Unit 1
Festivals around the world

Reading
高一人教新课标版必修三
The Dragon Boat Festival, May 5
The Mid-autumn festival, August 15
Halloween
October 31
Halloween is from __________, which is celebrated on ____________. People would wear _____________________________ _____________________________
in order to __________away spirits looking for bodies to possess.
Halloween
America
October 31
ghost costumes (clothes), false
faces and witches' hats,
frighten
New words
starve: 饥饿
origin: 起源
ancestor: 祖先
Obon: 盂兰盆节(日本)
grave: 坟墓; 墓地
incense: 熏香
in memory of: 纪念
feast: 节日; 盛宴
skull: 头骨
dress up: 打扮; 盛装
play a trick on: 搞恶作剧
award: 奖品
rooster: 公鸡
energetic: 充满活力的
carnival: 狂欢节
parade: 游行
FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS
Reading
1. Skim the reading passage and then fill in the following chart.
Comprehending
Obon
Japan
Day of the Dead
Halloween
Mexico
Some Western countries
Obon (盂兰盆) in Japan
Halloween Parade(游行)
festival to honour Gandhi
India
Dragon Boat Festival
Columbus Day
China
USA
Ganhdi
Columbus Day
Harvest/ Thanksgiving festivals;
European and other countries;
mid-autumn festivals
China and Japan
Thanksgiving Festivals

Cherry Blossom Festival
Japan
Spring Festival
Easter and related holidays
China
some Western countries
1. What are festivals of the dead usually for?
Festivals of the dead are for honouring
or satisfying dead ancestors or others,
who some people believe might return
to help or harm living people.
2. Answer the following questions.
2. What makes autumn festivals happy
events?
Autumn festivals are happy events
because people are thankful that food
is ready for winter and the hard farm
work is finished.
3. What do people usually do at spring
festivals?
At spring festivals, people usually have
dances, carnivals and other activities
to celebrate the end of winter and the
coming of spring.
4. What is one important reason to have
festivals and celebrations?
It is important to have festivals and
celebrations so we can enjoy life/ be
proud of our customs/ forget our work
for a little while.
5. Compare the festivals of the dead in
Mexico, Japan and China. What things
are similar? What things are different?
The Chinese, Japanese and Mexican
festivals of the dead all have customs to
honour the dead. The Chinese and
Japanese go to clean their ancestors’
graves, and the Mexicans offer food,
flowers and gifts to the dead.
However, there are some difference. The
Mexicans eat special food that looks like
bones, something the Chinese and
Japanese do not do.