World Book Day falls on April 23rd every year, but do you know that it is also Shakespeare Day? Everybody may have heard of Shakespeare, but do you know how many plays he wrote?
Shakespeare's plays have three kinds: tragedies, comedies and histories. His most famous play is the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet, which deals with two young lovers who are not allowed to marry by their parents. Other tragedies include Hamlet, Othello, and Macbeth.
Shakespeare's comedies include Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night is a play about unclear identities. Two twins are shipwrecked (遭海难) and the sister, Viola, dresses up as her brother, Sebastian, who she thinks is dead. It's funny, because the brother reappears and there's a big love problem going on: Viola is in love with the Duke, who is in love with Olivia, who falls in love with Sebastian except that she doesn't realize that Sebastian is actually Viola dressed up!
Everybody falls in love with the wrong person, but it is all made right in the end.
Some of his history plays, such as Antony and Cleopatra, Richard III and Henry V, are based on the lives of real historical people. In Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra becomes Antony's girlfriend and Antony becomes so crazy about her that he loses control of the army. Cleopatra kills herself in the end and Antony kills himself too.
Shakespeare's plays can be very difficult sometimes. Some of the themes they deal with are heavy, so they almost always include a lighter subplot with characters that are not so important. They are often used in tragedies to lighten the mood of the play and to keep the audience interested in the main plot.
The Qingming Festival is usually celebrated with a three⁃day national holiday, whose name originates(起源) from the saying "Plants start to revive(复活) and prosper at Qingming in a clean and bright way." Thus, the festival is called Qingming, which means "clean and bright". Tomb sweeping is aimed at commemorating family ancestors, while going on a spring outing allows everyone the chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery and enjoy the season.
Traditional customs
Tomb sweeping. On this day, the whole family gathers in front of their ancestral tombs. They offer fruit and wine to their ancestors and clear the weeds from around the tomb. Finally, they kowtow and pray, hoping for their ancestors' blessing for the rest of the year.
Spring outings. The time around the Qingming Festival is one of the most suitable seasons for a spring outing, as plants are thriving and flowers are blooming. People can have a great time outdoors with their friends and family.
Traditional food
Qingtuan is a green rice ball tiny enough to fit into your hand. It is a mixture of sticky rice powder and green vegetable juice. Stuffed(装满) with sweetened bean paste, Qingtuan tastes sweet with the fresh fragrance of Aicao, a green spring vegetable. In celebration of Qingming, people from Shaanxi make steamed buns known as Huamo, which are made into different shapes. Some are for peaceful family life, while others represent(象征) the wish for health.
A.Each different look brings a good blessing.
B.The tradition of tomb sweeping originates from the Qin Dynasty.
C.The two main activities over the festival include tomb sweeping and going on a spring outing.
D.Family members gather together to celebrate and taste the food.
E.Playing football and flying kites are popular activities.
F.Many traditional customs are practiced to show respect for our ancestors.
G.It is popular in Jiangnan.
