9 Read the text. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?
Among the many cultural events in the UK, one which stands out in particular is the
Notting Hill Carnival. Although the name suggests a link to the celebration of the carnival
period at the beginning of the year, there is actually no connection. In fact, the event takes
place over two days in August every year, on what is a bank holiday in the UK. The
origins of the carnival go back to 1966, when the first event was held to unite people with
different cultural backgrounds. It started out as a children's street party, and then
developed into a parade when one of the bands involved spontaneously walked around the
local streets.
Since then, the carnival has grown enormously and now attracts about a million people
every year, making it one of the biggest outdoor events in the world. The theme is mainly
a celebration of British black culture, but today people from all different parts of society
attend. Notting Hill is an area of London, more recently made famous by the romantic
comedy film of the same name. Unfortunately, the carnival has not always been peaceful,
with riots breaking out on a number of occasions during the 1970's and, even more
recently, just a decade ago.
In spite of these problems, the event is still hugely popular and the parade includes bands
playing a wide variety of music and participants turning out in extravagant costumes.
Although there is some criticism of the fact that it costs six million pounds to provide
police protection during the event, it does create over 90 million in income for the local
economy. Whatever the figures, the Notting Hill Carnival is a fantastic experience for all
involved and is worth a visit if you are in London at the right time.
1 The festival is part of the worldwide celebration of carnival.
2 The event was originally organised by banks.
3 At the beginning, there wasn't supposed to be a parade.
4 Only people from the black British community attend the event.
5 It is very beneficial for the Notting Hill community.