C
You can deal with winter in two ways: Escape it or embrace it. Watching people dive into snow—in nothing but bathing suits and boots—I'm guessing these people choose to do the latter.
The seasonal madness is part of the Quebec Winter Carnival, one of the world's largest winter festivals. About a half-million people each year come to Quebec City to delight in frigid（寒冷的）fashion.
"We embrace winter," said Paule Bergeron of Quebec City Tourism. "It's time to play." The carnival runs from Jan. 29 to Feb. 14, with dozens of events. I went last year for a few frigid days, staying at the Hilton Quebec, in the thick of the downtown action. Families are a big part of the carnival. What attracts kids are things like ice-fishing at a man-made pond stocked with fish, where if you catch something, you can pay to have it smoked and eat it, or donate it to a food bank.
It's a good chance to experience the culture of this European-feeling city, and nowhere is it more evident than in Bonhomme, the carnival's goodwill ambassador, a living giant snowman with a person inside, gliding（滑行）around the festivities.
There are two night parades at the carnival. I attended the second one last year, the night before the carnival's close. The streets were lined with thousands of people in a gentle snow and bitter cold, watching local dancers and school groups glide by. In the end, Bonhomme's float（花车）came into view, and kids in the crowd went crazy. As the parade ended, thousands followed behind it, becoming part of the Quebec Winter Carnival's magic and madness. And with a cup of milk in my hand, I realized that for once, not only did I not mind winter, I embraced it.
8. What do we learn about the Quebec Winter Carnival from the text? （）
A. It is held to attract visitors.
B. It has a history of less than 60 years.
C. It is mainly intended to entertain kids.
D. It is one of the largest winter festivals in the world.
9. Who is Bonhomme? （）
A. A giant snowman made by tourists.
B. A famous dancer in Quebec.
C. The goodwill ambassador of the carnival.
D. The organizer of the Quebec Winter Carnival.
10. We can infer from the last paragraph that . （）
A. kids love to see Bonhomme
B. the carnival ends with two parades
C. the parades are the maddest part of the carnival
D. people attend the parades mainly to see Bonhomme
11. The author attended the carnival probably as . （）
A. a visitor to Quebec
B. a festival performer
C. an official in Quebec
D. a local newspaper reporter
D

8. D 细节理解题。由第二段中的“one of the world's largest winter festivals”可知，魁北克冬季狂欢节是世界上最大的冬季节日之一。故选D。
9. C 细节理解题。由倒数第二段中的“the carnival's goodwill ambassador”以及“in the form of a giant snowman with a human inside”可知，Bonhomme是狂欢节的形象大使，是由人装扮的雪人。故选C。
10. A 推理判断题。由最后一段中的“In the end, Bonhomme's float (花车) came into view, and kids in the crowd went crazy.”可知，孩子们看到Bonhomme都激动不已。由此可知，孩子们喜欢看Bonhomme。故选A。
11. A 推理判断题。由第三段中的“I went last year for a few frigid days, staying at the Hilton Quebec”可知，作者是作为游客去参加狂欢节的。