Use of English

Cultural Festivals

Cultural festivals can (0) BRING a community together in ways that everyday life rarely does. For a few days, streets fill with music, food stalls and performances, and people who normally (1) .......... to themselves start chatting to strangers. One major benefit is that festivals help local traditions (2) .......... alive, especially when younger generations are more interested in global trends than in their own history. Festivals also have an economic (3) .......... . Visitors often travel from other towns, which means hotels, cafés and small shops can (4) .......... a profit. At the same time, artists and craftspeople get a chance to (5) .......... their work to a wider audience. Another advantage is the opportunity to learn. When you watch a traditional dance or try a dish you have never tasted before, you begin to (6) .......... how much variety there is within one country, let alone across the world. This can reduce prejudice, because it is harder to judge people unfairly once you have (7) .......... time enjoying their culture. Of course, festivals can be crowded and noisy, but most people agree that the positives (8) .......... the negatives.