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Level 3 – Intermediate
Carnival time
February is carnival time all over Europe and Latin America. Carnivals are a time of fun and non-stop parties for everyone and they are held around Mardi Gras in late February or early March. In the Christian tradition, Mardi Gras is the day before the start of Lent, the period of fasting which lasts until Easter.
Carnivals are held throughout Europe but the biggest and most extravagant are in Latin America. The longest Carnival is in Trinidad where weekend parties are held for nearly six weeks before the final massive street celebrations which attract hundreds of thousands of people who dance to calypso music.
But the most famous of all is undoubtedly the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil where it is the most important event of the year.
After the economic troubles Brazil has suffered, four days of wild partying is a perfect anti-depressant! Over 150,000 tourists visit the Carnival each year. More people than ever before are able to afford the trip because the Brazilian currency, the real, had lost nearly 35% of its value against the dollar in the past years.
The highlight of the carnival is the Samba School Parade. Throughout the preceding year, 14 different neighbourhood groups plan and prepare their parades. Each group or school, as it is called, consists of over 4,000 people. They decide on a carnival theme which is traditionally linked to Brazilian culture and choose a samba tune. They design and make their own costumes and build and decorate fantastic floats which may be up to 30 feet high.
The Samba Parade lasts two days and the 14 groups parade through the half-mile-long, purpose-built Sambodrome in the city centre. The Sambodrome was built in 1984 especially for the carnival. It can hold nearly 70,000 people when it is packed. You can buy a seat in the Sambodrome if you want to follow the parade but it's very expensive and you have to book a long time in advance.
The parade lasts two days and each year a panel of judges chooses the best samba school. The champions win a lot of money, but even more important, the prestige of being number 1.
If you don't have the money for a seat in the Sambodrome, there are street carnivals all over the city which are free and anyone can join in. Every neighbourhood has its band and thousands of enthusiastic samba dancers dressed in anything from swimming wear to the most outrageous fancy dress march through the streets having a fantastic time. Major streets are closed to traffic to make room for the bands, some of which attract as many as 10,000 people
So if you want a fantastic break with fun and excitement day and night, go to Rio at carnival time. But don't forget to book well ahead and remember to take your bathing costume because it's mid-summer in Brazil in February!
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Answer the questions below to check how well you understand the text.
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C2 Mastery
