are occasions 【小题9】 let us spend time with family. If you study festivals 【小题10】careful), you will find different cultures have a lot in common.

Buildings around the world will go dark for 60 minutes this evening in a voluntary event 【小题1】 (know) as Earth Hour. This grassroots effort started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, and since then it 【小题2】 (grow) into a global movement 【小题3】 (raise) awareness of our energy consumption and the effects of climate change on our planet. Anyone can participate in this movement by switching 【小题4】 the lights at 8:30 PM local time. Last year close to 18,000 landmark buildings switched off their lights in 188 countries. Will you dim your lights tonight?