Reading Comprehension - Multiple Matching
Read the article about four students who speak about the festivals they attended and then answer the following questions.
A.Nathasha
My parents are hard core fans of Asia and they took me last year to China during the beginning of their spring. It was a wonderful holiday, enjoying the taste of their New Year fest. I am always excited about how people count time and often wonder who set the first clock. Chinese people have a system of time according to the moon. Their year- break is also the opening of the budding season and they celebrate it as Spring Festival. It is the biggest jubilee in their tradition. It’s a grand affair. Historians say that this tradition has been there for at least 4000 years. Though modern holidays lasts only for seven days, conventionally, it is a two-week festival beginning on the first day of the first month of their lunar year and ending with Lantern Festival which is on the 15th day of the same month. The only thing I disliked in the whole affair was the loud fireworks. I don’t understand why people go for such ear-breakers even now, when we know the harm these crackers can make to our surroundings.
B.Monica
I feel that festivals bear immense social significance. Two years back, I got an opportunity to spend a whole month in Malaysia. It was a prize for writing competition. I was free to choose a month and I had no hesitation to go for May. I was just counting time! Being a great fan of Asian cultures, it was my long time wish to be part of Tadau Kaamatan, the harvest festival of Malaysia. It is not only one of the grand joyous festivals, but a sacred convention of bowing to the creator. The fest lasts for the whole month. Marking the end of these celebrations, there is a beauty contest also. A priestess, usually known as ‘bobohizan’ in the local language enjoys the privilege to decide day of celebration, which is a public holiday. On the whole, it is an enabling cultural environment, radiant with positive energy.
C.Levin
Diwali is the Indian festival of lights. Light is the symbol of good, It is also the symbol of knowledge. Thus, Diwali is a celebration of virtue and knowledge. However, to be honest, I am not that thinking type and when I experienced the festival this year, I was not so overwhelmed by its cultural meaning, as by its exciting beauty, with the display of illuminated houses, streets and temples. It was really something to see and enjoy. But, as most of the Indian festivals are, Diwali is also a celebration of sound. One interesting thing I learnt during the fest in the month of ‘Karthika’ is about the system of calculating time according to both moon phase and solar time.
D.Jazeera
Last year, I was a lucky girl to be at the Indonesian island of Bali during the months of June and July. I got the chance to admire the month-long The Bali Arts Festival which showcased a whole wealth of cultural artifacts of the island. As I was a little pre-conditioned against Asian culture, I hadn’t been fascinated much about Balinese arts even though I read many articles that showered praise on them. But this display of diverse performances really took me by surprise. It made me learn about the history of Balinese art and came to see the rich variety of paintings, sculptures and architecture that these island people have created.
The questions below are about the students who speak about festivals(A–D). For each question write the correct letter A, B, C or D on the line.
which student:
a) does not much care about the social significance of festivals?
b) speaks about unexpected excitement at the festival attended?
c) expresses environmental concern against sound pollution?
d) is amazed by the mystery of time?
e) was a great fan of Asian culture?
f) took effort to study cultural history?
g) is exact about the time of origin of the festival?
h) mentions the relationship between the festival and agriculture?
i) observes a general characteristic of a country’s festivals?
j) Observes on the religious function of the festival?
