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Unit1 Festivals and celebrations
Festivals and celebrations of all kinds have been held everywhere since ancient times. Most ancient festivals would celebrate the end of cold weather, planting in spring and harvest in autumn. Sometimes celebrations would be held after hunters had caught animals. At that time people would starve if food was difficult to find, especially during the cold winter months. Today's festivals have many origins, some religious, some seasonal, and some for special people or events.
Festivals of the Dead
Some festivals are held to honour the dead or to satisfy the ancestors, who might return either to help or to do harm. For the Japanese festival Obon, people should go to clean graves and light incense in memory of their ancestors. They also light lamps and play music because they think that this will lead the ancestors back to earth. In Mexico, people celebrate the Day of the Dead in early November. On this important feast day, people eat food in the shape of skulls and cakes with \flowers and gifts to the dead. The Western holiday Halloween also had its origin in old beliefs about the return of the spirits of dead people. It is now a children's festival, when they can dress up and go to their neighbours' homes to ask for sweets. If the neighbours do not give any sweets, the children might play a trick on them.
Festivals to Honour People
Festivals can also be held to honour famous people. The Dragon Boat Festival in China honours the famous ancient poet, Qu Yuan. In the USA, Columbus Day is in memory of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World. India has a national festival on October 2 to honour Mohandas Gandhi, the leader who helped gain India's independence from Britain.
Harvest Festivals
Harvest and Thanksgiving festivals can be very happy events. People are grateful because their food is gathered for the winter and the agricultural work is over. In
European countries, people will usually decorate churches and town halls with flowers and fruit, and will get together to have meals. Some people might win awards for their farm produce, like the biggest watermelon or the most handsome rooster. China and Japan have mid-autumn festivals, when people admire the moon and in China, enjoy mooncakes. 精品文档
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Spring Festivals
The most energetic and important festivals are the ones that look forward to the end of winter and to the coming of spring. At the Spring Festival in China, people eat dumplings, fish and meat and may give children lucky money in red paper. There are dragon dances and carnivals, and families celebrate the Lunar New Year together. Some Western countries have very exciting carnivals, which take place forty days before Easter, usually in February. These carnivals might include parades, dancing in the streets day and night, loud music and colourful clothing of all kinds. Easter is an important religious and social festival for Christians around the world. It celebrates the return of Jesus from the dead and the coming of spring and new life. Japan's Cherry Blossom Festival happens a little later. The country, covered with cherry tree flowers, looks as though it is covered with pink snow.
People love to get together to eat, drink and have fun with each other. Festivals let us enjoy life, be proud of our customs and forget our work for a little while. A SAD LOVE STORY
Li Fang was heart-broken. It was Valentine's Day and Hu Jin had said she would meet him at the coffee shop after work. But she didn't turn up. She could be with her friends right now laughing at him. She said she would be there at seven o'clock, and he thought she would keep her word. He had looked forward to meeting her all day, and now he was alone with his roses and chocolates, like a fool. Well, he was not going to hold his breath for her to apologize. He would drown his sadness in coffee. It was obvious that the manager of the coffee shop was waiting for Li Fang to leave - he wiped the tables, then sat down and turned on the TV -just what Li Fang needed! A sad Chinese story about lost love.
The granddaughter of the Goddess of Heaven visited the earth. Her name was Zhinü, the weaving girl. While she was on earth she met the herd boy Niulang and they fell in love. (\they were very happy. (\Heaven knew that her granddaughter was married to a human, she became very angry and made the weaving girl return to Heaven. Niulang tried to follow her, but the river of stars, the Milky Way, stopped him. Finding that Zhinii was heart-broken, her
grandmother finally decided to let the couple cross the Milky Way to meet once a year. Magpies make a bridge of their wings so the couple can cross the river to meet on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. People in China hope that the weather will be fine on that day, because if it is raining, it means that Zhinü is weeping and the couple won't be able to meet. 精品文档
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The announcer said, \about the story, they call it a Chinese Valentine's story. It's a fine day today, so I hope you can all meet the one you love.\
As Li Fang set off for home, he thought, \throw these flowers and chocolates away. I don't want them to remind me of her.\did.
As he sadly passed the tea shop on the corner on his way home, he heard a voice calling him. There was Hu Jin waving at him and calling, \been waiting for you for a long time! And I have a gift for you!\
What would he do? He had thrown away her Valentine gifts! She would never forgive him. This would not be a happy Valentine's Day!
WINTER CARNIVAL IN QUEBEC
A group of very cold tourists are sitting in a café in old Quebec, drinking hot coffee to try to warm up. The temperature is 32 degrees below freezing. The windows are
covered with steam from the heat inside. Outside, snow covers the streets and is piled up along the sidewalks. The music and lights of the Carnival continue, but after a whole day of watching parades, riding in horse carriages and listening to the music, their feet are freezing and their noses are red.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people come to Quebec to take part in the week-long winter festival, the biggest in the world. Everyone who comes must be prepared to keep moving, as it is too cold to stand and watch for long.
Early in the morning, you can watch the snowboarding competitions on the hill overlooking the river. Competitors speed down the track and through the air as though they could fly.
The more brave of heart may try the canoe races. Five or six men paddle each canoe across the partly-frozen St Lawrence River. The fiver is full of big pieces of ice, and if you were to fall in, you would freeze in less than two minutes.
One of the favourite events is the dog-sled race, in which teams of about six husky dogs pull long sleds at great speeds along a snowy track. One person runs behind the sled, shouting to the dogs to encourage them. The sound of the dogs barking, the calls of the drivers and the shouts of the crowd make an exciting Northern experience. The dogs are beautiful strong animals, with long, thick fur and many with blue eyes.
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While admiring the ice sculptures everywhere in the city, much like those in Harbin in China, you can stop with other tourists in an igloo (圆顶冰屋 ) for hot tea or coffee. It is amazing how warm these ice houses can be!
Late in the evening, you can go to the snow palace, where Bonhomme the snowman is king, and join the crowd. You can dance outside to the music of a band, who are all dressed in heavy clothes - even some of their instruments are dressed up for winter. Finally, you will probably want to sit down in a cafe to warm up and to plan tomorrow. You might join the snowmobile races - or maybe you should just sleep in!
Unit 2 Come and eat here (1)
Wang Peng sat in his empty restaurant feeling very frustrated. It had been a very strange morning. Usually he got up early and prepared his menu of barbecued mutton kebabs, roast pork, stir-flied vegetables and fried rice. Then by lunchtime they would all be sold. By now his restaurant ought to be full of people. But not today! Why was that? What could have happened? He thought of his mutton, beef and bacon cooked in the hottest, finest oil. His cola was sugary and cold, and his ice cream was made of milk, cream and delicious fruit. \friend Li Chang hurrying by. \seemed not to hear. What was the matter? Something terrible must have happened if Li Chang was not coming to eat in his restaurant as he always did.
Wang Peng followed Li Chang into a new small restaurant. He saw a sign in the window.
Tired of all that fat? Want to lose weight? Come inside Yong Hui’s slimming restaurant. Only slimming foods served here. Make yourself thin again!
Curiosity drove Wang Peng inside. It was full of people. The hostess, a very thin lady, came forward. \and be fit in two weeks if you eat here every day.\There were few choices of food and drink on it: just rice, raw vegetables served in vinegar, fruit and water. Wang Peng was amazed at this and especially at the prices. It cost more than a good meal in his restaurant! He could not believe his eyes. He threw down the menu and hurried outside. On his way home he thought about his own menu. Did it make people fat? Perhaps he should go to the library and find out. He could not have Yong Hui getting away with telling people lies! He had better do some research! 精品文档
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At the library Wang Peng was surprised to find that his restaurant served far too much fat and Yong Hui’s far too little. Even though her customers might get thin after eating Yong Hui’s food, they were not eating enough energy-giving food to keep them fit. They would become tired very quickly. Wang Peng felt more hopeful as he drove back home. Perhaps with a discount and a new sign he could win his customers back. So he wrote:
Want to feel fit and energetic? Come and eat here! Discounts today! Our food gives you energy all day!
The competition between the two restaurants was on!
COME AND EAT HERE (2)
A week later, Wang Peng's restaurant was nearly full and he felt happier. Perhaps he would be able to earn his living after all and not have to close his restaurant. He did not look forward to being in debt because his restaurant was no longer popular. He smiled as he welcomed some customers warmly at the door but the smile left his face when he saw Yong Hui walking in. She did not look happy but glared at him. \were doing in my restaurant the other day? I thought you were a new customer and now I know that you only came to spy on me and my menu,\he calmly explained, \followed one of them and found them in your restaurant.' I don't want to upset you, but I found your menu so limited that I stopped worrying and started advertising the benefits of my food. Why don't you sit down and try a meal?\
Yong Hui agreed to stay and soon they were both enjoying dumplings and breast of chicken cooked with garlic. When they were served the ice cream, Yong Hui began to look ill. \fruit,\added, \
quickly? Well, I do have to rest a lot,\be better if you were a bit thinner? I'm sure you'd feel much healthier.\
They began to talk about menus and balanced diets. \neither your restaurant nor mine offers a balanced diet,\offer enough fibre and you don't offer enough body-building and energy-giving food. Perhaps we ought to combine our ideas and provide a balanced menu with food full of energy and fibre.\
hamburgers and boiled the potatoes rather than frying them. They served fresh fruit with the ice cream. In this way they cut down the fat and increased the fibre in the meal. 精品文档
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