The significance of festivals

主题语境：节日感想 篇幅：311词 建议用时：6分钟

1This week, my social media feed was flooded with pictures of a festival that is typically celebrated in March in Nepal.For me,the festival, which is a Nepalese tradition, had less regional significance and was largely cultural,providing me with a day to play with color and water with my beloved family and friends.

2As an international student, being away from home means being disconnected from cultural traditions. While a cultural disconnection is unavoidable, when I see the news headlines or posts that friends share on social media, being ignorant about what's happening at home fills me withpenitence. It had been a while since I read articles about what was happening in Nepal. Even catching up with family members and old friends takes weeks to achieve.

3To be honest, I don't know how to do a better job of keeping up to date with everything when focused on classes and work, and adjusting to college life. The news cycles in the US and at home are changing constantly, and can sometimes feel astonishing. But at least here in Rochester,the everyday chat keeps you knowing what's happening outside the campus. Keeping up with news from home, however, requires the extra individual effort I just can't spare time for while dealing with everything else I have to do here.

4Talking to other international students, I find the feeling seems to be common for many of us.Maybe that's just the reality of living abroad,and all we can do is our best.But with the opportunity to celebrate the festival away from home with friends at university and learn to forgive myself for not staying up to date with what's happening in my country, I know what I have at present is exactly what I need to be grateful for.

Reading Check

1.What did the author see the festival as?

A.A connection with her study.

B.An opportunity to have fun with loved ones.

C.A tradition featuring color and water.

D.A holiday reflecting cultural uniqueness.

2.Which word can replace the underlined word“penitence”in paragraph 2?

A.Guilt.

B.Hope.

C.Pride.

D.Curiosity.

3.What made the author disconnected from home?

A.Constant changes in her hometown.

B.Her lack of channels of getting news.

C.Her tight schedule at school.

D.Different lifestyles at home and abroad.

4.What does the author think of her current life?

A.It encourages her to try her best.

B.It should be appreciated.

C.It needs a great change immediately.

D.It's similar to other foreign students'life.

Language Study

Ⅰ.高频词汇

1.significance n.意义；重要性

significant adj.有重大意义的

be of(great/no/little)significance to 对……(很/不)重要

attach(great)significance to 认为……(很)重要

2.typically adv.典型地

typical adj.典型的；有代表性的

be typical of 是……的特点

It is typical of sb to do sth 做某事是某人的一贯做法

3.grateful adj.感激的

be grateful to do sth 因做某事而感激

be grateful to sb for sth 因某事感激某人

be grateful that 感激……

Ⅱ.单句填空

1.As time goes by,I attach more great significance ________making plans in advance.

2.It's typical ______her to be late for class.

3.I am extremely grateful ______all the volunteers for their help.

主题应用·语库构建

Ⅰ.主题词汇

lantern 灯笼；提灯

carnival 狂欢节；嘉年华

costume (某地或某历史时期的)服装；戏装

march 行进；前进；示威游行

congratulation 祝贺；恭喜

congratulate 向(某人)道贺；为（自己）感到自豪

riddle 谜语；神秘事件

ceremony 典礼；仪式

samba 桑巴舞；桑巴舞曲

makeup 化妆品；性格；构成方式

origin 起源；起因；出身

religion 宗教；宗教信仰

charm 魅力；迷人的特征；咒语

joy 高兴；喜悦

gratitude 感激之情；感谢

harvest 收获季节；收获；收成

agriculture 农业；农艺

gather 聚集；集合

grateful 感激的；表示感谢的

feature 以……为特色；特色；特征；特点

decorate 装饰；装潢

firecracker 鞭炮；爆竹

significant 有重大意义的；显著的

atmosphere 气氛；氛围；(围绕地球的)大气(层)

lunar 阴历的；月球的；月亮的

eve 前夕；前一天

Ⅱ.主题短语

dress(sb)up 乔装打扮；装扮

after all 毕竟；别忘了

range from...to 范围从……到……

fade away 逐渐消失；(身体)变得虚弱

in spite of 不管；尽管

take advantage of 利用；欺骗；占……的便宜

have sth in common 在某方面有共同之处

mashed potatoes 土豆泥

roast turkey 烤火鸡

to be frank 坦白说；坦率地说

go off 爆炸；开火；离开

set off 出发；动身；启程

traditional costume 传统服饰

attend the ceremony 参加典礼

visit a lantern fair 参观灯会

guess riddles 猜谜语

give performances 进行演出

Ⅲ.主题美句

1. Festivals make us reunite, making all in high spirits. 节日让我们团聚在一起，让所有人都情绪高涨。

2. Walking into the classroom, Ms Li was surprised to find we were standing in line, clapping hands and saying loudly,“Happy Teachers' Day！”李老师走进教室，惊讶地发现我们站成了一排，鼓着掌并大声地说：“教师节快乐！”

3. The MidAutumn Festival is a traditional festival of China, which is actually a day for family reunion.中秋节是中国的传统节日，实际上是家人团聚的日子。

4. It is several thousand years ago that the custom of worshipping and admiring the moon dates back to.祭月赏月的风俗可以追溯到几千年前。

5. In America, Mother's Day is often celebrated by giving mothers a day off. 在美国，母亲节通常是通过给母亲们放一天假来庆祝的。

6. Some festivals are so fun that they are very popular with the people of all ages.一些节日是如此有趣，以至于它们受到各年龄段的人的欢迎。

7. We all gathered around and had a big dinner.我们聚集在一起，吃了一顿丰盛的晚餐。

8. It was reported that the Spring Festival Gala was wonderful. 据报道，春晚非常精彩。

9. Many stars turned up on the stage and they brought us much pleasure. 许多明星都在舞台上露面，他们给我们带来了很多快乐。

10. We were all drowned in admiring their performances.我们都沉浸在欣赏他们的表演中。

11. At dawn, we all dressed up and paid a visit door to door. 黎明时，我们盛装打扮，挨家挨户拜年。

12. There is no denying that there are a variety of festivals during a year in China.毫无疑问中国一年中有各种节日。

13. The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, marking the end of the Spring Festival.农历正月十五是元宵节，它标志着中国春节的结束。

14. Then came the grandest dinner time when we shared the homemade sweet dumplings. We chatted happily, enjoying the family reunion. 然后到了最美好的晚餐时间，我们分享家里做的汤圆，高兴地畅谈，享受着家庭团聚。

15. On the MidAutumn Festival, one of the most important festivals in China,family members will gather together to enjoy mooncakes as well as admire the round moon, both of which represent the unity and happiness of a family. 中秋节是中国最重要的节日之一。全家聚在一起吃月饼赏月，这象征阖家幸福。

16. On the Double Ninth Festival, it is a traditional custom to climb mountains,eat Double Ninth cakes and drink chrysanthemum wine.在九九重阳节这天，爬山、吃重阳糕和喝菊花酒是传统习俗。

17. The highlight of the Dragon Boat Festival lies in eating different flavours of zongzi and watching dragon boat races. 端午节最精彩的部分在于品尝各种口味的粽子和观看龙舟比赛。

18. With the development of our society, people come to realize that the Spring Festival is not only a festival but also a valuable treasure.随着我们社会的发展，人们逐渐意识到春节不仅是个节日，也是一份宝贵的财富。

19. The Dragon Boat Festival dates back to more than 2,000 years ago, and it has been observed ever since.端午节可以追溯到2,000 多年以前，从那时起（人们）就一直在庆祝端午节。

20. The May Day holiday gives us a break from our daily routine temporarily and shortens/narrows the distance between people.五一假期给我们带来了短暂的休息，让我们从日常工作中脱离出来，缩短了人与人之间的距离。

21.On Teachers'Day,many graduates pay a visit to their teachers and send/express/convey their best wishes to them. 教师节当天，许多毕业生会拜访他们的老师，送去最美好的祝愿。

Ⅳ.主题写作

假定你是李华，你想邀请外教Peter参加端午节活动。请你给他写一封邮件，内容包括：

1.活动的时间、地点和内容；

2.节日的来历。注意：

1.词数80左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

参考词汇：端午节the Dragon Boat Festival 农历五月the fifth lunar month

Dear Peter,

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you are interested, please let me know.

Yours,

Li Hua

V.主题测评

见P63～P74 自测园地“节日与庆祝”内容。