X. Read the passage carefully, then do the tasks.
For hundreds of years, one remote hill in the middle of England has hosted one of the weirdest and most hazardous festivals in the world. It’s the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling Festival. The event is held every year at the end of May. Some people believe that the festival originated from a tradition of rolling burning bundles ofsticks down the hill to celebrate the end of winter. Today, the festival has
grown into an international event, with over 15,000 participants
and spectators from all over the world joining each year.
The rules are simple. A large wheel of cheese is rolled down the
hill, and participants chase after it. The first runner to make it to
the bottom of the hill is the winner. The winner of the race is
allowed to keep the cheese as a prize.
Cooper’s Hill is only 200 meters long, but it is very steep. As a
result, racers do not run down the hill; instead, they usually fall
down the hill head over heels. This has led to a lot of accidents. For this reason, the event was officially
canceled in 2010. Outraged fans have continued the event unofficially since then.
A. Match the words or phrases with their definitions.
1. hazardous
2. originate
3. bundle
4. remote
5. fall head over heels
a. a group of things that are tied or wrapped together.
b. to roll or fall down out of control
c. to start in a particular situation
d. dangerous, especially to people’s health or safety
e. far away from places where people live
B. Choose the correct answers.
1. What is the passage mainly about?
a. Different food festivals around the world
b. An unusual and dangerous festival in England
c. Tips for winning the race in the Cheese Rolling Festival
d. The history of the Cheese Rolling Festival
2. What is the origin of the Cheese Rolling Festival?
a. It is held every year in May.
b. It takes place at Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire.
c. It is held to represent the birth of the New Year after winter.
d. It comes from the tradition of rolling burning bundles of sticks down the hill.
3. The word ‘outraged’ in the last sentence is closest in meaning to _______.
a. upset b. pleasant c. keen d. big
4. According to the passage, which of the following is true?
a. All the runners in the race are from England.
b. The race is dangerous because the hill is very long.
c. Most participants cannot stay on their feet while they run down the hill.
d. The winner is the first person to catch the cheese.
5. The festival was officially canceled in 2010 due to _________________________________.
a. a large number of participants
b. the bad weather in Gloucestershire
c. the steep slopes of Cooper’s Hill
d. the dangerous aspect of the event
A. Match the words or phrases with their definitions.
1. hazardous (d)
2. originate (c)
3. bundle (a)
4. remote (e)
5. fall head over heels (b)
B. Choose the correct answers.
1. b. An unusual and dangerous festival in England
2. d. It comes from the tradition of rolling burning bundles of sticks down the hill.
3. a. upset
4. c. Most participants cannot stay on their feet while they run down the hill.
5. d. the dangerous aspect of the event
