Reading
Festivals around the world
Warming up
Do you know these festivals?
When do they take place? lunar calendar
Spring Festival
January 1
Lantern Festival
January 15
Dragon Boat Festival
May 5
Mid-autumn Day
August 15
Easter
around March 22---April 25
Thanksgiving Day
the last Thursday of November
Halloween
October 31
Christmas Day
December 25
Pre-reading
1. What festivals or celebrations do you have in your city or town? What part of a festival do you like best- the activities, the music, the sights, the food or the people who visit?
2. Look at the pictures and title of the passage below. What kind of information you think will be introduced in the passage.
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
How many types of festivals are mentioned in the passage?
1. Ancient festivals
2. Festivals of the Dead
3. Festivals to Honor the People
4. Harvest Festivals
5. Spring Festivals
Scanning
What festivals are mentioned in each paragraph?
P1.
celebrate the end of the cold weather, planting in spring and harvest in autumn; celebrate when hunters catch animals.
Skimming
P 2. Festivals of the Dead
Japan -----Obon
Mexico------Day of the Dead
America------Halloween
P 3. Festivals to Honour People
Dragon Boat Festival
Columbus Day
(India)October 2
Obon（盂兰盆） in Japan
Halloween (万圣节)
Dragon Boat Festival
Columbus Day
P 4. Harvest Festivals
Harvest and Thanksgiving Festival
Mid-Autumn festival
P 5.
Spring festival
Carnival
Easter
Cheery Blossom Festival
Harvest Festivals

长句难句：
（supplementary reference materials）
一·补充注释
1 . At that time people would starve if food was difficult to find，especially during the clod winter months .在那个时代，如果食物难以找到，特别是在寒冷的冬月，人们就会挨饿。
Starve (v.)
1) to cause a person or an animal to suffer severely or die from hunger 挨饿；饿死
Millions of people starved to death during the war.战争中数百万人挨饿至死。
starve for sth ; starve sb of sth: ( cause sb to) suffer or long for sth greatly needed or wanted (使某人）得不到某事物而受苦或渴望获得某事物；缺乏
The homeless children were starved for love .这些无家可归的孩子渴望得到爱。
3）to feel very hungry 感觉很饿。仅用于进行时态
When will dinner be ready ? I’m starving.晚饭什么时候做好？我快饿死了。
starvation (n.) :(U) suffering or death caused by lack of food 挨饿；饿死 die of starvation 饿死 starvation wages 不够维持基本生活的工资
2. …or satisfy the ancestors , who could return either to help or to do harm.
……或使祖先得到满足，因为祖先们有可能回到世上（给人们）提供帮助，也可能带来危害。
harm (n.): damage, injury 损害； 伤害
do harm to sb (习俗) = harm sb 伤害某人
come to harm: be injured physically , mentally or morally 身体上﹑精神上或道义上受到损害，通常用于否定式
I’ll go with her to make sure she comes to no harm. 我要和她一同去以免她受到伤害。
do more harm than good: have an effect which is more damaging than helpful 弊大于利
If we solve the problem in this way, it may do more harm than good. 如果我们以这种方式处理问题，那可能是弊大于利。
harm (v.): cause harm to (sb / sth) 损害或伤害某人/某事物
This event didn’t harm his reputation. 这个事件没有损害他的名誉。
Halloween also had its origin in old beliefs about the return of the spirits of dead people. 万圣节也源自人们古老的信念，认为亡者的灵魂会返回人间。
origin (n.) : the place or situation in which something begins to exist 起源；由来，可用做可数名词或不可数名词，通常用作复数形式
The tradition has its origins in the Middle Ages . 这个传统发源于中世纪。
He told me it was a word of unknown origin. 他告诉我这是个词源不详的词。
belief (n.): an idea that you believe to be true, especially one that forms part of a system of ideas 信任；信心；信仰。注意： belief 通常用作不可数名词，当作可数名词时，词义略不同于用作不可数名词时
religious beliefs 宗教信仰
Several members hold very strong political beliefs. 有些成员有着强烈的政治理念。
It is now a children’s festival, when they can dress up and go to their neighbours’ homes to ask for sweets. 万圣节如今成了孩子们的节目，这天他们可以乔装打扮上邻居家要糖吃。
dress (v.): to put clothes on yourself or someone else 穿衣服。可作及物或不及物动词。
dress up 是动词词组, 意思使是 to wear special clothes for fun, or to put special clothes on someone
dress (n.)
1) [C] garment for a woman or girl , consisting of a bodice and skirt in one piece ; frock 连衣裙,(上下连身的)女装
She makes all the dresses for her daughter. 她女儿的连衣裙都是她做的。
2) [U] clothes, esp. outer garments, for either men or women 衣服（男女均可）
casual dress 便服
Comprehending
1. Read the passage and then fill in the following chart.
Obon
Japan
Day of the Dead
Halloween
Mexico
Some Western countries
festival to honour Gandhi
India
Dragon Boat Festival
Columbus Day
China
USA
Harvest/ Thanksgiving festivals;
European and other countries;
mid-autumn festivals
China and Japan
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. Use the information from the reading passage to answer the following question.
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.
6). What is one important reason to have festivals and celebrations?
Festivals let us enjoy life, be proud of our customs and forget our daily life for a little while.
Intensive reading
True or False
1. The ancient people needn’t worry about their food.
2. Halloween used to be a festival intended to honor the dead.
F
T
3. Qu Yuan was a great poet who people honor a lot in China.
4. Mid-autumn Festival is held to celebrate the end of autumn.
5. Easter celebrates the birth of Jesus.
T
F
F
Explanation
1. Festival are meant to celebrate important times of year.
mean 的用法
1). mean doing sth.
mean doing sth. 的意思是“意味着（必须要做某事或导致种结果）”, 其主语通常是指事物的词。
2). mean to do sth.
mean to do sth. 的意思是“打算或企图做某事”，其主语通常是表示人的名词或代词，其过去完成式表示“本来打算做某事”。
3). mean sb. to do sth.
mean sb. to do sth. 的意思是“打算让某人做某事”，也可以用于被动结构。
4). mean 后接名词、副词或从句
　 mean 后接名词或副词，意为“表示；打算；存心”等意思；后接that 从句，意为“表示……”。
5). be meant for
该短语的意思是“打算给予；打算作……用”。
In some parts of London, missing a bus means _____ for another hour.
A. waiting B. to wait
C. wait D. to be waiting
句意为：在伦敦的一些地方，错过一班公共汽车意味着再等一个小时。
A
想一想
2. Discuss when they take place, what they celebrate and what people do at that time.
讨论它们（中国节日）什么时间进行，庆祝的是什么事件，和人们在那天所做的事。
take place 发生；举行
① The performance didn’t take place after all.
演出终于没有进行。
② Was there anybody passing by when the accident took place?
事故发生时，有人路过那里吗？
与place相关短语：
Great changes ___ in the rural areas in the last two decades.
A. have taken place
B. took place
C. have been taken place
D. are happening
A
take place 不能用于被动语态中，句中短语 in the last two decades 可确定句子的时态为现在完成时。
3. Festivals and celebrations of all kinds have been held everywhere.
of all kinds 各种各样的
【归纳】
① That kind of question is very difficult to answer.
= Questions of that kind are difficult to answer.
那类问题是很难解答的。
② We sell all kinds of shoes.
= We sell shoes of all kinds.
我们卖各式各样的鞋。
③ You can see different kinds of animals in the zoo.
= You can see animals of different kinds in the zoo.
你在动物园可以看见不同种类的动物。
Practice
① Books of this kind ____ (sell) well in the bookstore.
② This kind of books ____ (sell) well in the bookstore.
①句中谓语动词的单复数由“books”确定。②句中的谓语动词由“kind”确定。
（用动词的适当形式填空）
sell
sells
4. …would starve if food was difficult to find, ...
如果食物难找到, 他们会挨饿。
starve v. 挨饿; 饿死
He said he would starve rather than beg for food.
他说他宁愿挨饿也不要饭吃。
starve to death 饿死
5. origin
origin n. 起源；源头
the origins of the life on earth
地球上生命的起源。
6. in memory of/ to the memory of sb.
纪念某人
The statue was built in memory of the famous scientist.
这个雕像是为了纪念那位有名的科学家而建立的。
7. dress up
dress作及物动词时, 不接clothes之类的表示衣服的名词, 而是接表示人的句词或代词, 意思是“给…穿衣服”。当表示自己穿衣服时, 则用反身代词, 如：
Wake up children and dress them.
唤醒孩子,给他们穿上衣服。
　dress的过去分词常用来构成get dressed与be dressed短语, 前者表示 动态, 后者表示静态, 穿何种衣服, 则用介词in. 如：
Harry up and get dressed.
快点穿上衣服。
The girl was dressed in red.
这个女孩穿着一身红衣服。
　dress up是“穿上最好的衣服”, 常指
“打扮,化装”，如:
　You should dress up when you take part in the party.
She is ___ in red today and looks very beautiful.
A. wearing
B. having on
C. dressing
D. dressed
D. dressed
8. awards
award. n. 奖, 奖品
v. 判给, 授予award sb. sth. 奖赏某人某物
辨析: award 和reward：
award后接双宾语
award sb. a metal 授予某人奖章
reward 奖赏, 给…报酬, 不能接双宾语;
reward sb. for sth. 因 …奖赏某人；
reward sb. with sth. 用某物酬劳某人
She rewarded herself with a cup of coffee after a whole morning’s hard work.
一上午的刻苦学习后, 她冲一杯咖啡来奖赏自己。
9. admire
admire v. 意为“赞赏;钦佩;羡慕;赞美;夸奖”
注意: 表示“在某方面钦佩某人”用“admire sb. for sth.”
We all admire him for his courage and bravery.我们都钦佩他的勇气和胆识。
10. look forward t