【正文】 Unit1 Festivals and celebrations Festivals and celebrations of all kinds have been held everywheresince ancient times. Most ancient festivals would celebratethe end of cold weather, planting in spring and harvest inautumn. Sometimes celebrations would be held afterhuntershadcaught animals. At that time people wouldstarveif food wasdifficult to find, especially during the cold winter months. Today39。sfestivals have manyorigins, somereligious, some seasonal, andsome for special people or events.Festivals of the Dead Some festivals are held to honour the dead or to satisfy theancestors, who might return either to help or to do harm. For the Japanese festival Obon, people should go to clean graves and light incensein memory oftheir ancestors. They also light lamps and play music because they think that this will lead the ancestors back to earth. InMexico, people celebrate the Day of the Dead in early November. On this importantfeastday, people eat food in the shape of skulls and cakes with bones on them. They offer food, flowers and gifts to the dead. The Western holiday Halloween also had its origin in old beliefsabout the return of the spirits of dead people. It is now a children39。s festival, when they candress upand go to their neighbours39。 homes to ask for sweets. If the neighbours do not give any sweets, the children mightplay a trickonthem.Festivals to Honour People Festivals can also be held to honour famous people. The DragonBoat Festival in China honours the famous ancientpoet, Qu Yuan. In the USA, Columbus Day is in memory of thearrivalof Christopher Columbus in the New World. India has a national festival on October 2 to honour Mohandas Gandhi, the leader who helpedgainIndia39。sindependence from Britain.Harvest Festivals Harvest and Thanksgiving festivals can be very happy events. People are grateful because theirfood isgatheredfor the winter and theagriculturalwork is over. In European countries, peoplewill usually decorate churches and town halls with flowers and fruit, and will get together to have meals. Some people might winawardsfor their farm produce, like the biggest watermelon or the most handsomerooster. China and Japan have midautumn festivals, when peopleadmirethe moon and in China, enjoy mooncakes.Spring Festivals The mostenergeticand important festivals are the ones thatlook forward to the end of winter and to the ing of spring. At the Spring Festival in China, people eat dumplings, fish and meat andmay give children lucky money in red paper. There are dragon dances and carnivals, and families celebrate the Lunar New Year together. Some Western countries have very exciting carnivals, which take place forty days beforeEaster, usually in February. These carnivals might include parades, dancing in the streetsday and night, loud music and colourfulclothingof all kinds. Easter is an important religious and social festival forChristiansaround the world. It celebrates the return of Jesus from the dead and the ing of spring and new life. Japan39。s Cherry Blossom Festival happens a little later. The country, covered with cherry tree flowers, looksasthoughit is covered with pink snow. People love to get together to eat, drink andhave fun witheach other. Festivals let us enjoy life, be proud of ourcustomsand forget our work for a little while.A SAD LOVE STORY Li Fang was heartbroken. It was Valentine39。s Day and Hu Jin had said she would meet him at thecoffee shop after work. But she didn39。tturn up. She could be with her friends right now laughing at him. She said she would be there at seven o39。clock, and he thought she wouldkeep her word. He had looked forward to meeting her all day, and now he was alone with his roses and chocolates, like a fool. Well, he was not going tohold his breathfor her toapologize. He woulddrownhissadnessin coffee. It wasobviousthat the manager of the coffee shop was waiting for Li Fang to leave hewipedthe tables, then sat down and turned on the TV just what Li Fang needed! A sad Chinese story about lost love. The granddaughter of the Goddess of Heaven visited the earth. Her name was Zhin252。, the weaving girl. While she was on earth she met the herd boy Niulang and they fell in love. (Just like me and Hu Jin, thought Li Fang.) They got married secretly, and they were very happy. (We could be like that, thought Li Fang.) When the Goddess of Heaven knew that her granddaughter was married to a human, she became very angry and made the weaving girl return to Heaven. Niulang tried to follow her, but the river of stars, the Milky Way, stopped him. Findingthat Zhinii was heartbroken, her grandmother finally decided to let the couple cross the Milky Way to meet once a year. Magpies make a bridge of their wings so the couple can cross the river to meet on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. People in China hope that the weather will be fine on that day, because if it is raining, it means that Zhin252。isweepingand the couple won39。t be able to meet. The announcer said, This is the story of Qiqiao Festival. When foreigners hear about the story, they call it a Chinese Valentine39。s story. It39。s a fine day today, so I hope you can all meet the one you love.As Li Fangset offfor home, he thought, I guess Hu Jin doesn39。t love me. I39。ll just throw these flowers and chocolates away. I don39。t want them toremindmeofher. So he did. As he sadly passed the tea shop on the corner on his way home, he heard a voice calling him. There was Hu Jin waving at him and calling, Why are you so late? I39。ve been waiting for you for along time! And I have a gift for you!What would he do? He had thrown away her Valentine gifts! She would never forgivehim. This would not be a happy Valentine39。s Day!WINTER CARNIVAL IN QUEBEC A group of very cold tourists are sitting in a caf233。in old Quebec, drinking hot coffee to try to wa