Eggnog(蛋奶酒)

1、Useful Information The word “holiday” derives from “holy” and “day”. “Holy”, related to God and religion, means sacred. In the United States, there are federal (national) holidays, state holidays, and annual events. On federal holidays, federal and state offices, banks, schools, and companies close

2、throughout the United States. Most people have a day off. There are ten federal holidays now. State holidays are legal holidays in a particular state or states. State offices, banks, schools, and companies in that state close. For annual events, offices and stores do not close, and people work as us

3、ual. American holidays can be divided into four categories based on their content. Holidays for birthdays of famous Americans include the birthdays of George Washington (February 22), Martin Luther King (January 15),and Abraham Lincoln (February 12). Patriotic holidays include Memorial Day (May 30),

4、 Veterans Day(November 11), and Independence Day (July 4).Religious holidays include Christmas (December 25) and Easter; Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November), Valentines Day (February 14), St. Patricks Day (March 17) and Halloween (October 31) have religious origins.Other holidays include New

5、Years Day (January 1), Mothers Day (the second Sunday in May), Fathers Day (the 3rd Sunday in June)Labor Day (the first Monday after September 1), and Columbus Day (October 12).New Years Day ( Jan,1)Jan, 1 is the first day of a year, on which people celebrate the coming of a happy , peaceful new yea

6、r. Usually they watch parades or go to the church to pray, sing the carols. On New Years Eve, some Americans invite their friends to have a dinner party ( open-house reception ) at home. Eggnog(蛋奶酒） is their favorite drink. People can watch football games while drinking eggnog. Some Americans may ex

7、press their New Years Resolution (新年決心), for instance, “Ill give up smoking in the new year.” or “ Ill work harder.”Valentines Day ( Feb 14 ) On this day, people send Valentines to their sweethearts, close friends and relatives, inside which are the traditional words: Be Mine, I Love You, Be My Vale

8、ntine. The most popular gifts are flowers, roses ,and chocolates. Valentines Day is a special day of love! It is day to celebrate friendship and love. It is a time to give little gifts to special people. Make homemade Valentine cards for your family and friends. Share a story and a smile with someon

9、e you like.VALENTINE SYMBOLS HEARTEmotions are feelings such as love, happiness, anger, or fear. A long time ago, people believed that all the emotions were found in the heart. In later years, they thought only the emotion of love was connected with the heart. The heart is still a symbol of love, an

10、d because of this, it is also a symbol of Valentines DayThe rose was the favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Red is a color that stands for strong feelings. This is why the red rose is a flower of love.RED ROSELace is a pretty fabric made by weaving together fine threads. Hundreds o

11、f years ago, women carried lace handkerchiefs. If a woman dropped her handkerchief, a man nearby might pick it up and return it to her. Sometimes a woman might see a man she wanted to meet. She might drop her lace handkerchief on purpose to encourage romance. Soon people thought of romance when they

12、 thought of lace. They began using paper lace to decorate chocolate boxes and Valentine cards.LACEEaster Sunday ( late March or early April ,三月二十一日后從月圓算起的第一個星期日)Easter is a Christian holy day when Christians remember the death of Christ and his return to life. It is celebrated on the Sunday followin

13、g the first full moon after the vernal equinox, which comes around March 21st. When the full moon comes on Sunday, Easter will be on the following Sunday. Therefore, the date ranges from March 22 to April 25. Easter is a time for families to get together much like Christmas or Thanksgiving . People

14、usually have a large meal and serve traditional dishes such as baked ham (火腿), eggs, chocolates. Clever manufacturers make chocolates in the shape of eggs and rabbits since they are the symbols of Easter. Rabbits are very fertile animals, thus the Romans regarded them, along with eggs, as symbols of

15、 fertility, the largest concern of the ancients. Children often play a game called Easter Egg Hunt. Parents, elders neighbors hide the colorful eggs inside trees, behind rocks or in grass for the children to look for and collect eggs in baskets. those who get the largest number of eggs win the game,

16、 and as a result , get all the eggs. Some children also slide eggs down a slope to see whose eggs are the hardest. Besides, around Easter time people often get new clothes for spring.Halloween is the short form for “ All Hallows Eve”. It is one of the holidays that children in the US like best. It i

17、s a night-time holiday. On Halloween, many children wear costumes, some are dressed as kings, queens, animals, witches or ghosts. They love to go “trick-or-treat” from house to house. If an adult refused to supply a treat (candy, cookies, fruits or money) children may play a trick such as soaping wi

18、ndows, writing on doors with crayons or overturning ash cans. The symbol of Halloween is “jack-o-lantern”. It is made of a pumpkin. The eyes, nose and mouth are carved with a candle inside. Each family puts “Jack-o-lantern” in their windows. The candles inside shine in the dark so as to frighten the

19、 devils, demons away.Halloween (Oct.31)Thanksgiving Day (last Thursday in Nov.) In the USA, the fourth Thursday in Nov. is celebrated as “Thanksgiving Day”. On this day, American give thanks for the blessings they have enjoyed during the year. Thanksgiving is usually celebrated with big dinners and

20、happy reunions. The traditional food is turkey, pumpkin pie and Indian Puddings. Christmas, the most joyous of American holidays, is celebrated on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is a promise of spring and people are expecting further progress in the coming new year.

21、Almost all workers have Christmas Day off, and students have a two to three week vacation for Christmas and New Year. Christmas (Dec 24 Eve Dec 25)Today, people might start saving for Christmas in September or even in August. However, the Christmas season really starts right after Thanksgiving. Stre

22、et lights and store windows are decorated in the traditional Christmas colors of red and green. Snowmen, Santa Clauses, and Nativity scenes appear in many shop windows. Many people decorate their homes with colored lights, and evergreens, Christmas trees, holly wreaths, and mistletoe are common sigh

23、ts.People send Christmas cards to their families, relatives, friends and business customers. They may put the cards that they have received on the wall, the mantle, or hang them on a string, as Christmas cards are very colorful and beautiful. During the Christmas season, Christmas carols are heard a

24、ll over, on radio, on TV, in church, and at school. Following an English tradition, many people walk from house to house singing traditional carols, such as Joy to the World, Silent Night, and Oh Come, All Ye Faithful.Many people do Christmas shopping in December. They look for nice gifts for their

25、family, relatives, and friends. It is said that stores make one quarter of all their sales during the Christmas season. Most shopping centers have huge crowds before Christmas. There is often a nice Christmas tree, and usually a man dressed in a Santa Claus suit. Small children tell him what they wa

26、nt for Christmas. Many people hold Christmas parties before Christmas. The guests drink, eat, and dance surrounded by Christmas decorations. A typical drink served at Christmas parties is eggnog, which is made of eggs, milk, sugar and sometimes rum.Small children hang stockings near the fireplace, h

27、oping that Santa Claus will fill them with candy and toys. They believe that Santa Claus, who wears red suit and hat and has a beard, comes in a sleigh pulled by eight reindeer and visits each house, coming in through the chimney, bringing gifts to children. On Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, fa

28、mily members gather around the Christmas tree and open the Christmas gifts that are piled under the tree. Early Christmas afternoon, they sit down for a traditional Christmas dinner. They enjoy turkey or ham, sweet potatoes, vegetables, cranberry sauce, nuts, fruitcake, plum pudding, and mince pie.

29、They may invite their family, relatives, and friends. Part One PreparationHoliday WordsDirections: Below are some items and words that express the spirit of the holiday season. They are hidden forward, backward, up, down, and diagonally. After youve found all the words below, write down the remainin

30、g letters to reveal a special message.Boxing Day: 節(jié)禮日，圣誕饋贈日在英國，圣誕節(jié)的次日（若是星期日，則順延一天），按照慣例于此日贈送雇員，郵差等禮物。Understanding Vocabulary1. approach vi.vi.t to come near or nearer,as in space or time 接近,靠近;即將達到 (如在空間或時間上)春天近了。Spring approaches. vt. vt.1 1）t to come near or nearer (to) 接近,靠近 He cautiously approa

31、ched the house. 他小心地走近那房子。 2） 著手處理,開始對付 .他從科學家的角度來處理這一問題。He approached the question as a scientist.n. n. 1. the act of coming near.接近,靠近; 即將達到U(+of) Snow announced the approach of winter. 我喜歡她解決這個問題的方法。 I like her approach to the problem.3. 通道,入口C(+to) the approach to the subway station夜幕降臨the appro

32、ach of night 通向橋的路an approach to the bridgea logical approach to the problem2. 方法,門徑;態(tài)度C(+to)相關試題The traditional approach _ with complex problems is to break them down into smaller, more easily managed problems.A) to dealing B) in dealingC) dealingD) to deal A) to dealing2. attituden.C state of mind

33、 or feeling with regard to a person or thing. 態(tài)度,意見,看法(+to/toward/towards) Leigh takes a maternal attitude toward the Chinese girl. He had not yet made up his mind what attitude to adopt towards her.短語 take a(an) attitude to/towardstake a sympathetic / hostile / an unfriendly attitude 3. concentrate

34、v. 1) 集中Nearly all the industry of Argentina is concentrated in the capital.權利集中在少數(shù)人手里。Power is concentrated in the hands of a few.莉像母親一般對待這個中國女孩。2) 全神貫注;全力以赴(+on/upon)Many companies are concentrating on increasing their markets overseas.許多公司正在集中精力開拓海外市場。別說話，專心駕駛。Dont talk, concentrate on your drivi

35、ng.他將注意力全都集中在技術問題上。He concentrated all his attention on the question of technology.concentration n. 集中;專心,專注There is a concentration of industry in the south of the country.His work as a simultaneous interpreter requires strong powersof persistent concentration.下棋需要聚精會神。Chess requires great concentr

36、ation.4. conspicuous adj.1) obvious 明顯的,易看見的;顯著的conspicuous mistakes 明顯的錯誤hang a picture in a conspicuous place 把畫掛在一個顯眼的地方2) 引人注目的,出色的,著名的(+for)a conspicuous statesman 杰出的政治家他因驍勇而出名。He was conspicuous for his bravery.短語make oneself conspicuous 標新立異， 惹人注目相關試題She was so _ in her job that she did not

37、hear anybody knocking at the door.A) absorbed B) attracted C) drawn D) concentratedA) absorbed5. decorationdecorate vt1) 裝飾,裝潢U2) 裝飾物,裝飾品Cpl 1) to furnish with something attractive. 裝飾,修飾(+with) The great hall was decorated with flowers. 大廳里裝飾著花朵。 decorate with 2) 授勛(章)給(+for) The general was decora

38、ted for winning the battle. 將軍因贏得這一戰(zhàn)役而被授勛。6. incredibleunbelievable 難以置信的in=notcred= trust, believe-ible 可的, an incredible story令人難以置信的It is incredible that是無法相信的他竟然搬到那樣危險的國家去住，實在令人無法置信。It is incredible that he should have gone to live in such a dangerous country.7. representvt.vt.1.描繪,(抽象地)表現(xiàn) She w

39、as represented as a hero.她被描繪成英雄。相關試題Your excuse that an elephant fell on you and made you late is just _.A) inevitableB) indispensableC) incredibleD) incurableC) incredible2. 象征;表示鴿子象征和平。The dove represents peace. 3. 作為.的代表 They said that they represented the committee. 他們說他們代表該委員會。外交部長代表該國出席大會。The

40、 foreign minister represented the country at the conference.representative n.Cn.C1) a typical example, especially of a class. 典型,代表物 The tiger is a common representative of the cat family. 虎是一種普通的貓科動物。 2) 代表,代理人 她是該俱樂部派來參加會議的代表。She is the clubs representative at the convention.8. sophisticated老于世故的；

41、矯揉造作的；老練的,富有經(jīng)驗的；復雜的，精密的，尖端的This process is highly .She is a thoroughly lady.I cant work this new equipment.I felt sick at such a manner.復雜的老于世故的精密的，尖端的矯揉造作的9. stretch1. to become lengthened, widened, or distended. 伸直;伸出;伸長(+out) She stretched out her hand for the dictionary. 她伸手拿字典。2. 延續(xù);連綿This stor

42、y stretches over a whole generation. 這故事穿越整整一代人。The war stretched over four years.沙漠連綿數(shù)千英里。The desert stretches for thousands of miles.那場戰(zhàn)爭延續(xù)了四年。詞組 stretch from to從延伸到加拿大從大西洋一直延伸到太平洋。Canada stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific.Phrases and Expressionsbe associated with associatewith(1) 把某一事與另一事

43、聯(lián)系起來We associate China with the Greet Wall.China is always associated with the Great Wall.我們想起中國, 就聯(lián)想到長城。聯(lián)想be associated withbe related to be connected with/to(2) 結(jié)伙, 參加, 聯(lián)合Dont associate with dishonest boys.不要和不誠實的孩子結(jié)交。associate withrelate toconnect with/to2. be supposed to（1）應該，理應，按理He is supposed

44、 to be there on time. 按理他應準時到那兒。我們理應彼此幫助。（可是并沒有）We are supposed to help each other.你應該盡快將這件事報告給警方。You are supposed to report it to the police.（2）（與否定詞連用）不可，不許，（表示委婉的禁止）You are not supposed to smoke in this building.3. first of allbefore anything else首先，第一首先我必須檢查那個號碼。First of all, I must check that n

45、umber.寫作中表示先后順序的過渡詞語first of all, first, firstly; to begin with, let me begin withsecond, secondly, then, next, since then, meanwhile, afterward,moreoverfinally, eventually, lastly, 4. in advancebefore sth. happens or is expected to happen, ahead of, beforehand提前，事先在之前,比進步I should warn you in advanc

46、e, we may be delayed.預先付款Pay in advance.先行致謝Thank you in advance.如果你能提前讓我知道你是否要來，我將不勝感激。Id appreciate it if you could let me know in advance whetheror not you will be coming.Make a careful plan in advance.in advance of他的思想走在時代的前列。His ideas were in advance of his times.ahead of, in front of5. in ones

47、 name以的名義; 代表; 依憑 in the name of我依法逮捕你.I arrest you in the name of the law.我代表校長歡迎你. I greet you in the name of the president.我以你的名義在我的銀行開了一個帳戶. I opened an account at my bank in your name.6. save upkeep money for future use, not spendHow can you save up for the holiday if you spend money like this?

48、Understanding the Text“Merry”, as you may know, has two meanings: happy and drunk.a.1. full of high-spirited gaiety; jolly.樂的,愉快的 He is in a very merry mood today. 他今天心情極為愉快。 2. 【英】【口】微醉的merrydrunk & drunken都含有“喝醉的”意思drunk 可以表示動作或狀態(tài), 只能作表 語, 如: He was drunk last night. 昨晚他喝醉了。drunken強調(diào)狀態(tài), 一般只能作定

49、語, 如: a drunken soldier 醉酒的士兵。2. Whether you are surrounded by the noisy friendliness of a pub or whether you are seated in the peaceful comfort of someones home, you will be sipping away on a drink.seatvt.vt.to place in or on a seat.使就座 seat oneselfbe seatedHe seated himself in a chair. 他在椅子上坐下。awa

50、y“away” is used to emphasize a continuous actionShe is singing away to herself in the bath.3. If you walk down the main street of several towns in the East end of London just before Christmas, you wont see a large amount of money being spent on presents.Why wont people see a large amount of money be

51、ing spent on presents in the East end of London?London City is divided into the East and the West. In the East end of London live the lower-class people who are poor. On the contrary, the middle, upper class live in the west. Between the East End and the West End: the latter is a shopping district w

52、ith many large department stores andexpensive hotels among which Dorchester is the most famous.The East End was once the poorest district, crowded mainlywith unskilled workers.4. If you have the money or if you are prepared to go into debt, You will participate in the conspicuous consumption that Ch

53、ristmas has come to represent. (Line 13, Para) “conspicuous consumption” means “buying expensive goods in order to show how rich you are.”be prepared to dobe willing to do, be ready to do準備be prepared for sth.Weare prepared to leave.子女們對父親的去世已作好充分的準備。The children have been well prepared for their fa

54、thers death.go into debtget run, fall intoindebt 負債participate in take part in 參加他吸毒上癮，結(jié)果負債累累。He was addicted to drugs. As a result, he went into deep debt. 沒有職業(yè)選手參加這一比賽。No professionals participated in the e to do sth.begin to do sth., especially to have a particular feeling or opinion about sb. or

55、 sth. as a result of time and experience到時候，最終In time you may come to like it .Youve come to mean a lot to me.5. It is supposed to be a time when we perform acts of kindness for people less fortunate than ourselves.be supposed to 被期望或要求; 應該when 在此處是關系副詞，用在表示時間的先行詞如 time, day, yearThere had been a ti

56、me when she thought they were wonderful.People are still talking about the historic events of several years ago, when man took his first walk in space.本課中類似的句子還有They think its just a time when shopkeepers make a lot of moneyand everyone rushes round buying presents they dont want to giveand food the

57、y dont want to eat. For children, the fun begins weeks before when the decorations areput up, and excitement gradually increases as December the 25th approaches.ceremony典禮, 儀式 the opening closing ceremony graduation ceremony prize-awarding ceremony a wedding ceremonyStomach Weeka week in which we ea

58、t more food than we shouldLets get rid of the hypocritical pretence that Christmas is “the season of goodwill.”同位語從句“the season of goodwill”is a season to express good will to others,show sympathy and kindness towards the less fortunate people6. “Its all humbug.” If were going to continue with this

59、wasteful, thoughtless ceremony, then lets be truthful about it, and call it “Stomach Week” but lets get rid of the hypocritical pretence that Christmas is “the season of goodwill”.humbugA dishonest talk, writing or behavior that is intended to deceive people 花招，謊言7. Indeed, whatever shopkeepers gain

60、 out of Christmas, it is still a “holy day”, the words from which “holiday” is derived and it gives people time to pause and concentrate for a moment on non-commercial values.Actually, no matter what shopkeepers get from Christmas, say, money or something else, Christmas is still a “holy day”, fromWhich the