A
The Nobel Prize-winning Mexican writer Octavio Paz said, “The art of the festival has been debased（下降） almost everywhere else, but not in Mexico.” Here are several events that would have made him proud:
Morelia International Film Festival
The Morelia film fest really brings this colonial city to life in mid-October. Created as a platform for documentaries and fiction works, the programming offers an up-close look at Mexican society as seen through the eyes of a new generation of filmmakers. Fashionable bars and sidewalk cafes are buzzing with activity around the main square, where crowds gather nightly for open-air screenings and other cultural events.
Day of the Dead
Each year on November 1st and 2nd, Mexico turns its thoughts to the departed during the Day of the Dead festivities, a colorful tradition deeply rooted in native culture. For Mexicans, death is more a cause for celebration than mourning, and that spirit has been kept very much alive in Pátzcuaro, the Día de Muertos mecca. Prepare yourself to battle large crowds of the living.
Carnival in Veracruz &Mazatlán
Mexico hosts many carnival celebrations every year featuring exciting parades, dance performances, live music and of course, big-time partying. The nine-day event in Veracruz, Mexico’s biggest carnival, usually kicks off in March, right around the same time when festivities get started on the Pacific coast in Mazatlán. You can shake your body with salsa music in Veracruz or the brass band sounds of Mazatlán.
La Morisma
An all-out war erupts on the streets of colonial Zacatecas, usually around late August. OK, well, it’s actually a mock battle with well over 2,000 participants re-enacting battles between the Christians and Moors in old Spain. The faux（假的）soldiers attack one another while accompanied on the streets by bands of musicians.
1. How do the Mexicans feel when the Day of the Dead comes?
A. Calm. B. Anxiod.
C. Scared. D. Happy.
2. What can people enjoy in both Carnival in Veracruz &Mazatlán and La Morisma?
A. Exciting parades. B. Dance performances.
C. Live music. D. A mock battle.
3. What is the purpose of the text?
A. To tell something about a Nobel Prize-winning writer.
B. To introduce some famous Mexican festivals.
C. To advise readers to join in the Mexican events.
D. To criticize the bad customs of Mexican festivals.
【答案】1. D 2. C 3. B
【解析】
【分析】
本文为说明文，文章主要介绍了墨西哥的四个节日。
【1题详解】
推理判断题。根据文章第三段For Mexicans, death is more a cause for celebration than mourning, and that spirit has been kept very much alive in Pátzcuaro, the Día de Muertos mecca.可知对墨西哥人来说，死亡更值得庆祝，而不是哀悼，所以在过亡灵节时人们是开心的，所以D正确。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。根据文章的第四段Mexico hosts many carnival celebrations every year featuring exciting parades, dance performances, live music and of course, big-time partying.以及第五段The faux（假的）soldiers attack one another while accompanied on the streets by bands of musicians.可知Carnival in Veracruz &Mazatlán 和 La Morisma的共同之处是都有现场音乐，所以C正确。
【3题详解】
写作目的题。根据文章第一段Here are several events that would have made him proud.以及接下来的四段内容的介绍可知是介绍墨西哥的节日的，所以B正确。
【点睛】根据不同文体，推断目的意图。不同的文章可能有不同的写作目的, 通常作者的写作目的有以下三种：1) to entertain readers（娱乐读者，让人发笑），常见于故事类的文章。2) to persuade readers（说服读者接受某种观点）常见于广告类的文章。3) to inform readers（告知读者某些信息）多见于科普类﹑新闻报道类﹑文化类或社会类的文章。高考阅读试题设计到各类文章，而以议论文为主，文章的主题句、核心句往往会直接或间接地表明作者的态度立场；阅读理解中也有说明文、描述文。前者因为其体裁的客观性，所以作者的态度也往往采取中立。而后者因为其文章观点往往不直接提出，而且作者写作时也常带有某种倾向性，所以，阅读时要善于根据文章的文体来学会推断作者的情感态度和目的。
本题的第三小题为写作目的题。而本文为文化类社会类的文章，主要介绍了墨西哥的四个节日，所以写作目的是告知读者一些信息，所以是B选项To introduce some famous Mexican festivals。
