【導(dǎo)讀】toreturn,andwentbacktothelake.必修三Unit1FestivalsandcelebrationsFestivalsandcelebrationsofalkindshavebeenheldeverywheresinceancienttimes.Mostancientfestivalswouldcelebratetheendofcoldweather,plantinginspringandharvestinautumn.Sometimescelebrationswouldbeheldafterhuntershadcaughtanimals.Atthattimepeoplewouldstarveiffoodwasdifficulttofind,especialyduringthecoldwintermonths.Today’sfestivalshavemanyorig

　　

【正文】 s and cakes wi th “bones” on them. They offer food, fl owers and gi fts 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 people. It i s now a chil dren’s festi val, when they can dres up an go to thei r nei ghbours’ hom es to ask for sweets. If the neighbours do not gi ve any sweers, the chil dren mi ght play a tri ck on them. Feti vals to Honour People Festi val s can al so be hel d to honour fam ous peopl e. The Dragon Boat Festi val i n Chi na honours the fam ous anci ent poet, Qu Yuan. In the USA, Columbus Day i s in mem ory of the arri val of Chri stopher Col umbus in the N ew Worl d. Indi a has a nati onal festi val on O ctober 2 to honour Mohandas Gandhi, the l eader who hel ped gai n 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 agricul tural work i s over. In European countri es, people wil l usual ly decorate churches and town hal ls wi th fl owers and fruit, and wil l get together to have meal s. Som e people mi ght wi n awards for their farm produce, l ike the bi ggest watermelon or the most handsom e rooster. Chi na and Japan have mi dautum n festi val s, when peopl e admi re the m oon and in China, enjoy mooncakes. Spring Festival s The most energeti c and im portant festi val s are te ones that l ok forward to the end of winter and to the i ng of spri ng. At the Spring Festival i n Chi na, people eat dumpings ifsh and meat and may gi ve chil dren lucky m oney i n red paper. There are dragon dances and carnival s , and fam il 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 vals 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 ki nds. Easter i s an important rel igious and soci al festival for Chi ri stians 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 happens a li ttl e later. The country, covered with cherry tree fl owers, l ooks as though i t i s covered wi th pi nk snow. People l ove to get together to eat, dri nk and have fun wi th each other. Festi vals l et us enjoy li fe, be proud of our customs and fet ou work for a li tle whil e. A Sad Love Story Li Fang was heartbroken. It was Val eti ne’s Day and H u Ji n had said she woul d m eet him at the cofee shop after work. But she di dn’t turn up. She coul d be with her friends ri ght now laughing at him . She said 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 chocolates, l i ke a fool . Wel l, he ws not going to hol d hi s breath for her to apol ogi ze. H e woul d drown hi s sadnes i n coffe. It was obvi ous that the m anager of the coffee 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 neded! A sad Chi nese story about l ost l ove. The randaughter of the Goddes of H eaven vi si ted the earth. Her name was Zhinu, the weaving fi rl . Whil e she was on earth she met the herd boy N i ul ang and they fel i n l ove. ( “ Just li ke m e and H u Ji n,” thought Li Fang.) They got marri ed secretl y, and they were very happy. (“We coul d be li ke that, “ thought Li Fang. ) When the Goddess of H eaven knew that her granddaughter was m arri ed to a hum an, she becam e very angry and made the weavi ng girl return to H eaven. Ni ul ang tri ed to fol ow her, but the river of stars, the Mil ky Way, stopped him. Fi ndi ng that Zhi nu was heartbroken, her grandm other fi nal y deci ded to let the coupl e cross the Mil ky Way to m eet once a year. Magi pi es m ake a bri dge of thei r wings so the coupl e can cros 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 wi l be fine on that day, because if i t is rai ni ng, i t m eans that zhi nu i s weeping and the couple won’t be abl e to m et. The announcer sai d, “ Thi s i s the story of Qi qi ao Festi val. When forei gners hear about the story they cal l i t a Chi nese Valenti ne’s story. It’s a fi ne day today, so I hope you can al m et 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 rem ind me of her.” So he di d. As he sadly pased the tea shop on the corner on hi s wasy hom e, he heard a voi ce cali ng him . There was Huji n wavi ng at him and cal li ng, “Why are you so l ate? I’ ve been wai ti ng for you for a l ong tim e! An I have a gi ft for you!” What woul d he do? H e had thrown away her Valenti ne fi ges! She woul d never fi ve him. Thi s would not be a happy Bal enti ne’s Day! Wi nter Carnival i n Quebec A group of very col d tourists are si tti ng i n a cafe in ol d Quevec, dri nki ng hor coffe to try to warm up. The temperature i s 32 degrees bel ow freezi ng. The wi ndows are cobered with steam from the heat i nside. Outside, snow covers the strets and i s pi led up along the sidewalks. The music and li ghts of the Carnival continue, but after a whole day of watchi ng parades, riding i n horse carri ages and l istening to the music, their fet are freezi ng and their noses are red. Every year, hundreds of thousands of peopl e e to Quebec to take part i n the weellong wi nter festi val , the biggest in the world. Everyone who es must be prepared to keep moving. As i t is to cold to stand and watch for l ong. Early in the morning, you can watch the snowboarding peti ti ons on the hi l overlooking the ri ver. Competitors speed down the