【正文】 nddaughter of the Goddess of Heaven visited the earth. Her name was Zhinu, the weaving firl. 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. Finding that Zhinu was heartbroken, her grandmother finally decided to let the couple cross the Milky Way to meet once a year. Magipies make a bridge of their wings so the couple can cross the river to meet on the seventh day of the senveth lunar month. People in Chian hope that the weather will be fine on that day, because if it is raining, it means that zhinu is weeping and the couple won’t be able to meet.Li Fang was heartbroken. It was Valetine’s Day and Hu Jin had said she would meet him at the coffee shop after work. But she didn’t turn up. She could be with her friends right now laughing at him. She said she would be there at seven o’ clock, and he thought she would keep her word. He had looked forward to meeting her all day, and now he was alon with his roses and chocolates, like a fool. Well, he ws not going to hold his breath for her to apologize. He would drown his sadness in coffee.The most energetic and important festivals are te ones that look forward to the end of winter and to the ing of spring. At the Spring Festival in China, people eat dumpings ifsh and meat and may 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 carnicals, which take place forty days before Easter, usually in February. These carnivals might include parades, dancing in the streets day and night, loud music and colourful clothing of all kinds. Easter is an important religious and social festival for Chiristians around the world. It celebrates the return of Jesus from the dead and the ing of spring and new life. Japan’s Cherry Blossom Festical happens a little later. The country, covered with cherry tree flowers, looks as though it is covered with pink snow.Harvest and Thanksgiving festival can be very happy events. People are grateful because their food is gathered for the winter and the agricultural work is over. In European countries, people will usually decorate churches and town halls with flowers and fruit, and will get together to have meals. Some people might win awards for their farm produce, like the biggest watermelon or the most handsome rooster. China and Japan have midautumn festivals, when people admire the moon and in China, enjoy mooncakes.Festivals can also be held to honour famous people. The Dragon Boat Festival in China honours the famous ancient poet, Qu Yuan. In the USA, Columbus Day is in memory of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World. India has a national festival on October 2 to honour Mohandas Gandhi, the leader who helped gain India’s independece from Britain.On this important feast day, 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 beliefs about the return of the spirits of dead people. It is now a children’s festival, when they can dress up an go to their neighbours’ homes to ask for sweets. If the neighbours do not give any sweers, the children might play a trick on them.Fetivals to Honour PeopleHarvest FestivalsSpring FestivalsPeople love to get together to eat, drink and have fun with each other. Festivals let us enjoy life, be proud of our customs and forget ou work for a little while.A Sad Love StoryIt was obvious that the manager of the coffee shop was waiting for Li Fang to leave – he wiped the tables, then sat down and turned on the TV – just what Li Fang needed! A sad Chinese story about lost love.The announcer said, “ This is the story of Qiqiao Festival. When foreigners hear about the story they call it a Chinese Valentine’s story. It’s a fine day today, so I hope you can all meet the one you love.”As he sadly passed the tea shop on the corner on his wasy home, he heard a voice calling him. There was Hujin waving at him and calling, “Why are you so late? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time! An I have a gift for you!”A group of very cold tourists are sitting in a cafe in old Quevec, drinking hor coffee to try to warm up. The temperature is 32 degrees below freezing. The windows are cobered with steam from the heat inside. Outside, snow covers the streets and is piled up along the sidewalks. The music and lights of the Carnival continue, but after a whole day of watching parades, riding in horse carriages and listening to the music, their feet are freezing and their noses are red.Early in the morning, you can watch the snowboarding petitions on the hill overlooking the river. Competitors speed down the track and through the air as though they could fly.On of the favourite events is the dogsled race, in which teams of about six husky dogs pll long sleds at great speeds along a snowy track. One person runs behind the sled, shouting to the dogs to encoutage them. The sound of the dogs barking, the calls of the drivers and the shouts of crowd make an exciting Nothern experience. The dogs are beautiful strong animals, with long, thick fur and many with blue eyes.Late in the evening, you can go to the snow palace, where Bonhomme the snowman is king, and join the crowd. You can dance outside to the music of a band, who are all dressed in heavy clothes – even some their instruments are dressed up for winter.Unit 2Wang Peng sat in his empty restaurant feeling very frustrated. It had been a very strange morning. Usually he go