BR_ Background Information1

1. Video Clip Group Discussion Spot Dictation BR_Background Information1 Background Information Background Information (Colored Easter Eggs) (Easter Rabbit) Easter is a time for Christians to celebrate the life and resurrection of Christ. It is celebrated as a religious holiday. Traditions associated with the festival include the Easter rabbit, and the colored Easter eggs. Easter is observed on the first Sunday following the full moon that occurs on or following the spring equinox (March 21). So Easter is a “movable” festival which can occur as early as March 22 or as late as April 25.

2. Video Clip Group Discussion Spot Dictation BR_Background Information2 Background Information (Thanksgiving in Colonial Times) (Thanksgiving Day Dinner) Thanksgiving Day is observed on the fourth Thursday in November. It began as a feast of thanksgiving almost four hundred years ago. It is a time for tradition and sharing. Family members gather for a reunion at the house of an older relative. All give thanks together for the good things that they have. Turkey, corn and pumpkins are symbols of Thanksgiving.

3. Background Information Group Discussion Spot Dictation BR_Video Clip1 Video Clip Source Supply and Demand: Christmas, a Case Study Video Clip

4. Key Key Background Information Group Discussion Spot Dictation BR_Video Clip2 Video Clip Questions: How much money is spent on Christmas shopping each year? Can joy manufacturers always predict what children like to have during the Christmas season? 1. 2. 150 billion dollars is spent on Christmas shopping each year. Video Clip No. It’s very difficult for them to predict the market.

5. Background Information Video Clip Spot Dictation BR_group discussion Group Discussion 1. 2. Christmas, a western festival, is now celebrated by more and more Chinese young people. Do you celebrate this festival? What does Christmas mean to you? Many traditional Chinese festivals seem to be losing ground, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival. Do you think it’s important to preserve the traditions of these festivals? Group Discussion

6. Background Information Video Clip Group Discussion BR_spot dictation Spot Dictation The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, is a Chinese festival on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar. On this day the moon is at its roundest and , which symbolizes family and togetherness. According to Chinese traditions, on this day family members and friends will gather to visit scenic spots, at the moon, and eat moon cakes together. The moon cake is roughly the of a human palm. It is to be cut in quarters and around. In the past moon cakes took up four weeks to make. Most people to buy their moon cakes of making them. _______ traditional full __ _______ brightest ____ unity ____ gaze ___ size _____ meant ______ passed _____ prefer ______ instead Spot Dictation

7. Further Understanding GR_Part Division.. Part Division of the Text The text can be divided into three parts: Part 1 (Paragraphs 1-4): Part 1 describes how disappointed “I” was at mother’s decision to spend the Christmas holiday at grandma’s. Part Division of the Text Part 2 (Paragraphs 5-10): Part 2 narrates how we spent Christmas at grandma’s. Part 3 (Paragraph 11): Part 3 concludes that the Christmas holiday was a meaningful one and “I” learned a lot from it.

8. Key Key Part Division of the Text GR_Further Understanding Further Understanding Questions: 1. 2. Why did the writer feel that it was going to be the worst Christmas when driving to the grandma’s? What lesson do you think the writer learned from the experience? Because she had intended to spend the holiday with her friends. Further Understanding She learned that it was a very beautiful thing to give.

9. DR_text1-2_S Christmas at Grandma’s After my father died in 1947, mother went to work to support us. By the time I had finished high school, I was looking forward to spending Christmas with my friends. But two weeks before Christmas, mother told me we were going to my grandmother’s house for the holiday. My grandmother and uncle Henry lived on a farm some 15 miles out of town. They had no electricity or running water, and they seemed to have no plans for Christmas, either. But I had! I had got my first job and was feeling quite grown up. I had intended to share this special time with my friends, not some relatives at an old farm.

10. DR_text3-6_S Before going to bed on Christmas Eve, mom told me to remove all the decorations from our Christmas tree. She packed them up, along with all the things needed for a complete turkey dinner. The sun was shining brightly on that Christmas morning, but I felt quite bored as we drove to Grandma’s. This surely was going to be the worst Christmas ever! Grandma was surprised to see us as we walked up to her door. “What on earth are you doing here? We weren’t expecting anyone. It’s Christmas, and I don’t even have a turkey to cook for you.” “I knew that,” Mom said as we set boxes of things on the kitchen table. “That’s why we brought one with us.”

11. DR_text7-9_S Then mom told uncle Henry to find a tree. “Otherwise, what will we do with all these decorations?” Uncle Henry quickly caught mom’s spirit and called me to join his search for a perfect tree in the woods nearby. Soon the house smelled fresh and pleasant as everyone was busy preparing dinner and I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas Day. Dessert was forgotten until mom came out with the final surprise -- a flaming Christmas pudding! “Merry Christmas. Mother,” Mom said.

12. DR_text10-11_S “Dear me!” Grandma gasped. “I haven’t seen a flaming pudding since I left England. This is the best Christmas ever!” Tears of joy filled her eyes. I couldn’t keep the tears from my eyes, either. I knew then that Mom had also given me the best Christmas present ever -- she had taught me what a beautiful thing it is to give. (380 words)

13. DR_text1-2_W Christmas at Grandma’s After my father died in 1947, mother went to work to support us. By the time I had finished high school, I was looking forward to spending Christmas with my friends. But two weeks before Christmas, mother told me we were going to my grandmother’s house for the holiday. My grandmother and uncle Henry lived on a farm some 15 miles out of town. They had no electricity or running water, and they seemed to have no plans for Christmas, either. But I had! I had got my first job and was feeling quite grown up. I had intended to share this special time with my friends, not some relatives at an old farm.

14. DR_text3-6_W Before going to bed on Christmas Eve, mom told me to remove all the decorations from our Christmas tree. She packed them up, along with all the things needed for a complete turkey dinner. The sun was shining brightly on that Christmas morning, but I felt quite bored as we drove to Grandma’s. This surely was going to be the worst Christmas ever! Grandma was surprised to see us as we walked up to her door. “What on earth are you doing here? We weren’t expecting anyone. It’s Christmas, and I don’t even have a turkey to cook for you.” “I knew that,” Mom said as we set boxes of things on the kitchen table. “That’s why we brought one with us.”

15. DR_text7-9_W Then mom told uncle Henry to find a tree. “Otherwise, what will we do with all these decorations?” Uncle Henry quickly caught mom’s spirit and called me to join his search for a perfect tree in the woods nearby. Soon the house smelled fresh and pleasant as everyone was busy preparing dinner and I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas Day. Dessert was forgotten until mom came out with the final surprise -- a flaming Christmas pudding! “Merry Christmas. Mother,” Mom said.

16. DR_text1-2_S_I had intended… Sentence Translation: 我本来想和我的朋友共度这个特殊的日子，而不是和几个住在破旧农场里的亲戚。 Christmas at Grandma’s After my father died in 1947, mother went to work to support us. By the time I had finished high school, I was looking forward to spending Christmas with my friends. But two weeks before Christmas, mother told me we were going to my grandmother’s house for the holiday. My grandmother and uncle Henry lived on a farm some 15 miles out of town. They had no electricity or running water, and they seemed to have no plans for Christmas, either. But I had! I had got my first job and was feeling quite grown up. I had intended to share this special time with my friends, not some relatives at an old farm. Sentence Paraphrase: I had planned to observe this special occasion with my friends, instead of some relatives living at an old farm. Structural Analysis: 这句话中had intended是过去完成体的想象性用法，表示与过去事实相反的主观设想。除了动词intend可以以过去完成体出现表示过去未曾实现的希望、打算或意图外，还有hope, expect, think, mean ( = intend), want, suppose等动词。如： I had expected you to come earlier to help me. 我本来指望你早点来给我帮忙的。 I had hoped to see him before I left, but he couldn’t come. 我本来希望走之前见他一面的，但他没能来。

17. DR_text7-9_S_Dessert was…. 1 Sentence Translation: Then mom told uncle Henry to find a tree. “Otherwise, what will we do with all these decorations?” Uncle Henry quickly caught mom’s spirit and called me to join his search for a perfect tree in the woods nearby. Soon the house smelled fresh and pleasant as everyone was busy preparing dinner and I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas Day. Dessert was forgotten until mom came out with the final surprise -- a flaming Christmas pudding! “Merry Christmas. Mother,” Mom said. 我们都快忘了甜点，直到妈妈端出了最后的惊喜——一个火焰圣诞布丁。 Sentence Paraphrase: Finally, mom came out with a flaming Christmas pudding, which was a big surprise. Before that moment, no one remembered that a dessert would be served. Structural Analysis: 这句话中包含了until引导的时间状语从句。until在这里的意思相当于before，意思是“在……以前”。until既可作为连词引导时间状语从句，也可作为介词，引导时间状语。主句有两种情况。 ——主句为肯定句： 这时主句动词表示的动作持续到until状语（从句）表示的时间为 止，而且不再继续下去。until通常译为“在……之前，一直到 ……时候”。如： You can get free medical care until you are 18. The fairies danced until dawn.

18. DR_text7-9_S_Dessert was…. 2 ——主句为否定句： 这时主句动词表示的动作在until时间状语（从句）表示的时间以后 开始，not…until通常译为“直到……才……”。如： Then mom told uncle Henry to find a tree. “Otherwise, what will we do with all these decorations?” Uncle Henry quickly caught mom’s spirit and called me to join his search for a perfect tree in the woods nearby. Soon the house smelled fresh and pleasant as everyone was busy preparing dinner and I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas Day. Dessert was forgotten until mom came out with the final surprise -- a flaming Christmas pudding! “Merry Christmas. Mother,” Mom said. He didn’t come back until midnight. Women didn’t gain the vote until the First World War was over. 请注意第二种情况下的几种句型转换。 ——倒装句： 倒装时需要把否定词not和until一起置于句首。如： Not until the First World War was over did women gain the vote. ——分裂句： 这时需要把not和until一起置于被强调的位置。如： It was not until the First World War was over that women gained the vote.

19. DR_text1-2_W_intend1 Christmas at Grandma’s intend After my father died in 1947, mother went to work to support us. By the time I had finished high school, I was looking forward to spending Christmas with my friends. But two weeks before Christmas, mother told me we were going to my grandmother’s house for the holiday. My grandmother and uncle Henry lived on a farm some 15 miles out of town. They had no electricity or running water, and they seemed to have no plans for Christmas, either. But I had! I had got my first job and was feeling quite grown up. I had intended to share this special time with my friends, not some relatives at an old farm. Collocations: be intended for 打算给…… be intended as 为……而准备 Examples: These flowers are intended for you. 这些花是打算给你的。 The military exercise is intended as a show of force. 这次军事演习是为了显示威力。

20. DR_text1-2_W_intend2 Christmas at Grandma’s Comparison: After my father died in 1947, mother went to work to support us. By the time I had finished high school, I was looking forward to spending Christmas with my friends. But two weeks before Christmas, mother told me we were going to my grandmother’s house for the holiday. My grandmother and uncle Henry lived on a farm some 15 miles out of town. They had no electricity or running water, and they seemed to have no plans for Christmas, either. But I had! I had got my first job and was feeling quite grown up. I had intended to share this special time with my friends, not some relatives at an old farm. intend & mean 都含“意图，打算”的意思，可以互换。 intend比较正式，强调“心里已有做某事的决定或计划”。如： mean强调“做事的目的或意图”，较口语化。如： I intended to go to London for a trip. I mean to go to bed earlier tonight. Patterns: intend to do intend sb to do intend + that-从句 intend + -ing分词 intention n. 意向，目的 Derivation:

21. DR_text3-6_W_remove Before going to bed on Christmas Eve, mom told me to remove all the decorations from our Christmas tree. She packed them up, along with all the things needed for a complete turkey dinner. The sun was shining brightly on that Christmas morning, but I felt quite bored as we drove to Grandma’s. This surely was going to be the worst Christmas ever! Grandma was surprised to see us as we walked up to her door. “What on earth are you doing here? We weren’t expecting anyone. It’s Christmas, and I don’t even have a turkey to cook for you.” “I knew that,” Mom said as we set boxes of things on the kitchen table. “That’s why we brought one with us.” remove Collocations: remove…to remove…from Examples: I intend to remove the table to the corner. Remove the mud from your shoes before you come in. Idiomatic Expressions: at one remove一步之差；隔一代（之嫡亲） be removed from school被勒令退学 three removes are as bad as a fire三次搬家犹如一次失火 Derivation: removal n.搬迁，移动

22. DR_text3-6_W_decoration Before going to bed on Christmas Eve, mom told me to remove all the decorations from our Christmas tree. She packed them up, along with all the things needed for a complete turkey dinner. The sun was shining brightly on that Christmas morning, but I felt quite bored as we drove to Grandma’s. This surely was going to be the worst Christmas ever! Grandma was surprised to see us as we walked up to her door. “What on earth are you doing here? We weren’t expecting anyone. It’s Christmas, and I don’t even have a turkey to cook for you.” “I knew that,” Mom said as we set boxes of things on the kitchen table. “That’s why we brought one with us.” decoration NB: decoration作为不可数名词时，意思是“装饰，装潢”；作为可数名词时，意思是“装饰品”。其动词形式为decorate，常和介词with搭配。如： They decorated the Christmas tree with shining tinsels. Collocations: Christmas decorations party decorations interior decoration home decoration Derivation: decorative adj.装饰性的

23. DR_text3-6_W_pack1 Before going to bed on Christmas Eve, mom told me to remove all the decorations from our Christmas tree. She packed them up, along with all the things needed for a complete turkey dinner. The sun was shining brightly on that Christmas morning, but I felt quite bored as we drove to Grandma’s. This surely was going to be the worst Christmas ever! Grandma was surprised to see us as we walked up to her door. “What on earth are you doing here? We weren’t expecting anyone. It’s Christmas, and I don’t even have a turkey to cook for you.” “I knew that,” Mom said as we set boxes of things on the kitchen table. “That’s why we brought one with us.” pack NB: pack 既可作为名词，也可作为动词。作为名词时，常用作单位词。如： a pack of cards 一副纸牌 a pack of hounds 一群猎狗 a pack of thieves 一群小偷 a pack of lions 一群狮子 Collocations: be packed with 挤满，塞满 pack into 挤进 Examples: The stadium was packed with football fans. People were fighting each other to pack into the train.

24. DR_text3-6_W_pack2 Before going to bed on Christmas Eve, mom told me to remove all the decorations from our Christmas tree. She packed them up, along with all the things needed for a complete turkey dinner. The sun was shining brightly on that Christmas morning, but I felt quite bored as we drove to Grandma’s. This surely was going to be the worst Christmas ever! Grandma was surprised to see us as we walked up to her door. “What on earth are you doing here? We weren’t expecting anyone. It’s Christmas, and I don’t even have a turkey to cook for you.” “I knew that,” Mom said as we set boxes of things on the kitchen table. “That’s why we brought one with us.” Phrasal Verbs: pack in…大批地吸引（观众等） pack…off尽快送走 pack up打点（行装）；结束工作 Idiomatic Expressions: pack it in 停止，结束 send sb packing 把某人解雇 Derivation: package n.包装，包裹 packed adj.包装的，挤满的 packer n.包装者，打包者

25. DR_text7-9_W_otherwise otherwise Then mom told uncle Henry to find a tree. “Otherwise, what will we do with all these decorations?” Uncle Henry quickly caught mom’s spirit and called me to join his search for a perfect tree in the woods nearby. Soon the house smelled fresh and pleasant as everyone was busy preparing dinner and I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas Day. Dessert was forgotten until mom came out with the final surprise -- a flaming Christmas pudding! “Merry Christmas. Mother,” Mom said. NB: otherwise既可作副词，也可作连词。另外，otherwise有时也可作形容词使用，意思是“别的情况下的”。如： We were going for a walk, but it was raining. We decided to do otherwise (adv.). Enemies can also be otherwise (adj.) friends. Idiomatic Expressions: and otherwise 等等，及其他 or otherwise 用其他方法，或相反 but otherwise 然而在别的方面却 act otherwise than one says 言行不一 unless otherwise mentioned 除非另有说明 Grammar Notes: otherwise作为连词时，属于等立连词，连接两个并列分句。一般在otherwise前用逗号或分号和第一个分句隔开。如： You must work hard; otherwise you will not learn English well.

26. DR_text7-9_W_perfect perfect Then mom told uncle Henry to find a tree. “Otherwise, what will we do with all these decorations?” Uncle Henry quickly caught mom’s spirit and called me to join his search for a perfect tree in the woods nearby. Soon the house smelled fresh and pleasant as everyone was busy preparing dinner and I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas Day. Dessert was forgotten until mom came out with the final surprise -- a flaming Christmas pudding! “Merry Christmas. Mother,” Mom said. NB: perfect既可作形容词，也可作动词。作为动词时，发音和形容词不同，要读成 。 Idiomatic Expression: practice makes perfect熟能生巧 Grammar Note: 形容词就词汇意义来说，可以分为等级形容词和非等级形容词。等级形容词有比较等级，也能被程度副词修饰；而非等级形容词没有比较等级，也不能被程度副词修饰。perfect就属于为数不多的非等级形容词。类似的还有excellent, extreme, chief, prime, Chinese, atomic等形容词。这些形容词一般不可以用more, most, quite, relatively, very来修饰。 Derivation: perfection n.完善 perfectionist n.完美主义者 perfectly adv.完美地，完善地

27. DR_text7-9_W_do with1 Then mom told uncle Henry to find a tree. “Otherwise, what will we do with all these decorations?” Uncle Henry quickly caught mom’s spirit and called me to join his search for a perfect tree in the woods nearby. Soon the house smelled fresh and pleasant as everyone was busy preparing dinner and I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas Day. Dessert was forgotten until mom came out with the final surprise -- a flaming Christmas pudding! “Merry Christmas. Mother,” Mom said. do with NB: 词组do with在文中的意思是“处理，处置”。如： What did you do with the keys? Other Usages of “Do With” ——“想要，需要”，常和could或can连用： ——“容忍，忍受”，用于否定句： You can do with a haircut. I can’t do with his rude manner. Useful Expressions with “Do”: do away with 废除，取消 do up 扣上（扣子等）；把（头发）扎起来 do without 没有……也行；将就

28. DR_text7-9_W_do with2 Then mom told uncle Henry to find a tree. “Otherwise, what will we do with all these decorations?” Uncle Henry quickly caught mom’s spirit and called me to join his search for a perfect tree in the woods nearby. Soon the house smelled fresh and pleasant as everyone was busy preparing dinner and I was actually beginning to enjoy this unusual Christmas Day. Dessert was forgotten until mom came out with the final surprise -- a flaming Christmas pudding! “Merry Christmas. Mother,” Mom said. Examples: These old ideas must be done away with. She did her hair up before taking a shower. We can do without his help.

29. Writing Integrated Exercises AR_vocabulary_main Vocabulary Useful Expressions Synonyms and Antonyms Vocabulary

30. Writing Integrated Exercises AR_vocabulary_useful… Useful Expressions talk turkey 坦率认真地讲 cannot see the wood for the trees 见树不见林 out of the wood(s) 脱离危险 cheer up 使高兴，振作起来 Vocabulary act one’s age （用于祈使句）别忘了自己的年龄 get one’s act together （为提高效率）安排好自己的生活 fair and square 公平地，正直地 gather dust 被搁置，被忽略 gather in 收获（庄稼） poles apart 大相径庭

31. Writing Integrated Exercises AR_vocabulary_Synonyms Synonyms and Antonyms synonym antonym intend mean perfect faultless imperfect complete entire incomplete Vocabulary bright dark joy delight sorrow decoration ornament bored excited, enthusiastic surely certainly display exhibit gather assemble

32. Vocabulary Integrated Exercises AR_Writing_main Writing Summary Writing Make Up a Short Speech Writing

33. Vocabulary Integrated Exercises AR_Writing_summary Summary Writing Directions: Read Text B “New Year’s Day in America,” and write a summary of about 100 words. Note that your summary should include the main ideas of the article. Please pay attention to the use of conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs. In many places of the United States, people celebrate New Year’s Eve with First Night, a celebration with different kinds of entertainment. There is also a big party in Times Square in New York City. Thousands of people gather to watch the “ball lowering.” At one minute before midnight, the ball begins to drop down a tall pole and reaches the bottom right at 12:00 when people cheer loudly. On New Year’s Day, moreover, people make New Year’s resolutions. And, at lunchtime, people eat a special dish called Hoppin’ John, which is supposed to bring people good luck all year. Writing

34. Vocabulary Integrated Exercises AR_Writing_make up… Make Up a Short Speech Directions: Make up a short speech of about 100 words about what you have done in Classroom Activity. You may use the following expressions in your speech. be immersed in peaceful and graceful serene tune line feel as if have fun SampleSpeech: Writing Today, we learned to sing the famous carol Silent Night. As soon as the music started to play, we were immersed in the peaceful and graceful tune. We felt as if we were looking out into the serene sky studded with twinkling stars. We listened to the tape several times before the teacher was sure that we could follow the tune. Then the teacher asked us to read the lines carefully and aloud. She helped us with some new words and expressions. Finally, we followed the teacher to sing the song. After some practice, the whole class sang together with the accompaniment of the piano. We enjoyed ourselves and had a great deal of fun.

35. Vocabulary Writing AR_Integrated Exercises_main Integrated Exercises Sentence Translation Sentence Dictation Integrated Exercises Challenge Yourself

36. Key Key Key Vocabulary Writing AR_Integrated Exercises_ST1 Sentence Translation Directions:Translate the following sentences from Chinese into English. • 1. 看着孩子长大成人是一件令人欣慰的事。 • 2. 鸡蛋是和牛奶是一起送过来的。 • 3 . 你应该尽快向警方报告这件事。 It is a great joy to see children grow up. The eggs were delivered along with the milk. Integrated Exercises You are supposed to report it to the police as soon as possible.

37. Key Key Key Vocabulary Writing AR_Integrated Exercises_ST2 Sentence Translation Directions:Translate the following sentences from English into Chinese. 4. We put the ice-cream in the fridge to keep it from melting. 5. We packed up and started off for the countryside. 6. He worked hard so that he ended the task with success. 我们把冰淇淋放在冰箱里以防它融化。 我们收拾好行装，出发去乡下。 Integrated Exercises 他努力工作，最终成功完成任务。

38. Vocabulary Writing Script AR_Integrated Exercises_SD Sentence Dictation 1. Christmas is a festival for family members to get together for reunion. 2. People who live away try to get back home. 3. The roads and railways are full of people traveling long distances in order to spend Christmas at home. 4. And above all, it’s the children’s festival. 5. The children are wondering what presents they are going to have. Integrated Exercises

39. Vocabulary Writing AR_Integrated Exercises_Talk about picture1 Challenge Yourself (1) Talk about the Festivals: Spring Festival ___________ ________________ Dragon Boat Festival ____________ Lantern Festival Integrated Exercises ________________ Double Ninth Festival ________________ Mid-Autumn Festival

40. Vocabulary Writing AR_Integrated Exercises_Talk about picture2 Challenge Yourself (1) Talk about the Festivals: Directions: Each picture above shows a symbol of a traditional Chinese festival. What is the festival represented by the symbol? Put the name of the festival on the right of the picture. And write a passage of about 150 words describing any one of these festivals. Your passage should be able to answer the following questions: a) What is the festival? b) When is it celebrated? c) How is it celebrated? d) What do you usually do on that day? Integrated Exercises

41. Vocabulary Writing AR_Integrated Exercises_Talk about picture3 Challenge Yourself Sample: The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, usually in February or March. The day’s important activity is watching lanterns. Lanterns of various shapes and sizes are hung in the streets. Children hold lanterns to stroll with on the streets. “Guessing lantern riddles” is an essential part of the Festival. If visitors have solutions to the riddles posted on the lanterns, they can go to the lantern owners to get a little gift. People eat yuanxiao, or rice dumplings, on this day. Yuanxiao in Chinese means reunion. So people eat them to denote union, harmony and happiness for the family. In the daytime of the Festival, people watch various entertaining performances. On the night, fireworks form a beautiful scene. Then, when the first full moon appears in the sky, people become really excited by the beautiful scene. Integrated Exercises

42. Vocabulary Writing AR_Integrated Exercises_Talk about picture4 Challenge Yourself (2) Talk about the News: 90% Calls for Traditional Festival Holidays A national survey has found that nine out of ten people believe the Chinese traditional Mid-Autumn Day, or Moon Festival, should be a national holiday and 86% call for a day off on that day. Echoing the people's will, deputies of the National People's Congress (NPC) proposed in their March session this year to legalize the Chinese traditional festivals and to officially declare national holidays. The bill has been submitted to the State Council, China's cabinet, but no decision has been made yet. “Chinese people need to understand their traditional culture through observing the traditional festivals,” said Ji Baocheng, president of the Renmin University of China and also an NPC deputy. “We need more traditional holidays other than the Spring Festival.” Integrated Exercises

43. Vocabulary Writing AR_Integrated Exercises_Talk about picture5 Challenge Yourself (2) Talk about the News: A notion of spending those traditional festivals by enjoying delicious food has spread across the country. People have taken it for granted that eating rice dumplings on the Dragon Boat Festival or rice glue ball on Lantern Festival is the main purpose after a day’s work or study. “It is necessary to bring new meanings to those traditional festivals such as Double Ninth and Qingming festivals to keep pace with the times,” said Ji Baocheng. Directions: The above is a piece of extracted news from People’s Daily Online. Read the news carefully and think about the questions: Integrated Exercises a) Do you support the idea of having a day off on traditional festivals? b) Will the practice of taking a holiday boost people’s understanding of traditional festivals? Write a passage of about 150 words stating your opinions on these questions.

44. Vocabulary Writing AR_Integrated Exercises_Talk about picture7 Challenge Yourself Sample: I’m among the 90% who support the idea of making some traditional festivals national holidays. Seniors tend to complain that young people are neglecting traditional festivals. As a matter of fact, they do not deliberately choose to turn a blind eye to traditional festivals. They are too busy with their work and study to learn the traditions and observe the rituals connected with the festivals. If people could be given one day or a couple of days off on traditional festivals, they are sure to attach more importance to traditions. On one hand, being given a day off reminds them of the fact that the day is important. Otherwise, there is no need to make it a holiday. On the other hand, they will have enough time to learn about the traditions and observe them. Therefore, I believe that the popularity of traditional festivals would be greatly boosted if they could be made national holidays. Integrated Exercises