1、Unit 1 Festivals and CelebrationsLead in What festivals do you know?1. lead-inSpanish Tomato Festival(La Tomatina)South KoreanMud FestivalQ:Why do you think people celebrate different festivals?To show our gratitude To memorize of our ancestors To honor people To allow us to relax and enjoy lifeWhil
2、e-reading1.Fast-readingRead the text and choose the topic sentence of each paragraph that gives the main idea.Reading tips-the Topic SentenceIdentifying the main idea of paragraphs is necessary when analysing a text. Most paragraphs will have a “topic sentence” that tell you the paragraphs main idea
3、. It is often the first sentence, but sometimes it is found elsewhere in the paragraph.Para.1 the changes of festival traditions and customsPara.2 the origins and spirits of festivalsPara.3 the significance of festivalsPara.4 the harvest festival in different cultures Para.5 the commercialization of
4、 festivalsTask 1 : Read the passage and match the main idea with each para.fast-reading2.careful readingWhy do we celebrate festivals? Festivals are celebrated all around the world. They have a wide range of origins, such as the seasons of the year, religions, famous figures, and important events. E
5、very festival has its different customs and unique charms. However, no matter how different they may seem, all over the world, the spirit of sharing joy, gratitude, love, or peace is common in all festivals.2: Careful reading.Read Paragraph 1 carefully, then answer the following question.Q:What are
6、the origins of festivals? Of all the traditional festivals, the harvest festival can be found in almost every culture. This important agricultural festival takes place after all the crops have been gathered in. People celebrate to show that they are grateful for the years supply of food. In ancient
7、Egypt, the harvest festival was celebrated during the springtime the Egyptian harvest season. It featured a parade and a great feast with music, dancing, and sports. Today, in some European countries, people decorate churches and town halls with flowers and fruit, and get together to celebrate over
8、a meal. During the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, families gather to admire the shining moon and enjoy delicious mooncakes.The harvestfestival in every cultureTime: _Features: _ _ _a paradespringtimegreat feast with music, dancing, and sports.Features: _ _ get together to _decorate churches and town
9、hallscelebrate over a meal1.Ancient Egypt2.Europe3.ChinaWhyThey are grateful for _.the yearssupply of foodRead Paragraph 2 carefully, then fill in the blanks below. Time: _Features: _ _Mid-Autumn Festivaladmire the shining moonenjoy delicious mooncakes Customs play a significant role in festivals, b
10、ut sometimes they can change over time. With the development of modern society and the spread of new ideas, some traditions may fade away and others may be established. One example is the typical Chinese Spring Festival custom of lighting firecrackers to drive away the evil spirits and celebrate the
11、 new year. Nowadays, many big cities have given up this custom in order to avoid air pollution. Another example is Halloween, which slowly became an exciting festival for children, in spite of its religious origins.Read the Paragraph 3, then complete the chart.The changing customsChinese Spring Fest
12、ivalHalloweenBeforeNowGive upLighting firecrackersReligious originsFestival for childrenWhy?to avoid air pollution Festivals are becoming more and more commercial, with businesses taking advantage of the celebrations. Online shopping websites and social media apps have made it much easier for the pu
13、blic to spend more on gifts for their loved ones. Although some believe festivals should not be commercialised, others believe the increase in spending is good for the economy and public happiness.Para. 4Para. 41.somefestivals shouldnt be commercialisedthe increase in spending is good for the econom
14、y and public happiness. festivals commercialisaitonQ: What views towards commercial festival?2. othersAlthough some, others believe the increase in spending is good for the economy and public happiness. Festivals are an important part of society. They reflect peoples wishes, beliefs, faiths, and att
15、itudes towards life. They are occasions that allow us to relax and enjoy life, and forget about our work for a little while. They help us understand where we came from, who we are, and what to appreciate. And if you study festivals carefully, you may be surprised to find that different cultures actu
16、ally have a lot in common after all. Para.5 the significance of festivals Significancepeoples wishes,beliefs, faiths,and attitude to life.us understand we came from, we are, and to appreciate.us to relax and enjoy life, and to forget about our work for a little while.reflectallowhelp whatwhere whoPo
17、st-readingTodays festivals have a wide _ of origins , including the seasons of the year, famous _, important events and religions. /The _ festival is one of the most popular festivals and is celebrated in even every culture. /Customs play a _ role in festivals, but they can change over time. For exa
18、mple, some Chinese cities no longer allow firecrackers during the Spring Festival, as they can increase air pollution. /These days, festivals are becoming more _, with people spending more money on gifts. /Festivals _ peoples wishes, beliefs, faiths and attitudes towards life. They are _to spend tim
19、e with family and to relax and enjoy life.rangefiguresharvestsignificantcommercialreflectoccasionsExercise What do you think of this fact that Chinese people love to celebrate festivals of Western contries ? 你认为中国人喜欢过洋节怎么样？赞成吗？你认为中国人喜欢过洋节怎么样？赞成吗？说出你的理由。说出你的理由。Group-work：Discussion There are differen
20、t cultures and national spirits contained in the festivals. Right attitude towards different festivals: 1.not only cherish and protect our traditional festivals 2.but also pay great respect to foreign festivals3.Para 1Para 1SummarySummaryFestivals are different but Festivals are different but have c
21、have common spiritsommon spiritsPara 2Para 2Harvest festivals Harvest festivals Para 3Para 3Customs changeCustoms changePara 4Para 4commercial commercial festivalfestivalPara 5Para 5Importance of Importance of FestivalsFestivalscreate a new festival together. a new festivalWhyWhenHowWhat Homework Sample: Mens DayWe consider it better to take place/be held on the 2nd week of April, which follows the April Fools Day. As you know, March 8th is the Womens Day. But we are thinking of creating a day on which men celebrate their own holiday. See You Next Time!
