Vocabulary 4 (Reading)

You are going to read a text about a Tibetan festival. For questions 1-4, mark the answer that fits best from options A, B, C or D.

A TIBETAN CELEBRATION

It was 4am and I was doing one of the strangest things I've ever done in the middle of the night – climbing a mountain. There were people from all over the world around me, all wanting to get a good view of the opening of the Shoton Festival, which attracts hundreds of people every year. It all begins shortly after sunrise near the Drepung Monastery just outside Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. I saw around a hundred monks from the monastery carry a giant picture of the Buddha to the mountainside. Then, by pulling together on ropes attached to the picture, they gradually unrolled it to reveal it to the crowds, who threw white silk cloths on it.

This annual festival began as a way to mark the end of a period of quiet prayer for the monks in the area. After spending weeks indoors, when the monks rejoined, the community people gave them a meal of yoghurt – “shoton” in the local language – to eat. Although it was originally a religious event, the Shoton Festival has now become a week-long celebration of Tibetan culture that includes music, dance and sport.

In the afternoon, after the unrolling of the Buddha picture, the focus moved to the courtyard of the Ganden Phodrang government building – the venue for performances by several opera companies over the course of the festival.

There was plenty to enjoy. Although the shows began before lunchtime and lasted until dusk, they were actually shortened versions of Tibetan operas, which can take days to stage. The operas, which are often about Tibetan history and characters from myth and legend, have become such a popular part of the week of celebrations that some people call it the Opera Festival.

During the time of the Shoton Festival, friends and family had put up tents and come together in the nearby Norobulingka public gardens to enjoy traditional refreshments on the grass. It was obvious that this was a time for young and old to have fun together. Many camp like this for days every year – a reflection of the traditional Tibetan nomadic lifestyle. It's possible to hear the opera from the gardens, but I noticed that some choose to make their own entertainment by singing their favourite folk songs together, keeping time by clapping. What I really enjoyed there was the cordial atmosphere. Many people approached me and offered me drinks and snacks, making me feel really welcome.

Attending the Shoton Festival was an unforgettable experience, and I hope to relive it one day.

 1  What does the writer say about climbing the mountain?

 2  How is the Shoton Festival different today? 

An operatic performance at the Shoton Festival 

What do we learn about Norbulingka?

Read the text again and mark the following statements as T (true) or F (false).

A TIBETAN CELEBRATION

It was 4am and I was doing one of the strangest things I've ever done in the middle of the night – climbing a mountain. There were people from all over the world around me, all wanting to get a good view of the opening of the Shoton Festival, which attracts hundreds of people every year. It all begins shortly after sunrise near the Drepung Monastery just outside Lhasa, the Tibetan capital. I saw around a hundred monks from the monastery carry a giant picture of the Buddha to the mountainside. Then, by pulling together on ropes attached to the picture, they gradually unrolled it to reveal it to the crowds, who threw white silk cloths on it.

This annual festival began as a way to mark the end of a period of quiet prayer for the monks in the area. After spending weeks indoors, when the monks rejoined, the community people gave them a meal of yoghurt – “shoton” in the local language – to eat. Although it was originally a religious event, the Shoton Festival has now become a week-long celebration of Tibetan culture that includes music, dance and sport.

In the afternoon, after the unrolling of the Buddha picture, the focus moved to the courtyard of the Ganden Phodrang government building – the venue for performances by several opera companies over the course of the festival.

There was plenty to enjoy. Although the shows began before lunchtime and lasted until dusk, they were actually shortened versions of Tibetan operas, which can take days to stage. The operas, which are often about Tibetan history and characters from myth and legend, have become such a popular part of the week of celebrations that some people call it the Opera Festival.

During the time of the Shoton Festival, friends and family had put up tents and come together in the nearby Norobulingka public gardens to enjoy traditional refreshments on the grass. It was obvious that this was a time for young and old to have fun together. Many camp like this for days every year – a reflection of the traditional Tibetan nomadic lifestyle. It's possible to hear the opera from the gardens, but I noticed that some choose to make their own entertainment by singing their favourite folk songs together, keeping time by clapping. What I really enjoyed there was the cordial atmosphere. Many people approached me and offered me drinks and snacks, making me feel really welcome.

Attending the Shoton Festival was an unforgettable experience, and I hope to relive it one day.

The Shoton Festival is internationally known.

The festivities end at noon.

The festival has another name.

The writer found the locals’ behaviour reserved.