When you think of snowy winter festivals, Sapporo in Japan probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. In Japan, there are winter festivals every year that draw great crowds and offer lots of attractions to everybody.
The biggest one is the Sapporo Snow Festival which is held every year in February on Japan's snow covered northern island, Hokkaido(北海道). The Sapporo Snow Festival was the first of its kind held in Japan, and it is still the biggest. Every year, 2 million snow lovers rush to Sapporo, the biggest city in Hokkaido, to enjoy the Snow Festival in the first two weeks of February. At the Festival, you can see hundreds of snow sculptures made by artists from all over the world. Some are a couple of building stories high and weigh tons. There are ice sculptures too, and ice bars where you can go inside and have a beer.
The Sapporo Snow Festival was started in the 1950's by a group of high school kids. Feeling very bored in winter, they started a snow sculptures competition. Every year, more kids took part in the competition and now the festival draws snow artists from 15 different countries. There are also musical performances, light shows, and snowball fights.
Every major area has its own snow festival. One of the most popular is the Iwate Snow Festival. It's held in the small town of Shizukuishi in early or mid-February. Iwate is also famous for its yearly fireworks displays, where festival-goers can watch the colors reflected off the snow. In Iwate, you can see traditional Japanese musicians and dancers perform on floats.
If you want a truly unique winter festival experience, northern Japan is a great place to go. Just make sure you dress warmly.
1.Why is the Sapporo Snow Festival famous in Japan?
A．The snow in Hokkaido is very thick.
B．it is the first and the biggest in Japan
C．There are lots of snow sculptures there.
D．its snow sculptures are the highest.
2.When is the Sapporo Snow Festival held in Japan?
A．In late February.
B．From January to February.
C．In the first two weeks of February.
D．Two weeks before February.
3.Who started the Sapporo Snow Festival at first?
A．The government of Sapporo.
B．Artists from all over the world.
C．Kids who liked outside activities..
D．A group of high school students.
4.The author wrote the passage to _______.
A．introduce Japan’s Sapporo Snow Festival
B．attract people to take part in northern Japan’s winter festival
C．introduce Japan’s winter festival activities
D．tell us the history of Japan’s winter festivals
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
“I’m going to make you attractive,” said Mika Hill, looking at the 1of the woman sitting before her. The women once had long, 2, dark hair. But alopecia(秃头症) had 3her just a little of it. Hill, a wig(假发) maker, was about to change that.
At 30, Hill knows from experience how a woman feels when she 4her hair. Her own hair fell out several years ago 5a lack of iron after giving birth. “I cried when I washed it, when I combed it, and when I looked in the 6,” she says. Then she bought a wig. “It was too small,” she says, “but my 7went up greatly.”
Hill enrolled(注册) in a wig-making 8in New York. Back home with what she learned, she started making wigs that she planned to 9for $300 each.
But many of her customers with alopecia and cancer couldn’t 10that much, and their health insurance often didn’t 11the cost. So Hill started giving the wigs away, eventually spending $10,000 of her own money. Last year, she and her friend Lita Warren 12Pink Barrette, a non-profit organization that has 13about 60 wigs to poor women.
Hill pays 14the donations with profits from her other products. 15, she and her husband have also spent much of their savings keeping the organization running.
Hill’s customers can’t thank her enough. Elyssa Montoya was too 16to be seen in public with her 17thinning hair. “I didn’t feel I could show my bald head outside. Thanks to Mika, I now have beautiful hair, and feel 18about myself again.”
“Seeing their self-confidence 19after they try on their wigs,” says Hill, “brings 20to my eyes. This is a job for me, and a most rewarding one.”
1.A. head B. face C. nose D. mouth
2.A. light B. thick C. little D. ugly
3.A. showed B. destroyed C. left D. offered
4.A. washes B. changes C. loses D. dyes
5.A. thanks to B. except for C. as for D. because of
6.A. picture B. room C. sky D. mirror
7.A. confidence B. belief C. power D. image
8.A. speech B. company C. course D. club
9.A. sell B. produce C. rent D. order
10.A. supply B. appreciate C. allow D. afford
11.A. recover B. cover C. admit D. contain
12.A. set up B. put up C. set down D. put down
13.A. donated B. imported C. picked D. valued
14.A. up B. off C. back D. for
15.A. Besides B. Therefore C. Somehow D. Otherwise
16.A. embarrassed B. excited C. happy D. angry
17.A. hardly B. badly C. heavily D. largely
18.A. frightened B. strange C. grateful D. good
19.A. limit B. exchange C. improve D. cut
20.A. doubt B. tears C. fear D. joys
In no way ______leave ______ little children alone.
A. we must; so B. must we; such C. must we; so D. we must; such
— What does the sign over there read?
— No person ______ smoke or carry a lighted cigarette, or pipe in this area.
A. will B. must C. may D. shall
How long is it ______ we last spent the holiday in the country together?
A. until B. before C. since D. that
— Can you come on Friday or Saturday?
— I’m afraid ______ is possible. I will go to the hospital to look after my friend.
A. either B. none C. any D. neither
