Music festivals in Europe Visiting a festival abroad can be a great reason to travel and a way to experience different cultures. These days there is such a number of choices that it’s possible to spend the whole summer watching live music in exciting places. Of course, it’s also a chance to meet people from across the world. Melt! Festival, Germany This festival takes place on the site of an open air museum for industrial machinery. There’s also a lake which can be used for swimming when it’s hot. This year’s line-up has over 120 different bands ( 乐队 ). Around 90% of the people attending the festival are German providing a perfect chance to practise speaking the language. Exit Festival, Serbia Set on the banks of the Danube in an old fortress ( 城堡 ), the festival began as a way to show people’s dissatisfaction with the government. These days it’s less political ( 政治的 ) but still worries about people who are poor, ill, old, etc and tries to help them. This year’s festival will host many famous bands. From electronic music and dance music to hard rock, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, Scotland Set on a Scottish estate ( 庄园 ) near Inverness, this year Belladrum will welcome artists from around the world. The most enjoyable part of the weekend is the ceilidh (traditional Scottish dance and party) which is always a lively event. It doesn’t even matter if you’re a beginner because the band teaches you each dance. Open’er Festival, Poland Held in an airfield near the northern city of Gdansk, each year Open’er has a seriously good selection of bands. This year is no exception, with many famous bands set to play. Not only are there amazing artists, but both Poland and the festival itself also provide very excellent value for money. 21. What is special about Melt! Festival? A. It provides German lessons. B. It is held by a local museum. C. The bands are from 120 countries. D. Most of the festival goers are German. 22. Why did Exit Festival begin? A. For political reasons. B. For personal reasons. C. To help stop a fight. D. To offer help to the poor. 23. What makes Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival different from the others? A. It falls in summer. B. It is a live music festival. C. It teaches people Scottish dances. D. It invites the most famous bands. B I can’t remember a time when my bedroom didn’t have a bookshelf. From Dr. Suess to Mother Goose, I had all kinds of books that progressed in size as I got older. My earliest memory of books was sitting on my bed at night with my mom reading to my older brother and me from C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, or Madeleine L’Engle. And my first beloved book that was all mine was a children’s book about being a chosen child. As an adopted ( 收养的 ) child, this book helped me learn that my family was my very own because they chose me. As I got older, the books got thicker and more difficult. The first set of books I ever bought with my own money was L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables . When in elementary school, there was a book catalog ( 目录 ) that would come out. We could take it home and have our parents help us order new books. Then the books would be sent to the school. There was nothing better than getting my little bag of books. My love for science fiction was deepened by my older brother’s love for it. Beyond being the person to introduce me to Star Trek and Doctor Who , it was his copy of The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks that got me really interested in science fiction. I read classics in high school. The first time I had the thought that I wanted to be a writer was after reading Edgar Allan Poe’s work. And his use of words floored me. I remember using his word “phantasmagorical” for a senior paper. Yeah, it’s no wonder I ended up an English major and English teacher passing on my love for the written word and the books students could hold in their hands. 24. What was the author’s earliest memory of books? A. She read some classics by herself. B. She was thirsty for children’s books. C. She was often read to by her mother. D. She borrowed books from her brother. 25. What happened after the author read her first favorite book? A. She loved her family much more. B. She hoped to have her own home. C. She planned to read more books. D. She found that she was adopted. 26. How did the author feel after getting some books on the book catalog? A. Lucky. B. Excited. C. Surprised. D. Disappointed. 27. How did the author become interested in science fiction? A. By reading Star Trek with her brother. B. By being introduced to Doctor Who . C. By talking about it with her brother. D. By reading The Sword of Shannara .