Summer in the City

Hello and welcome to the sixth article in the series ‘Postcards from Toronto'. These articles are written to help you learn about life in Toronto and teach you some useful expressions for spoken and written English.

Winters in Toronto can be long, cold and (1) ____________: the temperature can drop as low as -30° centigrade and stay there for days or weeks; and heavy snowstorms also happen regularly. Summers in Toronto, on the other hand, are fantastic. The weather is usually hot and dry (although it can be quite (2) ____________) and there are many things to do. One of the really great things about staying in Toronto during the summer, in my opinion, is the street festivals. (3) ____________ every weekend there is a free street festival in at least one of Toronto's many neighbourhoods. Two of the best known festivals, and therefore the most popular, are the Beaches International Jazz Festival in "the Beaches", and Taste of the Danforth in "Greektown".

In 2005, the "Beaches International Jazz Festival" will take place from July 15 to July 24 in the Beaches. There will be a street festival on Queen Street East between Coxwell and Victoria Park. The street will be closed to (4) ____________ and numerous jazz (5) ____________ will perform free in local cafes, bars and on the street. In addition to the street festival, there will be a carnival called "PartiGras" in "The Distillery District" and a main stage for jazz performers in Kew Gardens. Whether you like jazz or just want to experience a Toronto tradition, the Beaches International Jazz Festival is definitely worth visiting.

This year "The Taste of the Danforth festival" will take place from August 5 to 7, 2005 along Danforth Avenue between Broadview and Jones Avenues. The best way to visit is to take the (6) ____________ to Broadview station and then just walk west along the Danforth enjoying the sights, sounds and, most of all, the (7) ____________ Mediterranean-style food. You can enjoy traditional Greek dishes such as chicken souvlaki, spanakopita (spinach pie) or dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) at great prices. The Taste of the Danforth festival is definitely one you should visit, but don't expect to lose (8) ____________!

Although the Beaches International Jazz Festival and the Taste of the Danforth are two of the most (9) ____________ summer events in Toronto, there are of course many other festivals you can visit. For example, "Caribana", North America's largest street festival, which takes place all over the city; the street performer's festival, "Buskerfest", near the St Lawrence Market; or the "Toronto Pride Parade", which is always colourful and interesting. Whatever street festivals and (10) ____________ you decide to visit this summer, make sure you have a great time.

Vocabulary Challenge
Choose the most natural word from each pair of words to complete the article.

(1) depressing / relaxing
(2) rainy / humid
(3) Exactly / Almost
(4) traffic / people
(5) musicians / instruments
(6) subway / station
(7) disgusting / delicious
(8) weight / money
(9) popular / boring
(10) places / events