1. Celebrating Holidays and Making Friends
Unit 7
Celebrating Holidays and Making Friends

2. New Practical English I
Session 2
Section III
Maintaining a Sharp Eye
Passage I

3. New Practical English I Thanksgiving Day and Christmas
Passage I
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas

4. New Practical English I
Warm-up questions
1. What do you know about
Thanksgiving Day?

5. New Practical English I
Warm-up questions
2. What did the first thanks-giving dinner include?

6. New Practical English I
Reading of the passage
Thanksgiving Day
and Christmas
passage

7. New Practical English I Reading comprehension
Answer the following questions
according to the passage.
1. In which country was
Thanksgiving Day first
celebrated?

8. New Practical English I Reading comprehension
2. Who were the
original inhabitants
of America?

9. New Practical English I Reading comprehension
3. What did the native Indians help the first European settlers do?

10. New Practical English I Reading comprehension
4. What was the purpose for the
first European settlers to observe
the first Thanksgiving Day?

11. New Practical English I Reading comprehension
5. What did the traditional Thanksgiving dinner include?

12. New Practical English I Reading comprehension
6. At what time of a year do most Americans prefer to do shopping?

13. New Practical English I Reading comprehension
7. What do most American families do after Thanksgiving Day according to Para. 2?

14. New Practical English I Reading comprehension
Fill in the blanks and then read aloud.
Christmas is a holiday for ______ reunions and it is now _________ in many countries in the world. People far away from home will send Christmas cards to their families to express their _________ of the season.
family
celebrated
greetings

15. New Practical English I Reading comprehension
People usually set up Christmas _____ at home and _________ Christmas gifts with each other. Children _______ their gifts are brought in by Santa Claus. Christmas dinner is _______ to Thanksgiving dinner.
trees
exchange
believe
similar

16. New Practical English I Reading comprehension
Translate the following passage
into English.
圣诞节在西方国家是很重要的节日。它是在12月25日那天。人们有几天假期, 他们回家聚餐。每个家庭都有一棵圣诞树，树上挂满了小的装饰品和亮闪闪的灯。
Reference words:
have … days off, get together, be decorated with

17. New Practical English I Reading comprehension
be busy doing sth., exchange,
present, Christmas season,
Christmas Eve
圣诞节期间，许多商店忙着出售作礼物的商品。圣诞节前夜人们互相交换贺卡和礼物。孩子们喜欢这个节日，因为他们可以收到许多美好的礼物。

18. New Practical English I Reading comprehension
Read aloud the key to translation.
Christmas Day is an important festival in Western countries. It comes on December 25. People have several days off work. They go back home to get together for a big dinner. There is a Christmas tree in each family.

19. New Practical English I Reading comprehension
It is decorated with small things and bright lights. During the Christmas season, many shops are busy selling goods as presents. On Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day people exchange greeting cards and presents. Children like the festival because they can receive many nice gifts.

20. New Practical English I Useful words and expressions
a. date back to:
have existed since
e.g.
The history of the castle we visited last week dates back to the 14th century.

21. New Practical English I Useful words and expressions
b. be blessed with:
be fortunate in having
e.g.
Although I am not blessed with worldly things, I live a very happy life.

22. New Practical English I Useful words and expressions
c. observe:
celebrate; obey
e.g.
I was wondering if you observe Christmas Day in your country.

23. New Practical English I Useful words and expressions
be occupied
with doing sth.
d. be kept
busy with
doing sth.:
e.g.
He is kept busy with getting ready for his journey, so he can’t go to the cinema with you.

24. New Practical English I Useful words and expressions
e. be associated with:
be joined or
connected with
e.g.
His name is often associated with the great social revolution.

25. New Practical English I Useful words and expressions
f. be similar to:
like; of the same sort
e.g.
It is known that gold is similar in color to brass.

26. New Practical English I
Exercises
Key to Ex. 5:
This city is/has been blessed with beautiful scenery and rich natural resources.
2. The first Dragon-boat Festival was
observed after the death of Qu Yuan,
and people showed their respect to
this great man in a unique way.

27. New Practical English I
Exercises
Key to Ex. 5:
3. A traditional Chinese birthday dinner usually includes chicken soup noodle.
4. Some Chinese families will even
start to prepare for the new year
much early, although most will wait
until a couple of weeks before Spring
Festival.

28. New Practical English I
Exercises
Key to Ex. 5:
5. Their love for the country is expressed in the sweet melody “My Homeland”.
6. The football fans who could not
join the club in the host matches
will never fail to watch each
game on TV.

29. New Practical English I
Exercises
Key to Ex. 5:
7. Though Guangdong dishes are popular the world over, many of them no longer maintain their special flavors.

30. New Practical English I
Exercises
Key to Ex. 6:
1. However, the player would not
have made the goal without the
cooperation of his teammates.
However, many people would not
have survived the flood without the
help given by the PLA men.

31. New Practical English I
Exercises
Key to Ex. 6:
2. The time after the final
examinations is the most relaxing
of the busy term.
The hour after midnight is the
darkest time of the day.

32. New Practical English I
Exercises
Key to Ex. 6:
3. This desire is expressed in the
article/essay “Three days to see”.
This mood is expressed in the poem “Moonlight”.

33. New Practical English I
Exercises
Key to Ex. 6:
4. Parents are kept busy with duties
they believe to be offered by nature.
Housewives are kept busy with chores they believe to be imposed upon them by society.

34. New Practical English I
Exercises
Key to Ex. 6:
5. The general way of practicing
yoga is similar to that for
practicing tai-ji.
The traditional track races are
similar to the modern ones.

35. New Practical English I
Exercises
Key to Ex. 6:
6. Though paper cutting is now a popular
arts form almost the world over, it
still maintains its oriental flavor.
Though the CEO is now a well-known figure almost the world over, he still maintains his simple life style.

36. New Practical English I
Assignments
Recite the first paragraph of
Passage I.
2. Preview Passage II and the
exercises.

37. New Practical English I
Reading of the passage
Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday of November is uniquely an American holiday which dates back to the arrival of some of the first European settlers in the New World. America has been blessed with rich land and rich natural resources. However, those early settlers would not have survived their first cold winter without the help of their native Indian neighbors, who taught them how to plant corns, and how to hunt wild deer.

38. New Practical English I
Reading of the passage
The first Thanksgiving Day was observed after the fall harvest, and people gave thanks to God and to their friends. A traditional Thanksgiving dinner usually includes turkey, corn, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie—all foods that early settlers and the Indians ate on the first Thanksgiving Day in 1621.

39. New Practical English I
Reading of the passage
Thanksgiving Day also marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in stores and shops of every kind. The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest shopping day of the year. Some American households will even put up a Christmas tree this early, although most will wait until a couple of weeks before Christmas Eve.

40. New Practical English I
Reading of the passage
Christmas is a family holiday. This feeling is expressed in the song "I'll be home for Christmas." The sweet melody of "Silent Night, Holy Night" often makes people far away from their family feel nostalgic. Those who cannot join the family will send a Christmas card home to express seasonal greetings. At home family and friends gather to sing Christmas songs and play games. Children are kept busy with gifts they believe to be brought to them by Santa Claus. Adults often talk over a cup of tea or coffee. Christmas dinner may be similar to Thanksgiving dinner; candy and fruitcake are especially associated with this holiday. Though Christmas is now celebrated widely the world over, it still maintains its "home, sweet home" flavor.