[00:44.98]Reading FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS
[00:50.65]Ancient Festivals
[00:53.50]Festivals and celebrations of all kinds are held everywhere.
[00:59.56]The most ancient festivals would celebrate the end of the cold weather,
[01:05.23]planting in spring and harvest in autumn.
[01:09.67]Other celebrations were held when hunters could catch animals.
[01:15.13]They would starve if food was difficult to find,
[01:19.49]so they celebrated when they had food.
[01:23.04]They lit fires and made music
[01:26.80]because they thought these festivals would bring a year of plenty.
[01:31.66]Festivals of the Dead
[01:35.43]Some festivals are held to honour the dead,
[01:40.68]or satisfy and please the ancestors,
[01:45.85]who could return either to help or to do harm.
[01:50.58]In Japan the festivals is called Obon,
[01:55.72]when people should go to clean the graves
[01:59.48]and light incense in memory of their ancestors.
[02:04.45]They light lamps and play music
[02:08.71]because they think that this will lead the ancestors back to earth.
[02:13.69]In Mexico they have the Day of the Dead in early November.
[02:19.60]On this important feast day,people might eat food in the shape of skulls,
[02:27.15]and cakes with "bones"on them.
[02:30.91]They offer food,flowers and gifts to the dead.
[02:37.75]The festival of Halloween had its origin as an event in memory of the dead.
[02:44.88]It is now a children's festival,
[02:48.65]when they can go to their neighbours'homes and ask for sweets.
[02:54.29]They dress up and try fo frighten people.If they are not given anything,
[03:01.24]the children might play a trick.
[03:04.71]Festivals to Honour People
[03:08.37]Festivals can be held as an honour to famous people or to the gods.
[03:14.61]One of these is the Dragon Boat Festival in China,
[03:19.37]which honours the famous ancient poet,Qu Yuan.
[03:24.04]Another is Columbus Day in the USA,
[03:28.40]in memory of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America.
[03:33.26]In India there si a national festival on October 2 to honour Mahatma Gandhi,
[03:41.20]the leader who helped gain India's independence from Britain.
[03:45.96]Harvest Festivals
[03:49.51]Harvest and Thanksgiving festivals can be very happy events.
[03:56.67]People are grateful because their food is gathered for the winter,
[04:02.73]and because a season of agricultural work is over.
[04:07.98]In European contries it is the custom ot decorate churches
[04:14.75]and town halls with flowers and fruit,
[04:19.19]and people get together to have meals.
[04:22.95]Some people might win awards for their animals,flowers,fruit and vegetables,
[04:30.89]like the biggest watermelon or the most handsome rooster.
[04:36.66]In China and Japan there are mid-autumn festivals,
[04:42.83]when people admire the moon and give gifts of mooncakes.
[04:49.59]Spring Festivals
[04:52.65]The most energetic and important festivals
[04:56.91]are the ones that look forward to the end of winter
[05:00.98]and to the coming of spring.
[05:04.04]At the Spring Festival in Chian,people eat dumpling,fish and meat,
[05:10.52]and may give children lucky money in red paper.
[05:14.57]There are dragon dances and carnivals,
[05:19.14]and families celebrate the lunar New Year together.
[05:23.08]In some Western countries there are very exciting carnivals,
[05:28.54]which take place forty days before Easter,usually in February.
[05:34.42]They might include parades,dancing in the streets day and night,
[05:40.19]loud music and colourful clothing of all kinds.
[05:44.63]Easter is an important religious and social festival in Christian countries.
[05:51.40]It celebrates the return of Jesus for Christians
[05:56.15]and it also celebrates the coming of spring.
[05:59.92]In Japan,the Cherry Blossom Festival happens a little later.
[06:06.39]The country is covered with cherry tree flowers
[06:10.23]so that it looks as though it might be covered with pink snow.
[06:14.67]People love to get together to eat,drink and have fun with each other
[06:21.20]Festivals let us enjoy life,
[06:25.28]be proud of our customs and forget our daily life for a little while.
[06:31.03]Using Language Listening
[06:41.89]There is a big and famous carnival in Trinidad very February.
[06:49.44]Li Mei and Wu Ping are visiting Trinidad
[06:54.72]any they are getting ready to go to the carnival parade.
[06:59.58]Listen to the tape and find out what the plans for the parade are.
[07:05.51]Then answer the questions.
[09:14.97]Reading A SAD LOVE STORY
[09:25.42]Li Fang was heart-broken.It was Valentine's Day
[09:30.98]and Hu Jin had said she would meet him at the coffee shop after work.
[09:36.86]But she didn't turn up.She could be with her friends right now laughing at him.
[09:44.02]She said she would be there at seven o'clock,
[09:48.57]and he thought she would keep her word.
[09:52.22]He had looked forward to meeting her all day,
[09:56.79]and now he was alone with his roses and chocolates,like a fool.
[10:02.75]Well,he was not going to hold his breath for her to apologise.
[10:09.20]He would drown his sadness in coffee.
[10:13.17]It was obvious that the manager of the coffee shop was waiting for Li Fang to leave
[10:20.62]-he wiped the tables,then sat down and turned on the TV
[10:26.57]-just what Li Fang needed!A sad Chinese story about lost love.
[10:33.52]The seventh daughter of the Goddess of Heaven visited the earth.
[10:39.56]Her name was Zhinu,the weaving girl,and she was the most lovely of the daughters.
[10:46.79]While she was on earth she met the herd boy Niulang and they fell in love.
[10:54.94]("Just like me and Hu Jin,"though Li Fang.)
[10:59.80]They got married secretly,and they were very happy.
[11:04.76]("We could be like that,"though Li Fang.)
[11:08.84]When the Goddess of Heaven knew that her daughter was married to a human,
[11:14.59]she became very angry and made the weaving girl return to Heaven.
[11:21.14]Niulang tried to follow her,but the river of stars,the Milky Way,stopped him.
[11:29.08]Finding that Zhinu was heart-broken,
[11:33.03]her mother finally decided to let the couple cross the Milky Way to meet once a year.
[11:39.98]This happens when the stars Vega and Altair meet in the Heaven.
[11:45.72]Magpes make a bridge of their wings so the couple can cross the river
[11:52.07]to meet on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
[11:56.72]People in China hope that the weather will be fine on that day,
[12:02.49]because if it is raining,it means that Zhinu is weeping
[12:07.75]and the couple won't be able to meet.
[12:11.51]The announcer said,"This is the story of Qiqiaojie.
[12:17.44]When foreigners hear about the story,
[12:20.81]they call it a Chinese Valentine's story.
[12:25.17]It's a fine day today,so I hope you can all meet the one you love."
[12:30.81]As Li Fang set off for home,he thought,"I guess Hu Jin doesn't love me.
[12:38.47]I'll just throw these flowers and chocolates away.
[12:42.83]I don't want them to remind me of her."So he did.
[12:47.79]As he sadly passed the tea shop on the corner on his way home,
[12:53.54]he heard a voice calling him.
[12:57.09]There was Hu Jin waving at him and calling,
[13:01.64]"Why are you so late?I've been waiting for you for a long time!
[13:08.11]And I have a gift for you!"
[13:11.28]What would he do?He had thrown away her Valentine gifts!
[13:17.52]She would never forgive him.This would not be a happy Valentine's Day! |