UNIT 3 CUSTOMS AND CULTURE - Exercise 3

Read the following passage about “ Mardi Gras: A Party to Remember“ and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
Mardi Gras. Two little words that describe a centuries-old celebration which originated in Medieval Europe. It is the name given to the final day of the Carnival season, the day that traditionally precedes forty days of fasting in some religions. The words mean 'Fat Tuesday,' referring not only to the day on which the celebration is always held, but also to the custom of eating up all the forbidden food before the fast.
Today, it is the city of New Orleans in Louisiana, USA, that holds one of the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations in the world. Mardi Gras was introduced to North America in March 1699 by a French Canadian explorer called Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. Arriving on the eve of the festival at an area 90 kilometres south of what is now New Orleans, ___(1)___. The custom soon caught on, and by the time New Orleans had been established by Bienville in 1718, ___(2)___.
What makes the New Orleans event so special is its dazzling parades. Marching bands escort artistic carnival floats through streets lined with spectators wearing masks. These masks afforded the wearer a disguise ___(3)___. As for the carnival floats, each one belongs to an organisation known as a 'krewe.' The tradition of the 'krewe' began in 1856 when six young men from the nearby town of Mobile formed the 'Mistek Krewe of Comus. Not only does this group hold the distinction of being the first krewe, but ___(4)___. The second Mardi Gras krewe, the Twelfth Night Revelers, was founded in 1870, and initiated another popular tradition, the Mardi Gras 'throws.' These are small presents ___(5)___. Mardi Gras was made official in New Orleans in 1875 when Governor Warmoth signed the Mardi Gras Act making Fat Tuesday a public holiday in Louisiana.
(Adapted from Global friends)