UNIT 6 Section A Happy New year

I Background Information Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) Far and away the most important holiday in China is Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year. To the Chinese people it is as important as Christmas to people in the West. The dates for this annual celebration are determined by the lunar calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar, so the timing of the holiday varies from late January to early February.

To the ordinary Chinese, the festival actually begins on the eve of the lunar New Year's Day and ends on the fifth day of the first month of the lunar calendar. But the 15th of the first month, which normally is called the Lantern Festival, means the official end of the Spring Festival in many parts of the country. Preparations for the New Year begin the last few days of the last moon, when houses are thoroughly cleaned, debts repaid, hair cut and new clothes purchased. Houses are festooned with paper scrolls bearing auspicious antithetical couplet (as show on both side of the page) and in many homes, people burn incense at home and in the temples to pay respects to ancestors and ask the gods for good health in the coming months.

New Year’s Day ANCIENT NEW YEARS  The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring).  The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.  The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.  In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.

IIExploring Prepare the following topics in groups: ● celebrations of the New year in China; ● celebrations of the New Year in their hometowns; ● their most recent celebration of the New year; ● their plans for this year’s celebration of the New Year; ● the party they are going to have to celebrate the coming New Year;

III Language Points 1. eve: the night or day before the stated religious day or holidays  In the United States, many people go to New Year’s Eve parties. 2. measure v. 1)show or record  Time is measured by the hour, minute, and second. 2)find the size length, amount, degree etc. of sth. in standard units  How does a teacher measure his students’ success? 3. give importance to : pay attention to  We should give much more importance to English learning.  Importance is given to learning foreign languages. 4. bring in: cause to come in; introduce  They brought in different customs and cultures.

5. common: adj.1) usual a common error  Everybody should know it, as it is common sense.  Have…in common: share with someone else  They have many interests in common. 6. tradition n. 1) principles, beliefs, practices, etc. passed down from the past to the present  In Germany, some people still follow this old tradition. 2)a customary way of thinking or behaving that has been passed down in this way  The writer is sad because he feels that old traditions are being forgotten. 7. drive away: drive off; force away  Don’t drive away the students who want to help you. 8. gather: v. 1) come together  On New Year’s Eve, crowds gather in Times Square in New York City.

2) collect  They have gathered a lot of information on the subject. 9. let off: fire or cause to explode  The inexperienced soldier let the gun off in error. 10. in the shape of : in a certain form in which something may exist or appear  He has a watch in the shape of a rabbit. 11. light up: cause to begin giving out light  When the play ended, all the lights lit up. 12. put up: build, or raise into position  They planned to put up a statue of the late President. 13. resolution: n. a firm decision  He made a resolution to lose weight through exercising.

14. involve: v. have as a necessary part or result  This will involve a lot of time and energy. 15. carry out: 1) fulfill  Don’t blame me ---I’m only carrying out orders. 2) perform; conduct  They then held a meeting to discuss how to carry out the operation

Ⅲ. Text B Christmas Tradition

I Background Information Christmas (Dec.25)  Christmas is a holiday shared and celebrated by many religions.  It is a day that has an effect on the entire world.  To many people, it is a favorite time of the year involving gift giving, parties and feasting. Christmas is a holiday that unifies almost all of professing Christendom.  The spirit of Christmas causes people to decorate their homes and churches, cut down trees and bring them into their homes, decking them with silver and gold.  In the light of that tree, families make merry and give gifts one to another.

IILanguage Points 1. honor: show honor to  They built the statue to honor the friendship between France and the United States. 2. attempt: n. | C| an effort made to do something  He made an attempt to escape, but failed. v. make an effort at  He attempted to leave but was stopped. 3. select: v. choose  He was selected to play for England.

Selected as: choose to be  He selected a novel as a birthday present for his sister. 4. design: v. develop and draw the plans for  The book is designed mainly for college students 5. exchange: v. give and receive in return  At the end of the meeting, they are exchanging phone numbers and addresses. 6. original: adj. first; earliest  He found an original drawing of Picasso’s in the basement of his father’s house. 7. hang up: hang a piece of clothing on something  Did you notice those hams hanging up in the butcher’s window?

8. in debt: the state of owing  Wasteful people usually end up in debt. 9. be about to: be just ready to  He looked as if he was about to burst into tears. 10. land: v. come down from the air onto a surface  The plane was forced to land in the desert

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