Module 4 Carnival（ Reading—The Magic of the Mask）

step 5 reading and answeringyou are to read the text once again to answer all the questions in the box about carnival and its celebration.

the magic of the maskwhat goes with carnival?crowds，costumes，and confusion goes with carnival.where does the word carnival come from and what is its meaning? “carnival” comes from two latin words，meaning “no more meat”. where was the most famous carnival and how long did it last at the beginning?the most famous carnival in europe was in venice. at the beginning, it lasted for just one day.why was wearing masks limited?the government realized that wearing masks had become a problem. their use was limited by laws.when was the tradition of wearing masks revived?but in the late 1970s the tradition was revived by students. how long is carnival celebrated in venice?today, carnival in venice is celebrated for five days in february. step 6 talking about the magic of the masknow we are going to do something fun. we shall try to turn the text into a conversation.

a conversation about the magic of the maska: mr.zhao, would you tell us something about the magic of the mask?b: all right. we shall go to a carnival today.c: what is a carnival? is that like a festival in china?b：a carnival is a public celebration, combining some elements of a circus and public street party, generally. d: think of carnival，and you think of crowds，costumes，and confusion.the sounds and sights change from one country to another but the excitement is the same everywhere.b：you are absolutely right.a: where does the carnival come from?b: “carnival” comes from two latin words，meaning “no more meat”. c: how was it celebrated in the beginning?d: in europe，where it began，carnival was followed by forty days without meat, as people prepared for the christian festival of easter. b: actually people saw carnival as a last chance to have fun at the end of winter season. having fun meant eating, drinking，and dressing up.a: where was the most famous carnival held?d: the most famous carnival in europe was in venice.c: how long did it last then?b: at the beginning, it lasted for just one day. c: what did people do then at a carnival?b: people ate, drank, and wore masks.d: as time passed, however, the carnival period was extended, so that it began just after christmas. for weeks on end people walked round the streets wearing masks, doing what they wanted without being recognised, a: could ordinary people pretend to be rich and important?b: yes, they could. and famous people could have romantic adventures in secret. many crimes went unpunished.