The Miao Sisters?? Festival in Guizhou 贵州的苗族姊妹节

王涛涛

2006年5月20日，貴州省台江县申报的苗族姊妹节经中华人民共和国国务院批准列入第一批国家级非物质文化遗产名录。

1 People of the Miao ethnic group celebrates the Miao Sisters Festival in Taijiang County， Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture， Southwest Chinas Guizhou Province. Recognized as a national intangible（无形的） cultural heritage， the Miao Sisters Festival is celebrated annually around the 15th day of the third lunar month according to the lunar calendar in China.

2 During the festival， young men and women of the Miao ethnic group dress up in their finest festival attire （服装）. With a long history and a tremendous following， the festival has been passed down through generations as an ethnic tradition as well as a way of finding love and socializing. Centering on young women， it features rich festivities such as singing， dancing， dressing up， having sisters meals and exchanging tokens （信物） of love.

3 Having sisters meals is a major event of this festival. During the night of the event， young men and women communicate by singing to each other in an antiphonal （轮流吟唱的） way to express their love for each other， and men ask for sisters meals from women. In response， women put things along with the meals， such as chopsticks， leaves and hot pepper， to show their attitudes towards men. Having a sisters meal can also prevent being stung by insects， according to local people.

4 Catching fish and shrimps in the fields is another activity of the festival. Young women from one village will meet young men from another village to catch fish and shrimps in the fields together， so as to find the people they love. Dancing to drum beats is also an important activity for the whole community to take part in the festival. Young women， well dressed up by their parents in festival clothes， gather at the playground and dance to the drum beats. This activity is an opportunity for the Miao people to display their culture of dressing， as one can see whose clothes are gorgeous and which clothes have the most beautiful silver accessories.

5 The festival provides an opportunity for people in the community to visit relatives and friends， and have fun. The festival is a bridge that strengthens solidarity within the Miao ethnic group.

[Reading][Check]

Ⅰ. Choose the best answers according to the text

Gist 1. Paragraph 1 mainly talks about the ______ of the Miao Sisters Festival celebration.

A. location   B. time   C. origin D. background

Detail    2. When having sisters meals， how does a woman show her attitude towards a man？

A. By wearing silver accessories.

B. By singing and dancing together.

C. By eating sisters meals together.

D. By adding things to the meals.

Vocabulary    3. What does the underlined word “solidarity” in the last paragraph probably mean？

A. Tradition. B. Unity. C. Relationship. D. Custom.

Inference    4. What can be inferred about the Miao Sisters Festival？

A. It hasnt been around long.

B. It aims to show typical Miao attire.

C. It is a form of celebrating the harvest.

D. It offers a chance of making friends.

Ⅱ. Fill in each blank with only one word according to the text

[Language][Study]

Complete the following phrases according to the text

1. 國家非物质文化遗产  national intangibleheritage

2. 农历;阴历               calendar

3. 打扮;装饰               up

4. 传下来                   down

5. 在田里              in the

6. 参加;加入          takein