New College English (Book One, Second Edition)

Unit 9 Holidays and Special Days

主讲人： 李灵芝

Contents

Christmas and Spring Festival1

Text Structure2

Sentence Study3

Words and Phrases 4

Christmas and Spring Festival

Merry Christmas

Warming-up Questions

• When is Christmas?• Why is Christmas celebrated?• What do people usually do for Christmas?• What are the special food for Christmas?• What are the differences between Christmas

and the Spring Festival?

The Origin of Christmas

Christmas Day-December 25

- which celebrates the birth of

Jesus Christ, the founder of the

Christian religion, is the biggest

and best-loved holiday in the

United States.

The Origin of Christmas

According to the Bible, the holy book of Christians, God decided to allow his only son, Jesus Christ, to be born to a human mother and live on earth so that people could understand God better and learn to love God and each other more. "Christmas"- meaning "celebration of Christ” - honors the time when Jesus was born to a young Jewish woman Mary.

Christmas Celebration

Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, or simply "Santa", is the figure who is described as bringing gifts on Christmas Eve, December 24. Heis depicted as a fat, jolly man wearinga red coat and trousers with white cuffs and collar, and black leather belt and boots.

It is said that Santa Claus delivers presents, including toys, candy, and other presents to all of the good boys and girls in the world, and sometimes coal or sticks to

the naughty children, in one night; and that he accomplishes this feat with the aid of magical elves who make the toys, and eight or nine flying reindeer who pull his sleigh.

Christmas Celebration

A Christmas tree is the center of attention in the living room, which is decorated with

colored lights and ornaments.

Christmas Celebration

There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas but perhaps the most important one is the giving of presents.

Family members wrap up their gifts and leave them at the bottom of the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning. Children leave a long sock or stocking at the end of their bed on Christmas, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and bring them small presents, fruits

and nuts.

Christmas Celebration

At some time on Christmas Day the family will sit down to a big turkey dinner followed by Christmas pudding.

Later in the afternoon, if they have more room for even more food, they may enjoy a piece of Christmas cake or eat a hot

mince pie.

Christmas Dinner

Jingle Bells

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride In a one horse open sleigh.

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride In a one horse open sleigh.

Dashing through the snow In a one-horse open sleigh Over the fields we goLaughing all the way Bells on bob-tail ringmaking spirits bright What fun it is to ride and sing A sleighing song tonight.

Now the ground is white, Go it while you are young. Take the girls tonight, And sing this sleighing song. Get a bobtail bay, Two forty for his speed. Then hitch him to an open sleigh, And crack! You’ll take the lead.

The music of this season, Christmas carol, is the best of the year.

Christmasand

Spring Festival Words

春节 The Spring Festival 农历 lunar calendar 正月 lunar January; the first month by lunar

calendar 除夕 New Year's Eve; eve of lunar New Year 初一 the beginning of New Year

Food names

年 糕 Nian-gao; rise cake; New Year cake 团圆饭 family reunion dinner 年夜饭 the dinner on New Year's Eve 饺 子 Jiao-zi; Chinese meat ravioli 汤 圆 Tang-yuan; dumplings made of sweet rice, rolled into balls

and stuffed with either sweet or spicy fillings 八宝饭 eight treasures rice pudding 糖果盘 candy tray 什锦糖 assorted candies - sweet and fortune 蜜冬瓜 candied winter melon - growth and good health 西瓜子 red melon seed - joy, happiness, truth and sincerity 金 桔 cumquat - prosperity 糖莲子 candied lotus seed - many descendents to come 糖 藕 candied lotus root - fulfilling love relationship 红 枣 red dates - prosperity 花生糖 peanut candy - sweet

Customs

过 年 Guo-nian; have the Spring Festival 对 联 poetic couplet: two successive rhyming lines in poetry 春 联 Spring Festival couplets 剪 纸 paper-cuts 年 画 New Year paintings 买年货 special purchases for the Spring Festival ; do Spring Festival shopping. 敬 酒 propose a toast 灯 笼 lantern: a portable light 烟 花 fireworks 爆 竹 firecrackers (People scare off evil spirits and ghosts with the loud pop.) 红 包 red packets (cash wrapped up in red paper, symbolize fortune and wealth in the coming year.)

Customs

舞 狮 lion dance (The lion is believed to be able to dispel evil and bring good luck.) 舞 龙 dragon dance (to expect good weather and good harvests) 戏 曲 traditional opera 杂 耍 variety show; vaudeville 灯 谜 riddles written on lanterns 灯 会 exhibit of lanterns 守 岁 staying-up 拜 年 pay New Year's call; give New Year's greetings; New Year's visit 禁 忌 taboo 去晦气 get rid of the ill- fortune 祭祖宗 offer sacrifices to one's ancestors 压岁钱 gift money; money given to children as a lunar New Year gift 辞旧岁 bid farewell to the old year 扫 房 spring cleaning; general house-cleaning

Talking about Similarities and Differences

Similarities:There is something in common in …… are just the same as yours.… have the same …… are quite like ours.… is as joyful as …… are similar to …

Differences:There are some differences between …… are quite different from…… differs greatly from …… are not the same as yours.

Text Structure

The text consists of two short passages, one of which is entitled More Stuffing? and the other Not Only for Children?. The two passages give us quite different opinions to Christmas.

Text Structure

Merry has two meanings: happy and drunk. You will be sipping away on a drink at Christmas. (Para. 1)

An incredible amount of money is spent on many luxury items. (Para. 2)

We forget to think of the sick and the homeless. (Para. 3)

Christmas is a holiday that has lost its meaning. So, I am against Christmas. (Para. 4)

More Stuffing?

Text Structure

Not Only for Children?

Text Structure

1. Many people today have a very different

attitude to Christmas. (Para. 6)

They think it’s just a time when shopkeepers make a lot of Money and everyone rushes round buying presents

they don’t want to give and food they don’t want to eat.

2. I have different ideas. (Para. 5, 7-9)

Opening Christmas gifts is an exciting experience.

Christmas takes people out of the ordinary routine of life.

Everyone seems much friendlier to each other than usual at Christmas time.

It is still a “holy day”, and it gives people time to pause and concentrate for a moment on non-commercial values.

Text Structure

Sentence Study

1.  Whether you are surrounded by the noisy friendliness of a pub or whether you are seated in the peaceful comfort of someone’s home, you will be sipping away on a drink. (Line 5)

Whether you are surrounded… or whether you are seated …

whether 引导的是让步状语从句

无论身处酒店嘈杂而友好的气氛中，还是坐在别人的安静、舒适的家中，你都会照样喝个不停。

Believe it or not, my method can also be applied to determine whether a car’s engine is about to break down, or whether a lottery ticket is going to win.

信不信由你，我这种方法还适用于判断汽车的发动机是否会坏，或者一张彩票是否会中奖。

2. Christmas is supposed to be a time to express our love and goodwill towards others. (Line 17)

句型

… is a time to do sth.

… is a time when (Line 36)

圣诞节应该是对他人表示爱心和良好祝愿的时候。

1. It seemed a good time to express your thanks to your teachers on Teachers’ Day.

教师节看来是你们向老师表达谢意的好时候。

Summer holiday is really a precious time for pupils to relax.

2. 暑假对孩子们而言的确是难得放松的时期。

whatever, whoever, wherever, whichever

等可引导让步状语从句。

3. Indeed, whatever shopkeepers gain out of Christmas, it is still a “holy day’, the words which “holiday” is derived… (Line 50)

说实在的 , 不管店主从圣诞节得到什么盈利，

圣诞节仍然是“神圣的节日”，“ holiday”（假日）

这个词就源于此 ······

Whatever you may thinkWhatever you may think, , I’m going ahead with my plans.

不管你怎么想，我都要实行我的计划。Whichever you chooseWhichever you choose, the others will be offended.不管你选哪个，其余的人都会生气。

Whatever nonsense the newspapers printWhatever nonsense the newspapers print, , some people always believe it.

无论报纸登载的东西多么荒唐，有些人总是会相信的。

Words and Phrases

1. stretch (Line 4, Para. 1)

vt. & vi. 1) continue over a long period 延续

Taiwanese veteran singer Emil Chou’s mainland tour concert will stretch from early July to the middle ten days of August.

台湾资深歌手周华健的大陆巡回演唱会将会从 7 月初延续到 8 月中旬。

Frodo tried his best to _______________ to take the ring. (from “The Lord of the Rings”)

佛罗多竭尽全力伸直手臂去够魔戒。 （选自《指环王》）

stretch out his arm

2) make wider, longer, or tighter, by pulling; be or become wider, etc., when pulled 伸展；张开；拉长；拉紧；扩大

2. incredible (Line 9, Para. 2)

adj. impossible or very difficult to believe 难以置信的

It is totally incredible that American cyclist Lance Armstrong, once a cancer sufferer, won the title of the Tour de France six times in a row.

曾经是癌症患者的美国自行车运动员阿姆斯特朗连续六次赢得了环法自行车赛的冠军，这太让人难以置信了。

It is an unfair phenomenon that some people_____________, while others have nothing at all.

一些人过着奢侈的生活，而其他人却是一无所有。这是一种不公平的现象。

3. luxury (Line 11, Para. 2)

n. something pleasant but not really needed for one’s pleasure or comfort 奢侈

live in luxury

luxurious adj. supplied with luxuries; very comfortable

供有奢侈享受的；豪华的；非常舒服的

It is quite common that such celebrities as Mike Tyson all possess more than one luxurious car. 像泰森这样的名人都拥有不止一辆的豪华轿车，这是很正常的事。

Quite a few children in China have already been accustomed to living in luxurious surroundings.

在中国，相当多的孩子已经习惯于生活在奢侈的环境中。

4. consumption (Line 14, Para. 2)n. using up (of food, energy, materials, etc.); the quantity consumed 消耗（指食物，精力，物资等） ; 消费量

___________________ of such luxurious cars as Mercedes-Benz is comparatively high. 像奔驰这样的豪华轿车的耗油量相对较大。

The petrol consumption

The consumption of beer went down when the tax on it was raised.

当啤酒税增高时，啤酒的消耗量就降低了。

In order to help that remote village to get rid of poverty, he consumed all his energies

_______________________.

为了帮助那个偏远的村庄摆脱贫困，他耗尽自己所有的精力。

动词形式： consume vt. & vi. use up; get to the end of 用尽；耗尽

_________________________ is mainly responsible for protecting the legal rights of Chinese consumers.

中国消费者协会主要负责维护中国消费者的合法权利。

名词派生形式： consumer

n. (opp. to producer) person who uses goods （与“生产者”相对的）消费者；用户

China Consumers’ Association

5. associate (Line 21, Para. 3)

vt. & vi. join or connect 联合；结伙；结交

Ericsson, the former third largest cell phone producer of the world, has already associated itself with Sony of Japan in the field of mobile production.

前世界第三大手机生产商爱立信已经在手机生产领域与日本的索尼公司联手。

名词形式： associationn. associating; being associated; companionship 联合；结合；结交

Her playing skills benefited a lot through her long association with that former world champion.

由于她长期与那位前世界冠军接触，她的技术有了长足的进步。

My parents were distressed about my having to leave home to go to a medical school.

父母为我因上医学院不得不离开家而很难过。

6. distressed (Line 24, Para. 3) adj. painful 痛苦的

He was distressed about how to leave his future boss a good impression. 他正为怎样给自己未来的老板留下一个好印象而苦恼。

adj. having or showing much worldly experience and knowledge of fashionable life 世故的，老练的

Mr. Ruan Cishan of Phoenix TV is a sophisticated political commentator.

凤凰卫视的阮次山先生是一位有经验的政治评论员。

7. sophisticated (Line 31, Para. 5)

n. a fixed and regular way of doing something 例行公事；例行手续；常规

He was quite familiar with the business routine of import and export trade.他对进出口贸易的例行业务手续非常熟悉。

follow the (old) routine 墨守陈规

8. routine (Line 40, Para. 7)

break the routine 打破常规

adj. regular; according to what is always habitually done; not special 日常的；例行的；常规的

The establishment of the ____________ about various infectious diseases is necessary.建立针对各种传染病的例行报告是非常有必要的。

routine report

9. derive (Line 51, Para. 9)

vt. & vi. 1) have as a starting-point, source, or origin 源出；起源

Thousands of English words are derived

from (derive from) Latin.

英语中有成千上万的单词来源于拉丁语。

10. commercial (Line 52, Para. 9)

adj. of commerce; from the point of view of profit 商业的，商务的，商品化的；以赢利为目的的

The appearance of more and more online _______________ means that netizens could not enjoy the free musical products on the Internet in the future.

越来越多商业音乐的出现意味着在将来网民们将无法继续在网上享受到免费的音乐作品。

commercial music

名词形式： commerce

n. trade (esp. between countries); the exchange and distribution of goods 贸易；（尤指）国际贸易；商业；商务

Our country has gone rich because of its commerce with other nations.

我们的国家因与其他国家通商而变得富裕起来。