【導讀】winterandtheagriculturalworkisover.InEuropeancountries,peoplewilusualydecoratechurchesandtownhallswithflowersandfruit,andwillgettogethertohavemeals.Somepeoplemightwinawardsfortheirfarmproduce,likethebigestwatermelonorthemosthandsomerooster.ChinaandJapanhavemid-autumnfestivals,whenpeopleadmirethemoonandinChina,enjoymooncakes.SpringFestivalsThemostenergeticandimportantfestivalsareteonesthatlookforwa

　　

【正文】 and watch for l ong. Earl y in the m orni ng, you can watch the snowboardi ng peti ti ons on the hi l overl ooking the ri ver. Com peti tors speed down the track and through the ai r as though they coul d fl y. The m ore brave of heart m ay try the canoe races. Fi ve or si x m en paddle each canoe across the partl yfrozen St Lawrence Ri ver. The ri ver i s ful l of bi g pieces of i ce, and if you were to fal l i n, you woul d freeze i n less than two m inutes. O n of the favouri te events is the dogsl ed race, i n whi ch team s of about si x husky dogs pl l long sl eds at great speeds al ong a snowy track. O ne person runs behi nd the sl ed, shouti ng to the dogs to encoutage them . The sound of the dogs barki ng, the cal s of the dri vers and the shouts of crowd make an exci ti ng N othern experi ence. The dogs are beautiful strong anim al s, wi th long, thi ck fur and m any with bl ue eyes. Whi l e adm iri ng the i ce scul ptures ecerywhere in the ci ty, m uch li ke those i n Harbin i n Chi na, you can stop wi th other touri sts i n an i gl oo for hot tea or coffee. It i s am azi ng how warm these ice howses can be! Late i n the eveni ng, you can go to the snow palace, where Bonhom m e the snowm an i s king, and joi n the crowd. You can dance outsi de to the m usi c of a band, who are al l dresed i n heavy cl othes – even som e thei r i nstrum ents are dressed up for wi nter. Fi nal ly, you wi l probabl y want to si t down i n a cafe wo warm up an to pl an tom orrow. You m i ght joi n the snowm obil e races – or m aybe you shoul d just sl eep i n! Uni t 2 COME AND EAT H ERE (1) Wang Peng sat in hi s em pty restaurant feeli ng very frustrated. It had been a very strange m orni ng. Usual l y he got up earl y and prepared hi s m enu of barbecued m utton kebabs, roast pork, stirfri ed vegetabl es and fri ed ri ce. Then by l unchtim e they woul d al be sol d. By now hi s restaurant ought to be ful l of peopl e. But not today! Why was that? What coul d have happened? H e thought of his m utton, beef and bacon cooked i n the hottest, fi nest oil . Hi s cola was sugary and col d, and hi s ice cream was m ade of m il k, cream and delicious fruit. “Nothing coul d be better, ” he thought. Suddenl y he saw his friend Li Chang hurying by. “H el o, Lao Li, ” he cal ed, “Your usual ?” But Li Chang seem ed not to hear. What was the m atter? Som ethi ng terri bl e m ust have happened i f Li Chang was not ing to eat i n hi s restaurant as he al ways di d. Wang Peng fol owed Li Chang i nto a new smal e saw a si gn i n the wi ndow. Ti red of al that fat? Want to l ose weight? Com e i nsi de Yong Hui’s sli mmi ng restaurant. O nl y sl imm ing fods served here. Make yoursel f thi n agai n. Curi osi ty drove Wang Peng i nsi de. It was ful of peopl e. The hostes, a very thin lady cam e forward. “Wel e,” she said. “My nam e is Yong H ui. I’l l hel p you l ose weight and be fit in two weeks if you eat here every day. ” Then she gave a m enu to Wang Peng. There were few choices of food and dri nk on i t: just ri ce, raw vegetabl es served i n vinegar, frui t and water. Wang Peng was am azed at thi s and especi al l y at the pri ces. It cost m ore than a good m eal i n hi s restaurant! H e coul d not bel i eve hi s eyes. H e threw down the m enu and huri ed outsi de. O n hi s way hom e he thought about his own menu. Di d it m ake peopl e fat? Perhaps he shoul d go to the l i brary and fi nd out. H e coul d not have Yong H ui getti ng away wi th tel i ng peopl e li es! H e had beter do som e research! At the l i brary Wang Peng was surprised to find that his restaurant served far too m uch fat and Yong Hui’s far too little. Even though her custom ers m ight get thin after eating Yong H ui’s fod, they were not eating enough energygi vi ng food to keep them fi t. They woul d be e ti red very quickl y. Wang Peng felt m ore hopeful as he drove back hom e. Perhaps wi th a di scount and a new si gn he coul d wi n his custom ers back! So he wrote: Want to feel fi t and energeti c? Come and eat here! Di scounts today! O ur food gi ves you energy al l day! The petiti on between the two restaurants was on! COME AND EAT HERE (2) A week l ater, Wang Peng’s restaurant was nearly ful l and he felt happi er. Perhaps he woul d be abl e to earn his li vi ng after al and not have to cl ose his restaurant. He di d not l ook forward to being in debt because his restaurant wi nter and the agri cul tural work i s over. In European countri es, people wil usual y decorate churches and town hal l s with fl owers and frui t, and wil l get together to have m eal s. Som e peopl e mi ght wi n awards for thei r farm produce, l i ke the bi gest waterm elon or the m ost handsom e rooster. Chi na and Japan have m i dautum n festi vals, when peopl e adm ire the m oon and i n Chi na, enjoy mooncakes. Spri ng Festi val s The most energeti c and im portant festi vals are te ones that l ook forward to the end of wi nter and to the ing of spri ng. At the Spring Festi val i n Chi na, peopl e eat dum pi ngs i fsh and m eat and m ay gi ve chil dren l ucky m oney i n red paper. There are dragon dances and carni val s , and fami li es cel ebrate the Lunar N ew Year together. Som e Western countri es have very exci ti ng carni cals, whi ch take pl ace forty days before Easter, usual y i n February. These carni val s m i ght i ncl ude parades, danci ng i n the streets day and ni ght, l oud m usi c and col ourful cl othi ng of al l kinds. Easter i s an im portant reli gi ous and soci al festival for Chi ri sti ans around the worl d. It celebrates the return of Jesus from the dead and the i ng of spri ng and new l ife. Japan’s Cherry Bl osom Festi cal happens a l ittl e l ater. The country, covered wi th cherry tree fl owers, l ooks as though i t is covered wi th pi nk snow. People l ove to get together to eat, dri nk and have fun wi th each other. Festival s let us enjoy l