1. Festivals and celebrations
Reading
Festivals and celebrations

2. Fast reading 1. How many parts is the passage divided into? Six parts.
2. How many types of festivals are mentioned in the passage?
Festivals of the Dead
Festivals to Honor the People
Harvest Festivals
Spring Festivals

3. Festivals to honor people
Countries
Obon
Japan
Festivals of the dead
Mexico
the Day of the Dead
western countries
Halloween
the Dragon Boat Festival
China
Festivals to honor people
Columbus Day
USA
Mahatma Gandhi Day
India
Thanksgiving festivals
European countries
Harvest festivals
the Mid-autumn Festival
China/Japan
the Spring Festival
China
Carnival
western countries
Spring festivals
Easter
western countries
Japan
Cherry Blossom Festival

4. T or F The ancient people needn’t worry about their food.
Halloween used to be a festival intended to honour the dead.
Qu Yuan was a great poet who people honour a lot in China.
Mid-autumn Festival is held to celebrate the end of autumn.
Easter celebrates the birth of Jesus. F T T F F

5. Detailed reading
Part One: para.1
1.Which three times of the year did people celebrate in Ancient Times?
a. The end of the cold weather;
b planting in spring
c harvest in autumn;
2. Did the present festival have the same origin as the ancient festival?
No. Some religious, seasonal, and some for special people or events.

6. Part 2 Paragraph 2: Festivals of the Dead Country Name of Festival
When?
How?
Mid July/August
Japan
Obon
Mexico
Early November
the Day of the Dead
western
countries
Halloween
(October 31)

7. Paragraph 3: Festivals to Honor People
country
Name of festival
when
For whom
May5
in lunar
calendar
The famous
ancient poet,
Qu yuan
Dragon Boat Festival/
Duanwu festival
China
The second
Monday
of October
Columbus Day
Christopher
Columbus
U.S.A.
Oct.2
Mahatma
Gandhi
India

8. European countries Harvest Festivals China & Japan
Paragraph 4
How to celebrate 1) 2) 3)
Decorate…with…
European countries
Thanksgiving Day
Get together to…
Harvest Festivals
Some people might
win awards for…
China & Japan
Mid-autumn festival
admire the moon
enjoy mooncakes
and

9. Paragraph 5: Spring Festivals
carnivals
Western countries
Easter
For what?
The return of Jesus;
the coming of spring
Food:
What people do:
Spring
Festival
Dumplings, fish and meat
China
Lucky money; dragon dances;
carnivals, family…
Japan
the Cherry Blossom Festival

10. Part 3 (Para.6)
Why do people have festivals and celebrations?
enjoy life
be proud of our customs
forget our work for a little while

11. Sum up Ancient Festivals When
Most ancient festivals would celebrate ________________________, _____
________and ______________, and they also celebrated _____________ __________________.
the end of the cold weather
planting
in spring
harvest in autumn
when hunters
had caught animals

12. Festivals of the Dead Why Examples
They are held to______________, or ______the _________, who could return either to ______or to__________.
honour the dead
satisfy
ancestors
help
do harm
Examples
Obon
The Day of the Dead
Halloween

13. Festivals to honour people
Festivals can be held as an honour to ____________or to________.
famous people
the gods
Examples
The Dragon Boat Festival
Qu Yuan
Columbus Day
The arrival of Christopher Columbus
A national festival on October 2
Mahatma Gandhi

14. Harvest Festivals Examples Why are harvest festivals happy events?
People are grateful because their food is gathered for the winter, and because a season of agricultural
work is over.
Examples
In European countries

15. Spring Festivals Examples
The most energetic and important festivals are_________________ ___________________________ __________________________
the ones that look
forward to the end of winter and
to the coming of spring.
Examples

16. Homework 1 Recite Para 1 2 Do Exx. In Learning about language on P.4
3 Do Exx. In English learners’ lighthouse