【话题解读】
节假日活动话题包含节假日描述、节假日准备以及节假日庆祝等。节假日描述又包含节假日的时间、地点、食物、标志、精神、节假日的来源、庆祝方式以及个人感受等要素；节假日准备又包括邀请和应答、购物准备等；节假日庆祝又涉及到不同的节假日有不同的庆祝方式以及文化内涵等。在人与社会的主题语境下，教材内容主要涉及的文化类节日有Spring Festival, The Lantern Festival, New Year’s Day, Mid-autumn Festival, The Dragon Boat Festival, The Water Festival, Christmas等；涉及到的宗教节假日有Christmas, Halloween, Easter等。通过以上节假日的复习，引导学生充分了解中国及英语国家重要的节假日及主要庆祝方式，从而能够理解、尊重和包容文化差异，同时又能够热爱并传播中国的传统文化。
【话题内容】
【核心词汇】
1.Festivals and Holidays
月饼________ 灯笼________ 亲属，亲戚________ 女神________ 传统__________
鬼________ 花招，把戏_________ 蜘蛛_______ 传播，展开_________
温暖，暖和n.__________ 前夕_______ 傻瓜，愚弄_______ 欣赏，仰慕________
招待，请(客)________ 存在，平躺，处于________ 放置，安放，下蛋_________
民间的，民俗的________ 出乎意料的，始料不及的__________ 闹鬼的________
短语：摆开，布置_______________ 射下_____________ 飞上去______________
以......形状___________
节日名称：
泼水节_______________ 中秋节________________ 母亲节________________
父亲节__________万圣节_______________ 复活节_____________
圣诞节_______________ 愚人节_____________ 春节________________
端午节_________________ 元宵节________________ 感恩节_________________
新年_________________ 教师节________________ 儿童节__________________
国庆节________________
2.Celebrations
(1)Preparations:
开幕式，落成典礼__________ 客人，宾客________ 乔迁聚会__________
日历_________ 准备(工作)n.__________ 邀请v.________ 回答，答复v. ________
接受________ 拒绝________ 准备v. ________ 有空的，可获得的________
惊奇的，感觉意外的________ 衣服，服装pl.________ 商店_________
价格___________ 买v.________ 需要v._______ 买下_______ 出售________
十_______ 许多，大量(修饰不可数名词)_________ 所有的，全部的_________
很，非常________ 十一_________ 十二___________ 十三_____________
十五__________ 十八__________ 二十_____三十________
短语：生日聚会_______________ 乔迁聚会_________________
欢迎派对________________ 宴会____________ 同学聚会_____________
惊喜派对______________ 开幕派对______________ 新年晚会_______________
化妆舞会_______________ 不得不，必须____________ 下一次______________
去看医生____________ 写作业__________ 接到某人的电话，收到某人的来信________
因.....而感谢______________ 太多_____________ 期盼，期待_____________
闲逛，常去....._____________
(2)Activities:
吃粽子______________ 赛龙舟______________ 观看比赛____________
赏月_______________相互泼水_______________ 将坏事冲洗掉______________
传播爱与快乐___________________ 装扮成鬼怪______________
不给糖就捣蛋____________ 招待某人_____________ 和某人开玩笑_________
戏弄某人，对某人搞恶作剧_______________ 拜访亲戚_______________
猎取彩蛋______________带父母外出吃午饭或晚饭________________________
把礼物给需要的人们_________________________
【相关词汇】
1.Festivals and Holidays:
陌生人_______ 磅，英镑________ (长篇)小说________ 花园________
生意，商业_______ 现在，礼物______(特定场合穿的)服装，装束___________
意大利面条__________ 骗局，恶作剧____________ 发现n._______
女士，女子_________ 军官，官员__________ 甜点，甜食_________ 领带，捆________
偷________警告_______ 取消，终止_________ 处罚，惩罚__________
宣布，宣告v.____________ 消失v._________窘迫的，尴尬的______________
死的，失去生命的__________ 可相信的，可信任的___________
使人尴尬的(难堪的)___________ 无论谁，不管什么人___________
短语：增加体重，发胖___________ 与.....相似_____________
最终成为，最后处于____________ 变成__________呼唤某人的名字______________
让某人想起______________ 承诺做某事____________ 闹钟发出响声_____
发现，查明____________ 离开到....去______________ 熬夜__________
发生___________ 露面，出现________卖光________ 结婚___________
用完_____________ 转身__________ 全国___________ 而不是_______
2.Celebrations
考试__________ 流感________ 胶水 ________ 工作日________
音乐会，演唱会________ 校长________ 大事，公开活动________ 日历_______
白天，日间_______ 悬挂，垂下_______ 抓住，赶上________ 删除________
打印，印刷________ 转寄，发送，向前________ 悲伤的，难过的________
没有prep._______ 高兴的，愿意的___________ 直到......为止_________ 再见________
短袜__________ T恤衫__________ 短裤_______ 毛衣__________ 裤子________
鞋________ 裙子__________ 特价销售，打折________ 美元_________
一对，一双__________ 女子，妇女_________ 男孩_______ 看，看上去_______
大的______ 小的，小号的__________ 短的，矮的_________ 长的__________
短语：照顾，照料________________ 去旅行_______________
帮助分担工作，解决难题______________打折___________ 后天_________________
一双，一对_________________
【词性转换】
celebrate v. 庆祝→____________ n. 庆祝
America n. 美国 →_______ adj. 美国(人)的
wonder v. 想知道，琢磨 →__________ adj.精彩的，绝妙的 →__________ n. 仙境，秘境
tradition n. 传统 →___________ adj.传统的 →___________ adv. 传统地
warm adj. 温暖的 →________ adv.温暖地，热情地 →___________ n. 温暖
mean v.意味着 →_______ n. 含义，意思 → _______ adj. 有意义的 →_______ adj. 无意义的
fool v. 愚弄n.傻瓜 →________adj. 愚蠢的
prepare v. 把....准备好，做准备→_________ n. 准备
opening n. 开幕式 →__________ v. 打开adj.开着的，开放的
invite v. 邀请 →___________ n.邀请，请柬
surprise v. 使吃惊 →_________ adj. 令人惊奇的 →__________ adj. 惊奇的
die v. 死亡，消失 →___________ adj. 临终的 →___________ n. 死亡 →_________ adj.死的，失去生命的
similar adj. 相似的 → _________ n. 相似性，类似
punish v. 惩罚→_____________n. 惩罚
novel n.小说 →___________ n.小说家 strange adj.奇怪的，陌生的 →__________ n. 陌生人busy adj. 忙碌的 →________ n. 生意，商业
discovery n. 发现，发卷 →___________ v. 发现
expect v. 期待，预料 →________ adj. 预期的 →_________ adj. 出乎意料的，始料不及的 →___________ n .期望
officer n. 军官，官员 →__________ n. 办公室 →__________ adj. 官方的 n.官员
believable adj. 可相信的，可信任的 → ___________ adj. 难以置信的 →__________ v. 相信→__________
v. 不相信→_________ n.信任 →_________ n.不信任
disappear v. 消失，不见 →___________ v. 出现 →____________ n. 外貌，出现，露面
embarrassed adj. 窘迫的，害羞的 →______________ adj. 令人尴尬的
sad adj. 悲哀的，难过的 →___________ n. 悲伤，悲哀
twelve num . 十二 → __________ num. 第十二
sale n. 特价销售，出售 →________ v. 出售，销售，卖 →__________ n. 销售员
clothes n.(pl.) 衣服，服装 →____________n. 布 →___________ n.服装，衣服
【核心句型】
1. Festivals and Holidays
(1)我知道泼水节真的很有趣。
_______________________________________________________________
(2)我想知道他们明年是不是还会有赛龙舟。
______________________________________________
(3)我想知道六月是不是去香港旅游的好时候。
_________________________________________________________
(4)我相信四月是去泰国最热的月份。
_________________________________________________________
(5)泼水节真有趣！_______________________________
(6)龙舟真漂亮啊！_____________________________________
2. Celebrations
(1)星期六你能来我的聚会吗？_______________________________
当然，我乐意去。/ 对不起，我必须为数学考试而学习。
______________________________________
(1)明天晚上你能去看电影吗？________________________________
当然可以，听起来很棒。/ 恐怕不行，我得了流感。
__________________________________________
(4)他能去聚会吗？_____________________________
不能。他得帮他的父母。_______________________________
(5)他们能去看电影吗？_____________________________________________
不，他们没有空。他们可能必须去见朋友。
__________________________________________________
(6)真抱歉，我没空。____________________________________
(7)这顶帽子多少钱？______________________________
五美元。______________________________
(8)这件T恤多少钱？__________________________
七美元。_______________________________
(9)那些袜子多少钱？________________________________
两美元。______________________________
(10)我能帮你吗？________________________________
是的，我需要一件毛衣。____________________________
(11)你想要什么颜色？___________________________________
红色。______________________
(12)我要把它买下来。_______________________________
给你。____________________
【相关句型】
1.你最喜欢端午节什么？______________________________________
2.我喜欢赛龙舟，我认为他们很有趣。
_____________________________________
3.人们走上街头互相泼水。__________________________________
4.新年是清洗和冲走坏东西的时候。
___________________________________________
5.你新年会有好运的。
_________________________________________
6.我想知道那是否和云南傣族人民的泼水节相似。
_____________________________________
7.他警告Scrooge改变他的方式，如果他不想像他一样的下场的话。
____________________________________________________________
8.他们也可以装扮成有趣的东西，比如卡通人物。
_______________________________________
9.父母带孩子子邻近地区要糖果。
________________________________________________
10.复活节庆祝新生命的开始。
_________________________________________
11. 许多愚人节的玩笑最后可能并不那么好笑。
_________________________________________
12. 我想邀请你参加我们图书馆的开幕式。
______________________________________________
13. 你打算放学后做什么？______________________________________
14. 我们非常难过的是她要离开了，因为她是一个有趣的老师。
__________________________________
15. 带Steen女士来参加聚会，不要事先告诉她，以便给她一个惊喜。
______________________________________________________
16. Sam要待到下周三才走。_____________________________________________
17. 礼拜一见。_____________________________________________
18. 希望你能参加聚会。_________________________________________
19. 来我们的大减价买衣服吧。_____________________________
20. 我们所有的服装都以很好的价格出售。
__________________________________________
21. 我们的绿色毛衣只卖15美元。
____________________________________________
22. 我们一家人将要在本月底去武汉旅游，去看望我的叔叔和阿姨。
__________________________________________________
23. 不过，我还是很乐意帮助你们做好聚会的准备工作，比如计划游戏。
__________________________________________________________
24.为了表示我们将会有多想念她，让我们下周五28号为她举办一场惊喜派对吧。
_____________________________________________________
25. 我也想邀请每一位家长带一本书作为给新图书馆的礼物。
___________________________________________________
26. 月饼的形状是中秋夜满月的形状。月饼承载了人们对他们所爱、所思念的家人的美好祝愿。
______________________________________________________
27.从这以后，人们开始了赏月并和家人一起分享月饼的传统。
___________________________________________________
28.“Trick or treat”的意思是如果你不招待孩子们，他们会对你耍花招。
_____________________________________________________
29.他们可能会关掉等，点亮蜡烛。他们有时也会在门窗周围放一些蜘蛛和鬼怪之类的东西。
_______________________________________________________________
30.但在所有这些东西之后，隐含的则是圣诞节的真正含义：与身边的人共享并给予关爱与快乐的重要性。
________________________________________________________
31.他很吝啬，只想着自己。他对待其他人也不友善。
______________________________________________________
32.春节期间，各式各样的剪纸被贴在窗户上、门上和墙上，作为对幸运和新年的祝福标志。
_________________________________________________________
33.昔日圣诞之灵把斯克鲁奇带回他的童年，并且让他想起了的快乐时光。
______________________________________________________________
34. 母鸡下蛋，给予生命，所以蛋是新生命的象征。
________________________________________
35. 复活节期间一个流行的活动是在你家里或者花园里为你的朋友或亲戚藏鸡蛋。
__________________________________________________________
36.人们不仅将它们分散藏在不同的地方来玩寻蛋游戏，而且还把它们作为礼物送出去。
____________________________________________________________
37.愚人节是每年的四月一日，许多人在这天相互戏弄和开玩笑。
_________________________________________________________
38.当人们意识到这个故事是个骗局时，全国范围内所有的意大利面都卖完了。
____________________________________________________
39. 当警察宣布这个故事不真实时，成千上万的人已经离开了他们的房子。
_____________________________________________________
【课文回顾】
7A Unit 7:Come and buy your clothes at our great sale! We sell all our clothes _______ very good prices. Do you like sweaters? We ______ red and green sweaters for only $15! Yellow and white sweaters ______ only $12! Do you need trousers? For boys, we have black trousers for only $22. And shorts are only $16! For _______, we have skirts in red and purple for only $20. How _____ are our jackets? Only $30! And we have black and brown shoes for only $28. Socks are ______ $2 for three pairs！Come to Mr. Cool’s Clothes Store now!
8A Unit 9:
[A] Hi David,
What a great idea! I really like Ms.Steen_______. She helped me to _________(improve) my English so much. I am sad _________(see) her go, and this party is the best way ________(say)m"Thank you and goodbye." I can help _________(buy) some of the food and ________(drink). I can also help to bring Ms.Steen______ the party. I already have a great idea ._______ how to do that.He Wei
[B] Hi David,
Thanks so much for ___________(plan) this. I’d love __________(come) to the party, but I’m not available. My family is __________(take) a trip to Wuhan at the end _____ this month _____ visit my aunt and uncle. ___________ I’d still be glad to __________(help) with any of the party ____________(preparation), like _________(plan) the games. Let me know ____you need my help.Jake
[C] Dear classmates,
As I’m sure you know ______ now, our favorite teacher, Ms.Steen, is ________(leave) soon to go back _______the US. We’re going to __________(miss) her, let’s have a ___________(surprising) party _____ her next Friday the 28th!
Can you come to the party? If so, can you help _______ any of these things?
Please tell me _______ this Friday.
1)Buy food and drinks.2)Think ________ games to play.
3)Prepare things we need ______ the games ( glue, paper, pens, …).
4)Bring Ms.Steen to the party without _________(tell) her so that she can be _________(surprise).
I look forward to_________(hear) from you all.
9 Unit 2: Full Moon, Full Feelings
Chinese people have been ________(celebrate)Mid-Autumn Festival and enjoying mooncakes for ___________(century).Mooncakes have the shape of a full moon _______ mid-autumn night. They carry people’s __________(wish) to the families they love and miss.
There are many traditional folk stories about this festival. However, most people think that the story of Chang’e is the most touching. Chang’e was Hou Yi’s beautiful wife. After Hou Yi _______(shoot) down the nine suns, a goddess gave him a magic medicine_______ thank him. Whoever drank this could live forever, and Hou Yi planned to drink it with Chang’e. However, a bad man, Feng Meng, ______(try) to steal the medicine when Hou Yi was not home. Chang’e refused ________(give) it to him and drank it all. She became very light and flew______ to the moon. Hou Yi was so sad______ he called out her name to the moon every night. One night, he found that the moon was so bright and round that he could see his wife there. He quickly ________(lay) out her favorite fruits and desserts in the garden. How he wished that Chang’e could come back!
After this, people started the tradition of ______(admire) the moon and ______(share) mooncakes with their families.
The Spirit of Christmas
Many would agree that when we think _______Christmas, we probably think of gifts, Christmas trees and Santa Claus. But behind all these things _________(lie) the true meaning of Christmas: the importance of _______(share) and
______ (give) love and joy to people around us. The story in A Christmas Carol is perhaps the best example of this.
A Christmas Carol is a famous novel _________(write) by Charles Dickens. It is about an old man named Scrooge who never laughs or _______(smile). He is mean and only thinks about _________(he), and doesn’t treat others ______(nice). He just cares about _______ he can make more money and he hates Christmas. One Christmas Eve, Scrooge sees the ghost of Jacob Marley, his dead business partner. Marley used ________(be) just like Scrooge, so he ___________(punish) after he died. He warns Scrooge __________(change) his ways if he doesn’t want to end ______ like him. He also tells Scrooge_____ expect three spirits _______ visit him.
That night, three ghosts visit Scrooge. First, the Ghost of Christmas Past takes him _____ to his childhood and reminds Scrooge _______ his ______(happy) days as a child. Then the second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, takes him to see how others are _________(spend) Christmas this year. Everyone is happy, even poor people. The last one, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, takes him to the future. He sees that he is ______(die) but nobody cares. Scrooge is so scared that he _______(wake) up _____ his bed and finds _______ it is only the next morning --- Christmas Day!
He decides ________(change) his life and ________(promise) to be a _______(good) person. He _______(happy) celebrates Christmas with his relatives. He also gives gifts to people ______ need. He now treats everyone _____ kindness and _______(warm), _________(spread) love and joy everywhere he goes. And that is the true spirit of Christmas!
9 Unit 12:April Fool’s Day is a __________(celebrate) that takes place in different countries around the world. It ________(happen) on April 1st every year and is a day ________ many people play all ________(kind) of tricks and jokes ________ each other.
One April Fool’s Day, a reporter in England announced that there would be no more spaghetti because the spaghetti farmers in Italy ________(stop) growing spaghetti. Many people ran ________ their local supermarkets ________ buy as much spaghetti as they could. ________ the time people realized that the story was ________ hoax, all of the spaghetti ________ the country ________(sale) out. Another famous trick in England was when a TV show reported the discovery ________ special water. They said this water would help people lose weight and that one customer had already lost a lot of weight in just four months. By the end of the day, more ________ 10,000 people had phoned the TV station to find out how ________(get) this water.
Many April Fool’s jokes may end up ________(be) not very funny. A famous TV star once invited his girlfriend ________ his show on April Fool’s Day. He asked her ________(marry) him. The lady was so happy because she really wanted to get ________(marry). However, when she said “yes”, he replied, “April Fool!” That little joke didn’t have a very happy ________(end). The TV star lost both his girlfriend ________ his show.
One of the world’s most famous ________(trick), however, happened in October ________ than April. In that month in 1938, actor Orson Welles announced ________ his radio program ________ aliens from Mars had landed ________ the earth. He described where they ________(land) and told how they were moving across the United States. Welles made it sound so real that hundreds of people believed the story, and fear spread ________ the whole country. By the time police officers ________(announce) that the story was a hoax, thousands of people ________(left) their homes.
【语法知识】
1.宾语从句； 2. 情态动词； 3. 特殊疑问句。
1.You can improve your English _________watching English movies.
A.withB.by C.of
2.The earth is the only home for us, so GreenHillsandCleanWater is the true __________.
A.communityB.treasureC.relation
3.A break between classes________helps with students' health, _______ improves their social skills.
A.either; orB.neither; norC.not only; but also
4.For his son's birthday, Steve is taking him to the new movie as a___________ .
A.task B.treat C.choice
5.—My friend Terry had already written five storybooks by the time he was 18 years old.
—He's quite great! I really_________him.
A.prevent B.admire C.mention
6.— _________great courage the doctors and the nurses show in the fight against the coronavirus disease!
—I can't agree more. I'm so proud of them.
A.What B.How C.What a
7.—Taiwan is an important part of China.
\—Yes, it lies _________the southeast of China.
A.in B.on C.to
8.—Excuse me, could you tell me_________?
—Yes, there is an art museum.
A.how often do you go to the art museum
B.how long it takes to get to the art museum
C.if there are any good museums in Changsha
9.—Look! How clean the classroom is!
—Yes. I’m sure someone_________ it up.
A.cleansB.has cleanedC.is cleaning
10.Susan feels like giving away the skirt because _________the color _________the size fits her.
A.neither; norB.either; orC.not only; but also
11.—Xiao Lin, this desk is_________heavy_________I can’t move it.
—Don’t worry. I’ll help you.
A. such; thatB. too; toC. so; that
12.—It’s a pity that_________ my teachers _________ parents allow me to swim alone.
—After all you are too young. Safety first.
A.either; or B.neither; norC.not only; but also
13.—My uncle is against wasting anything.
—No wonder he would rather_________the old bike than_________a new one.
A.repair; to buyB.to repair; buyC.repair; buy
14.—President Xi said that_________we are, _________we will be.
—That’s really true; we can only live a better life by working hard.
A.the hard-working; the luckierB.the more hard-working; the luckier
C.more hard-working; luckier
15.By the time I arrived at the bus stop, the bus_________.
A.leftB.had leftC.have left
16. No one tells us _________, so we need your help.
A.what to do it B.what should we doC.how to do it
17.—The movie TheWanderingEarth is wonderful. Do you feel like_________it tonight?
—I’d love to, but my parents won’t let me _________out too late.
A.watching; to stay B.to watch; stayingC.watching; stay
18.—I tried to make John _________his mind but I found it difficult.
—Well, I saw you _________that when I went past.
A.changed; do B.changes; doingC.change; doing
19.—Where is Mary flying?
—She is flying to France soon. She will arrive _________Paris_________the morning of July 2.
A.in; on B.at; on C.in; in
20.—Do you enjoy Chinese folk songs?
—Yes, the folk songs_________nice.
A.sound B.smell C.taste
21.I can't find my keys. Maybe I _________them at home this morning.
A.leftB.forgotC.lost
22.—Do you know anything about C919?
—Of course. It's a kind of plane which _________China.
A.is made of B.is made in C.is made from
23.—_________do you put a lot of snakes into the forest?
—To protect the ecosystem.
A.Why B.WhichC.How
24.There_________ a folk music concert in Xinjiang Opera Theater next month.
A.is going to have B.will haveC.is going to be
25.—It's always foggy these days in our city. That's really terrible!
—Yes, and I hope_________trees. The more trees, the less air pollution.
A.plantB.to plant C.planting
26.—Be quick, Sara! The taxi is waiting for us outside.
—A moment, please. I _________some visitors our products.
A.showed B.am showingC.was showing
27.Don't spend so much time trying to choose the perfect chance, or you will _________the right chance.
A.get B.have C.miss
28.—Why is P.E. important to students in Changsha?
—Because they_________receive their diploma(毕业证)_________they can't pass the test successfully.
A.shouldn't; ifB.won't; ifC.won't; until
29 .Most of the villagers took part in the Dragon Boat races _________9:00 a.m._________the morning of June 7.
A.at; inB.on; onC.at; on
30.—Jim didn't make _________when and where to go after school.
—Let's call him at once.
A.it B.this C.that
31. He has been looking forward to Beijing for many years.
A.to come B.to coming C.coming
32. You can do _________well _________you stick to your dream and keep learning.
A.everything; unless B.nothing; unlessC.nothing; if
33.—I don't know how to use the APP Fun Dubbing.
—Ask Jimmy for help.He has lots of_________.
A.experienceB.troubleC.courage
34.—Some theaters will close_________some extra money is found.
—What a pity! We may not enjoy operas any more.
A.if B.unlessC.since
35.Thanks to our teachers. _________their help, we couldn't make such great progress.
A.Without B.With C.About
36. The song DreamItPossible often reminds me that we should always try our best and never give up _________our dreams.
A.catching B.hanging C.preparing
37.—Did you know Tom won the first prize in the English Speech Contest?
—Really? _________big success it was!
A.What a B.How C.What
38.—Learning to love is like learning to walk.
—Yes, _________we step out bravely, we'll find it's not so difficult.
A.as if B.even thoughC.as long as
【必背佳作】
[A]Dear classmates,
As I’m sure you know by now, we’ll have a Welcome Party on Friday afternoon. Some of our subject teachers, foreign teachers and exchange students will join us. At the party, there will be many activities --- eating and drinking, singing and dancing, playing guessing games and making a speech about festivals and holidays, and so on. I’m sure everybody will have a good time. What’s more, we’ll have an interesting activity ---exchanging gifts at the party. So, each of you needs to prepare a gift and write down your best wishes.
Besides that, we have so many other things to do. Can you help with any of these things? Please tell me by this Friday.
1)Sing and dance at the party. 2) Think of materials for guessing games’ about festivals and holidays.
3) Give a speech about the Spring Festival. 4) Decorate the classroom.
5) Buy food and drinks in the store. 6) Buy things we need for the games(glue, paper, pens...) in the store.
7) Buy some decorations and gifts for teachers and exchange students online.
I look forward to hearing from you all.
Lisa
[B] Spring Festival is Family Time
Spring Festival is the biggest traditional festival and a great time for all Chinese families. The date of it always changes, which is usually between the end of January and February 19th. But the celebrations will last for 15 days.
Days before the festival, many Chinese begin to clean their homes. It’s believed the cleaning sweeps away bad luck and makes the house ready for good luck to enter. People shop and buy gifts for their friends and relatives. Then they decorate the house with spring couplets and red lanterns. They like putting a “Fu”, a lucky Chinese character, on the door and turn it upside down. It means good luck is coming.
Why do people like to set off fireworks on the New Year Eve? There’s a story about a monster called Nian. It ate people on Spring Festival Eve but was afraid of loud noise, the color red and fire. So people played the drums, set off fireworks to scare Nian. Now, setting off fireworks is forbidden in many cities because of the pollution problems, but children are still happy because they can get money from their elders as lucky money. It’s usually put in a red bag called “Hongbao”. People believe Hongbao can also keep Nian away from children.
On the first day of the New Year, people put on new clothes to visit their relatives or friends. They say “Happy Bew Year” to each other and wish to have a wonderful new start. It will last throughout the whole Spring Festival till the fifteen day. On January 15th of the lunar calendar, it’s the Lantern Festival, also the ending of the Spring Festival. Lanterns are the symbol of good fortune, happiness and health. Watching lanterns with the families is a great event. And watching lion or dragon dancing under the full moon, playing Chinese riddles are great events, too. The Lantern Festival is also a great time to eat yuanxiao. These sweet dumplings are sticky rice(糯米) balls with different fillings. People in the North call it yuanxiao but tangyuan in the south. Tangyuan sounds like tuanyuan. In Chinese, it means “family reunion”.
Spring Festival is family time. However, with family members getting together, any day could be the festival and anything could be sweet, right?
[C] Dear Jack,
I hear that you have an interest in the Spring Festival in China. Let me introduce it to you.
The Spring Festival is the most important festival in China. It usually falls in January or February every year. For Chinese people, it is a symbol of reunion and happiness.
Before the Spring Festival, people clean their houses and wash clothes. It is believed that it’s a time for cleaning and washing away bad things. People also put up couplets, which is a tradition for many years. When the day finally arrives, all the family members get together and have a big meal. Making and eating dumplings are part of it. After the meal, children have great fun setting off fireworks outside.
We all like the Spring Festival because we can share love and joy with people around us.
Yours,
Hao Yu
[D]Dear Helen,
I learn that you are interested in Chinese traditional festivals. Let me introduce one to you.
Dragon Boat Festival is one of the most important festivals in China. It usually falls in May or June. People have this day in order to honor a great poet named Qu Yuan.
On the Dragon Boat Festival, people usually use rice, sugar, salt and some other things to make zongzi. Besides zongzi, people usually watch boat races on TV. About ten people row a boat that looks like a Chinese dragon and have a competition with others on a river. It is always very exciting.
When the Dragon Boat Festival comes, I not only have delicious zongzi, but also think about the culture and history. I can really learn more from the festival.
[E] Dear Helen,
I learn that you are interested in Chinese traditional festivals. Let me introduce one to you.
The Mid-Autumn Day is one of the traditional festivals in China. It falls on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese lunar calendar.
The moon this night is always the fullest and brightest, which is a symbol of family reunion. Families will sit together and admire the moon. They will share and eat a kind of special food --- mooncakes. There are many kinds of fillings in mooncakes, like red bean paste and some nuts. Also, people might light the lanterns which are usually red and round. Children play with their own toy lanterns happily.
Now Chinese people celebrate the Mid-autumn Day by having a holiday. It’s really a festival of happiness and joy.
Yours, Li Hua
