CARNiVAL!

By Marsha Henderson

Activity 1

Before you read, match the word or phrase with a definition.

1. a district 2. a costume 3. a procession 4. background 5. preparation 6. atmosphere

a. getting ready （noun）

b. an organised line of moving people

c. special clothing for an event or country

d. the feeling of a place or event

e. part of a city

f. the people, places and experiences that are a person’s past

A Place to Visit 一个好去处

One of the most exciting cities in theBritish Isles[不列颠群岛]is Bristol, in the southwest of England. One of its most interesting districts is St Pauls, a few minutes’walk from the city centre, and I’m here for the spectacular AfricanCaribbean[加勒比人的]carnival.

Carnival Begins 狂欢节开幕

The first drums begin and Simone steps forward. Her costume ismagnificent[华丽的].It’s purple andsilver[银色的], rises three metres above her head, and herfantastic[极大的]skirt is four metres wide. It’sincredible[难以置信的]that she can move at all inside the costume,but she’s dancing too.

A Community Carnival 社区嘉年华

The procession takes about an hour. Men and women excite us in the most amazing,enormous costumes I’ve ever seen. Groups of dancers move in perfect time with their samba[桑巴舞]bands. Some of them are groups of children from local schools, and I even see some elderly people in full costume. St Pauls carnival really is for everybody.

Before and After the Procession 游行前后

People from lots of different cultural backgrounds have spent months getting ready for today. Every street in St Pauls is full of smiling people, music which will go on all night, and stalls[货摊]selling food from all over the world. The delicious smell of goat curry and jerk chicken[烤鸡]is making me hungry.

Be Part of Carnival Too! 你也来加入狂欢节吧！

If you’re living in Britain now or will do so in the future, and you want to help with the preparations for carnival, details are posted from January at the website listed below. You could go to costume-making lessons, or gain a qualification in managing crowds.

What Else Can You Do in Bristol?在布里斯托尔，你还能做些什么？

While you’re here, you can look around St Pauls and nearby Stokescroft for street art byBanksy注. You might even meet him at carnival. Try more traditional galleries, like the Arnolfini or the Bristol Guild café. Have a look at the magnificent Clifton Suspension Bridge, designed by nineteenth-century engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Visit Clifton Village. There are lots of ways to enjoy the special atmosphere of this fantastic city.

注：班克斯（Banksy），1974年出生于英国布里斯托尔，被誉为当今世界上最有才气的街头艺术家之一。他的涂鸦作品风靡全球，尤以政治讽刺色彩著称。

Activity 2 Find the answers to these questions in the text.

1. Where is St Pauls situated in Bristol?

2. Is the first costume large or small?

3. What kind of music do the bands play?

4. What two traditional Caribbean dishes does the writer mention?

5. Which world-famous street artist does the writer connect with Bristol?

Activity 3

Choose the best adjective for each sentence.

delicious enormous fantastic exciting

magnificent incredible spectacular

Eg: One of the most ……..…. cities in the British Isles is Bristol.

a. enormous b. exciting c. delicious

1. The fireworks were …………………………; they were so exciting

I couldn’t stop looking.

a. enormous b. delicious c. spectacular

2. Bristol Cathedral is a .……………………… example of Gothic

architecture.

a. incredible b. magnificent c. spectacular 3. I had a ………………………… time at the festival.

a. fantastic b. incredible c. enormous

4. The detail in the costume was …………………………

a. spectacular b. incredible c. delicious

5. The stage was …………………………; you could see it from very

far away.a. delicious b. fantastic c. enormous

6. The jerk chicken was …………………………; I ate two portions.a. spectacular b. magnificent c. delicious

Activity 4

Discussion: What similar celebrations do you have in your country? How would you design a new cultural celebration?