2 . 假定你是李华，寒假结束，你的朋友Simon写信询问你假期过的如何。请你回复邮件。

注意：

1. 写作词数应为80左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Simon,

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua

5 . Winter Solstice Celebrations From Around the World

The winter solstice (冬至), the longest night of the year, falls on December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and June 20 or 21 in the Southern. Since ancient times, people all over the world have celebrated this important astronomical occurrence in different ways. Here are some solstice traditions both new and old to help light your way to longer days.

Soyal

Soyal is the winter solstice celebration of the Hopi Indians of northern Arizona. Ceremonies and rituals include purification, dancing, and sometimes gift-giving. On the day, Hopi welcome the protective spirits from the mountains.

Saturnalia

The ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia is perhaps the most closely linked with the modern celebration of Christmas. This festival happened around the time of the winter solstice and celebrated the end of the planting season. There were games and feasts and gift-giving for several days.

Midwinter in Antarctica

Even Antarctica gets its share of solstice celebration, thanks to the researchers staying there over the long, dangerously cold season. While those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are enjoying the most daylight hours, in the Southern Hemisphere they are celebrating Midwinter. Festivities include special meals, films, and sometimes even handmade gifts.

Dong Zhi

Dong Zhi, the “arrival of winter”, is an important festival in China. It is a time for family to get together and celebrate the year they have had. The holiday generally falls between the 21st and 23rd of December. It is thought to have started as an end-of-harvest festival. Special foods, such as Tang Yuan and Jiaozi, are enjoyed. Friends and family members occasionally express their blessings and care to each other through gifts.

Cheering, dancing and singing, local people and tourists gathered around the fire during the Torch Festival of the Yi People in Bijie’s Hezhang county, Guizhou, on Aug 12. The festival     1     (list) as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2011. 

    2     there are many versions about the origins of the festival, it mostly related to the     3     (nature) worship of fire. For the early Yi people     4     lived in high-altitude mountainous areas, fire was essential     5     light, warm, and cook food. There was     6     old practice: Before     7     (bring) animal meat into the home, a small fire must first be lit outside the door and the meat should     8     (smoke) on the fire to drive away filth (污秽). That’s why the Yi people have a proverb that says, “Everything you eat must ‘see’ fire .” In farming, they used to light     9     (pile) of branches and leaves and bury them in the ground later, using them     10     (fertilize) the land. The Yi people used to celebrate the festival as a way to pray for a good harvest and to drive away evil from their home and farmland. Today, it has become a social event.

It’s my honor to be here to share my opinion ...

Li Hua

Cheering, dancing and singing, local people and tourists gathered around the fire during the Torch Festival of the Yi People in Bijie, Guizhou, on Aug 12. The festival     1     (list) as a national intangible cultural heritage(非物质文化遗产) in 2011.

There are different stories about how the festival started. But     2     (probable) it was because of the natural worship(崇拜) of fire by the Yi people. Fire was important since their ancestors could use it to bring light as well as     3     (warm) and cook food. One Yi ethnic proverb says, “Everything you eat must’see’ fire.” This is due to     4     old practice. Before bringing meat into the home from the outside, a small fire must first be lit outside and the meat should be smoked on the fire. In farming, fire was used     5     (light) piles of branches and leaves,     6     were later buried in the ground.

The Yi people used to celebrate the harvest, as a way to pray for a good harvest and drive away evil from their homes and farmland. Today it has become a     7     (society) event where people come together to light torches and join in various     8     (activity) such as building bonfires, horse racing, wrestling, bullfighting and beauty contests. The festival also provides people     9     a chance to expand their circle of friends. Through the festival, the Yi people not only share their joy and thanks for their good life,     10     get more people to understand their lifestyle and traditions.