单选题 If there is one thing certain to get Brazilians on their feet, it is the Rio Carnival (狂欢节). Held in Rio de Janeiro, the country"s biggest city, the carnival began on February 20 when the mayor gave key of the city to Rei Momo—the Lord of Misrule (无序之皇).
On his orders, each year people turn the city into a paradise of dance and music. The following six days are so fun of parades, street dancing, fantastic clothes and partying (聚会) that many people forget about eating and sleeping.
"It was the passion of the carnival that attracted me to Brazil and made me settle down in Rio." said Bob Nadkarni, a British man who has lived in the city for several years. For many Brazilians, the centre piece of the carnival is samba (桑巴舞), a typical Brazilian dance. Every year, tens of thousands of visitors and locals show off their passion and energy in the streets, following the beat (节拍) of the Latin music.
The climax to this street party is the float (彩车) parade, in which floats decorated with tons of fresh flowers by various samba schools and local communities move through the city. On the top of each float stands the candidate for the Drum Queen, who is chosen at the end of the party, while most people are free to enjoy the celebrations. Rio"s police officers have to keep a clear head. Following the murder of three officers in a gunfight early last week, the Brazilian Government has tightened security in Rio. The street fighting, robbery and sex crimes that accompany the carnival are very difficult to police.
Carnivals began in ancient Rome as a celebration at which people fed wild wolves, in honour of the city"s founder who was said to have been raised by a she-wolf. Brazil gave new life to this tradition and so. Despite the troubles, the carnival will remain a symbol of the country"s culture.
单选题 According to the passage, during the Carnival people in Rio did all of the following EXCEPT ______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 第二段的最后提到“许多人都忘记了吃饭和睡觉”。因此,里约热内卢人在这个日子里,更不可能去大吃大喝。故答案为C。
单选题 Which of the following is not true about samba?
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 文中提到samba是巴西的特色舞蹈而不是英国的舞蹈。因此D项错误,故答案为D。
单选题 How long does the carnival last?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 第一段说狂欢节从2月20日开始。第二段说到此后6天有各种各样的活动。可见,总共是7天,即整整一个星期。故答案为B。
单选题 The word "centerpiece" in the 3rd paragraph means ______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] “centrepiece”是“核心部分”的意思。故答案为A。
单选题 According to the passage, Bob Nadkami is ______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 第三段的第一句提到了Bob Nadkami是英国人,这就排除了A和D。该句还说到此人是因为喜欢狂欢节来到巴西并在里约热内卢定居,并不是来玩一玩的,这就排除了B。
单选题 Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] B说的是:狂欢节本来是巴西人的传统。最后一段说到“狂欢节”起源于古罗马。故答案为B。