【正文】 to return, and went back to the l ake. 必修三 Unit 1 Festi vals and cel ebrati ons Festi vals and cel ebrati ons of al ki nds have been hel d everywhere since ancient tim es. Most anci ent festival s woul d cel ebrate the end of col d weather, pl anti ng i n spri ng and harvest in autumn. Sometim es cel ebrations woul d be hel d after hunters had caught anim al s. At that tim e people would starve i f food was diffi cul t to find, especi al y duri ng the col d wi nter m onths. Today’s festival s have many ori gi ns, som e rel igious, som e seasonal , and som e for special peopl e or events. Festivals of the Dead Som e festi val s are hel d to honour the dead or satisfy the ancestors, who m ight return either to hel p or to do harm. For the Japanese festival O bon, peopl e shoul d go to cl ean graves and li ght i ncense i n m em ory of their ancestors. They al so l ight l am ps and pl ay m usi c because they thi nk that thi s wi l l ead the ancestors back to earth. In Mexi co, peopl e cel ebrate the Day of the Dead i n earl y N ovem ver. O n thi s im portant feast day, peopl e eat food in the shape of skul ls and cakes with “bones” on them . They offer fod, fl owers and gifts to the dead. The Western holi day Hal oween al so had i ts ori gi n i n ol d beli efs about the return of the spirits of dead peopl e. It is now a chi ldren’s festival , when they can dress up an go to thei r neighbours’ hom es to ask for swets. If the nei ghbours do not gi ve any swers, the chil dren m i ght pl ay a tri ck on them. Feti vals to Honour People Festi val s can al so be hel d to honour fam ous people. The Dragon Boat Festi val in China honours the famous anci ent poet, Qu Yuan. In the USA, Col um bus Day is i n m em ory of the arri val of Chri stopher Colum bus i n the N ew Worl d. Indi a has a nati onal festi val on O ctober 2 to honour Mohandas Gandhi, the leader who hel ped gain Indi a’s i ndependece from Bri tai n. H arvest Festi val s H arvest and Thanksgiving festi val can be very happy events. Peopl e are grateful because thei r food is gathered for the wi nter and the agri cul tural work i s over. In European countri es, peopl e wil l usual y decorate churches and town hal s with flowers and fruit, and wil l get together to have m eal s. Som e peopl e mi ght win awards for thei r farm produce, li ke the biggest waterm el on or the m ost handsom e roster. China and Japan have m idautumn festival s, when people adm ire the m on and i n Chi na, enjoy m ooncakes. Spri ng Festi val s The m ost energetic and important festival s are te ones that l ook forward to the end of wi nter and to the ing of spring. At the Spri ng Festi val i n Chi na, peopl e eat dum pi ngs ifsh and m eat and m ay give chi ldren l ucky m oney i n red paper. There are dragon dances and carni val s , and famil i es cel ebrate the Lunar N ew Year together. Som e Western countries have very exci ti ng carni cal s, whi ch take pl ace forty days before Easter, usual y i n February. These carni val s mi ght i ncl ude parades, danci ng in the streets day and ni ght, loud m usi c and col ourful clothi ng of al kinds. Easter i s an i mportant rel igi ous and soci al festival for Chi ri sti ans around the worl d. It cel ebrates the return of Jesus from the dead and the i ng of spri ng and new li fe. Japan’s Cherry Bl ossom Festi cal hapens a l ittl e later. The country, covered wi th chery tree flowers, l ooks as though i t is covered wi th pi nk snow. Peopl e l ove to get together to eat, dri nk and have fun with each other. Festi vals l et us enjoy li fe, be proud of our customs and fet ou work for a li tl e whil e. A Sad Love Story Li Fang was heartbroken. It was Valeti ne’s Day and H u Jin had sai d she would m et him at the coffe shop after work. But she didn’t turn up. She coul d be with her friends ri ght now laughi ng at him . She sai d she woul d be there at seven o’ cl ock, and he thought she woul d keep her word. He had looked forward to m eti ng her al day, and now he was al on wi th hi s roses and chocol ates, l ike a fool. Wel l, he ws not goi ng to hold hi s breath for her to apol ogize. H e would drown hi s sadness in cofee. It was obvious that the manager of the cofee shop was wai ti ng for Li Fang to l eave – he wi ped the tabl es, then sat down and turned on the TV – just what Li Fang needed! A sad Chinese story about l ost love. The randdaughter of the Godes of Heaven visited the earth. H er nam e was Zhi nu, the weavi ng firl. Whil e she was on earth she m et the herd boy Ni ul ang and they fel l in l ove. ( “ Just l ike m e and H u Jin,” thought Li Fang. ) They got m aried secretl y, and they were very happy. (“We coul d be l i ke that, “ thought Li Fang. ) When the Goddes of H eaven knew that her granddaughter was marri ed to a hum an, she becam e very angry and m ade the weavi ng girl return to H eaven. Ni ul ang tri ed to fol ow her, but the ri ver of stars, the Mi lky Way, stoped him . Fi ndi ng that Zhi nu was heartbroken, her grandmother final ly deci ded to l et the couple cross the Mil ky Way to meet once a year. Magi pi es make a bri dge of thei r wi ngs so the coupl e can cross the ri ver to m eet on the seventh day of the senveth lunar m onth. People i n Chi an hope that the weather wil be fine on that day, because i f it i s raini ng, i t m eans that zhinu is weepi ng and the coupl e won’t be able to meet. The anouncer said, “ Thi s i s the story of Qi qi ao Festi val. When foreigners hear about the story they cal i t a Chi nese Val entine’s story. It’s a fi ne day today, so I hope you can al meet the one you l ove. ” As Li Fang set off for hom e, he thought , “ I guess H u Ji n doesn’t love m e. I’ just throw these flowers and chocol ates away. I don’t want them to remi nd m e of her. ” So he di d. As he sadl y passed the tea shop on the corner on his wasy home, he heard a voi ce cal li ng him. There was Huji n wavi ng at him and cal li