1. Unit 2 Western Holidays 主讲人 : 赵贤

2. Warm-up Introduce background information New words and Expressions Analyze the passage Summary Homework

3. QUESTIONS 1. Do you know how many western holidays, what are they? 2. Which one is the most popular in USA and how can we know? 3. How American people prepare, celebrate and enjoy this festive time?

4. Listen to a music

6. background information Christmas Christmas is America ’ s most popular holiday. Some people will attend church and observe Christmas as the birthday of Christ. For others, Christmas is just a day of fun and celebration, a time for family and friends to gather together, exchange gifts and enjoy a huge holiday dinner. Schools and churches present special holiday concerts. People go to parties, find gifts and prepare special Christmas food. For a large number of Americans, Christmas is surrounded by more traditions and any other holiday.

7. People in other parts of the world, of course, have been celebrating Christmas for many centuries. In fact, December was a winter holiday season in northern and southern Europe even before the birth of Christ. And the ancient Romans celebrated the New Year on December twenty-fifth. Some experts believe that is why the Roman Catholic Church set the birth of Christ on that day.

8. New words and Expressions 1. festive a. National Day is a festive time in most of the countries. festival n. Easter and Christmas are religious festivals. 2. fall on New Year ’ s Day falls on a Friday.

9. 3.hospitality n. Many thanks for the hospitality you showed me 4. firm n. He is a clerk with the firm. firm adj. The mattresses are cheap, but they are too firm. 5. decorate with Many Americans decorate their houses with shinning lights at Christmas.

10. 6. be associate with I wouldn ’ t want to be associated with Mike ’ s project. associate(sb./ sth. with) v. People usually associate Japan with high-tech consumer products. associate n. He was my close associate at school. 7. take advantage of He took advantage of the good weather to paint his hut.

11. 8. observe v. 1) to celebrate(a traditional holiday) 2) to see and notice sth. 3) to watch sth. or someone carefully 9. look forward to look forward to sth look forwad to doing sth

12. Analyze the passage Divided into four parts: 1. Americans how to prepare and celebrate Christmas Day. 2. Exchanging Gifts 3. Sending Christmas Card 4. Receiving Gifts from Santa Claus

13. Comprehension Focus The traditional way of preparing and observing the most enjoyable festival, Christmas Day, in the USA and religious meaning of this celebration in most of the American homes.

14. The traditional way American people observe Christmas Day Colorgreen and red Decoration of homes Christmas trees covered with strings of colored lights and a star fixed on top of the tree Foodsweet, chocolates, chocolate-covered raisins, walnuts Dinnerturkey, ham, sweet potatoes, vegetables, Christmas pudding Commercial activities shops and stores are busy earning money by selling Christmas cards, gifts and decorations Customsexchanging gifts, sending Christmas cards, receiving gifts from Santa Claus

15. 1.This is the biggest and best-loved holiday in the United States. Best-loved is a compound adjective formed by ad.+ past p. modifying holiday. In English you find so many adjective formed in a similar way and used as a premodifier of a noun. widely-accepted idea well-prepared dinner newly-built houses hotly-debated question Language Points

16. 2. … which is full of joy and gaiety,… be full of 1) to contain many things of the same kind His essay is full of interesting things. 2) to feel or express a strong emotion The captain is full of guilt about the death of his friend. 3) to think or talk about one thing all the time. The driver was full of the exiting news.

17. 3. Stores are decorated with the traditional Christmas colors of green and red. Green and red are used here as noun and therefore they can be used with the preposition of. 4. Many Americans take advantage of the time to earn extra money by selling Christmas cards, small gifts and ornaments, etc. The infinitive clause to earn money is an adverbial of purpose, while by selling… is used as the adverbial of manner denoting the way many Americans earn their extra money.

18. Summary How to celebrate Christmas Day Exchanging Gifts Sending Christmas Cards Receiving Gifts from Santa Claus

19. 1. Recite all new words and expressions 2. Do exercises from 3 to 6. Homework

20. THANK YOU GOODBYE