Unit 2 Let’s celebrate!
背景导学
有没有注意到圣诞节的时候到处是
红配绿呢?你了解它的来源吗?一起去
看看吧!
Why are red and green the colors of Christmas?
As the last Thanksgiving leftover is consumed and the calendar flips to
December, the unmistakable red-and-green flood of the Christmas season comes
into view. The two colors fill malls and living rooms around the world, and
exist in nearly every decoration, strand of lights, and ugly sweater on store
shelves. The Christmas season is closely connected to this color combination—
but why?
CANDIDATE 1: PARADISE TREES
Probably the most obscure of the hypotheses suggests red and green may go
back to Paradise Plays, which were a traditional play performed on Christmas
Eve about the Fall of Man and Adam and Eve’s banishment from the Garden of
Eden. The story can’t be recreated without a tree, and since it was winter,
any good-looking tree was probably an evergreen. You also need a fruit to hang
from it—say, a red apple or a pomegranate.
It’s widely thought that as the Paradise Play died out, the tree
remained—and turned into the modern Christmas tree. The red of the fruit and
the green of the tree linked the two colors in a popular imagination with the
Christmas season.
CANDIDATE 2: HOLLY
There is also another saying that medieval Europeans were looking for
something to do during the bleakness of winter. So, why not party?
And that party would feature evergreens as signs of life when everything
else seemed to have died, plus other plants that not only stayed green but
even bore fruit in the middle of winter, like holly or mistletoe. (Although
mistletoe berries are actually white.) These bright reds and greens in the
middle of winter may have made them natural candidates for the colors of
Christmas.
【译文】
为什么圣诞节的代表颜色是红配绿?
随着感恩节大餐的最后一点剩菜被扫尽,日历翻到了 12 月,清清楚楚的圣诞季满目的
红红绿绿开始映入眼帘。世界各地的商场和客厅都布满了这两种颜色,几乎每一处装饰、
每一串灯以及商店货架上的丑毛衣都是红配绿。圣诞季和这种配色密不可分——但为什么
呢?
起源一:传统剧目《天堂》中的树
这很可能是各种假说中最晦涩的一种,这种说法认为,圣诞节和红配绿的关联可能起源
于圣诞前夜上演的传统戏剧《天堂》,该剧讲述的是人类的堕落以及亚当夏娃被逐出伊甸
园的故事。这出戏离不开树,而冬天里只有常青树还好看点。树上还需要悬挂水果——例
如红苹果或者石榴。
人们普遍认为,在戏剧《天堂》淡出舞台后,戏中的树却保留了下来,并演变成现代的
圣诞树。水果的红色和树的绿色成为大众心目中圣诞季的代表颜色。
起源二:冬青树
还有一种说法就是中世纪的欧洲人寻找可以在凄冷的冬天做的事。于是他们想,何不
开个派对呢?
这个派对将会有常青树,在万物萧瑟时常青树象征着生命,还有一些常青树不仅能保持
绿色还能在深冬中结果,比如冬青树或槲寄生。(不过槲寄生的果实是白色的。)深冬之中
的这抹鲜红色和绿色很自然地成了圣诞节的代表颜色。
SectionⅠ Video & Listening and speaking
文本填空
根据教材听说文本填入适当的词句。
【Activity 1】Video
Seasonal Celebrations
背景导学
关于节日你了解多少呢?知道为什么要庆祝节日吗?原因很多,有的为了纪念某个人物,有的
为了纪念一件事。现在就带大家了解一些与季节有关的节日。
Throughout the year, people around the world celebrate the changing
seasons①to express their appreciation of nature.
②Asspring approaches, the whole of Japan turns a shade of pink. It is
time for “hanami”, ③which in English means “flower viewing”. People
picnic under the cherry trees and admire the blossoms for the few short days
before they fall to the ground.
In Bulgaria, people welcome summer by ④celebrating the Rose Festival.
Traditionally, the festival begins with rose picking. During the parade that
follows, rose growers sing and dance to express their ⑤joy at the harvest. A
“Rose Queen” is selected every year to represent the unique beauty of these
fragrant flowers.
Mid-Autumn Day in China is also known as the Moon Festival. At that time
of year, the moon is at its roundest and brightest, ⑥making it a symbol of
unity in Chinese culture. That’s why people in China ⑦regard the day as an
occasion for family ⑧reunions. They gather with their families and eat
mooncakes while ⑨enjoying the sight of the full moon at night.
Winter is just right for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival.
The world’s biggest winter festival of its kind, it presents ⑩various
colourfully lit sculptures and buildings made from ice and snow. Each year up
to 15 million visitors come to join the “cool”celebrations in this magical
world of ice.
After Midwinter, the days start getting longer, and people celebrate the
New Year. When the clocks in different countries reach midnight, the
celebrations may vary, but they all mean one thing—good luck for the four
seasons ahead.
【Activity 2】Listening and speaking
A festival invitation
背景导学
Tony 正在邀请 Hugo 去他的公寓一块过感恩节。
Tony: Hi, Hugo. Are you free next Thursday evening?
Hugo: Yes, Tony. Why?
Tony: ①Would you like to come over to my apartment? We’re celebrating
Thanksgiving.
Hugo: I’d love to. It’ll be the fourth Thursday in November, right?
Tony: That’s right. It’s the time ②to give thanks to our family and friends.
We’ll get together to celebrate with a ③traditional dinner.
Hugo: What’s a traditional dinner like?
Tony: There’ll be a big turkey with all the side dishes—potatoes, vegetables,
some fruit—and homemade apple pie. My dad ④is known for his special apple
pie—he learned how to make it from my grandma.
Hugo: Wow! Sounds great! What else will we do? Will we go out and watch the
parade?
Tony: My home is ⑤a bit far from the city center, so unfortunately we won’t
⑥be able to do that. But there’s a football game in the evening. We can
watch it on TV after dinner.
Hugo: American football? It sounds great!
Tony: All right! Come to my apartment at half past five.
Hugo: OK. Should I bring anything with me?
Tony: No, there’ll be plenty of food and drink. But if you’d like to bring
some flowers or candies, my mom would ⑦be pleased.
Hugo: Do I ⑧need to wear a jacket and tie?
Tony: No, you ⑨don’t have to. It is just a gathering for family and friends.
You can wear anything you like. But it might be a bit cold at night when you
go home, so remember to bring something warm to wear. Oh, by the way, you can
bring a friend with you if you like. ⑩The more, the merrier!
Hugo: Awesome! See you then!
听力微课(二)——邀请
当你发出或接受邀请时,要特别注意以下信息:邀请的日期、需要在哪儿见面、见面的
具体时间、去的时候需要带什么等。
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