[originaltext] Harvest Festival takes place in the autumn. It is a very anci

Harvest Festival takes place in the autumn. It is a very ancient festival which started before Christianity. At the end of the summer people always thanked their gods for the harvest. A good harvest gave everyone food for the winter. A bad harvest brought disaster. In the modern world rich countries can buy food from abroad, so there is always food in the shops. People do not worry about the harvest, but they still celebrate Harvest Festival. They decorate the churches with flowers, fruit and vegetables and have a special service. Many schools celebrate Harvest Festival too. Teachers and students bring food and flowers to decorate the school hall. After the Harvest Festival they take their harvest gifts to Old People’ s Homes or to hospitals.
    In the old days fanners kept some of the last corn and decorated it with flowers. They also made little dolls out of corn, called corn dollies. Each farm kept a corn dolly until the next year, to bring them a good harvest. Today people copy these ancient ideas for their Harvest Festival decorations. Past and present come together in this favourite festival.
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. Why is Harvest Festival a very ancient festival?
17. Which of the following is not a way to celebrate Harvest Festival in modern world?
18. Why did each farm keep a corn dolly in the old days?