In Canada, residents have to get creative to keep their spirits up during the freezing cold winter months. So when Canadian cities are blanketed with snow, naturally, they host a snow carnival. Through the first half of February, Quebec City is transformed into a winter wonderland. The Quebec Winter Carnival boasts a plethora of attractions like skiing, dog sledding, hockey, snowshoeing, building ice sculptures, and even a masquerade ball. Many of the activities are held outdoors in frigid temperatures, so the structures are mostly constructed from the very same flakes that surround them. The Ice Palace is a two-story castle that is not only the centerpiece of the carnival, but is home to the carnival’s ambassador, Bonhomme, which is a snowman.
The carnival is not just for the young and brave because adults can sip on caribou, a hot alcoholic beverage once famous for keeping hunters and loggers warm in colonial times. While the drink used to be made from caribou blood and whiskey, the modern version consumed during the carnival is a concoction of red wine, whiskey, and Quebec’s best export—maple syrup. There is plenty to keep kids warm and fed, too, including hot chocolate and Beaver Tails. Beavers are not actually harmed in the production of Beaver Tails, as the treat more closely resembles a donut than meat.
Though not officially part of the Quebec Winter Carnival, North America's very first Ice Hotel is worth a visit. Built entirely from snow and ice each year and with a lifespan of four months, the hotel can accommodate 85 guests in rooms with nothing but mattresses with deerskin covers. There is a lot to do at the Quebec Winter Carnival to shake off even the most severe case of the winter blues.
1. Where do Canadians get the materials to build the Quebec Winter Carnival?
(A) They import them from the US.
(B) From the snow that falls in and around the city.
(C) Loggers cut down maple trees and use them to build the structures.
(D) They are stored in the Ice Palace.
2. Why did early Canadians drink caribou blood?
(A) As a ritual practiced to bring luck to hunters.
(B) Canada was overpopulated with caribou.
(C) To keep their body temperature up while working outdoors.
(D) Canadians needed caribou meat in order to survive the winter.
3. What is a Beaver Tail?
(A) A cut of beaver meat seasoned with maple syrup.
(B) A steak that is molded to resemble a donut.
(C) A doughy pastry.
(D) A dessert that is shaped like a beaver.
4. What is so special about the Ice Hotel?
(A) It serves food and drinks to families.
(B) It's the first one of its kind in North America.
(C) Every room comes equipped with a deer.
(D) It's open all year round. |
