1 . 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.
1. Which of the following festivals has something with Christmas?| A．Soyal. | B．Saturnalia. |
| C．Midwinter in Antarctica. | D．Dong Zhi. |
| A．They fall on the same day. |
| B．They welcome protective spirits. |
| C．They mark the end of the year’s harvest. |
| D．Their celebrations all include gift-giving. |
| A．News. | B．Sports. | C．Culture. | D．Weather. |
Dear Li Ming,
How is everything? I’m very happy that the holidays are coming. I want to go to your hometown to visit you in September. Is this good? What’s the weather like in your hometown? And what should I take with me?
I know Mid-autumn Festival comes in September, and it is a very important festival for you celebrate it? I’m looking forward to your reply.
Best wishes to your parents!
Yours,
Tina
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1. 减少聚集，注意防护；
2. 帮助父母，增进了解；
3. 读书锻炼，健康身心；
4. ……
提示词：新冠肺炎COVID-19
注意：1. 词数80-100；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 信中不能出现与本人相关的信息；
4. 开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Mike,
I’m writing to tell you how I will spend the coming special summer holiday.
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May both of us can spend the holiday happily and safely.
Yours,
Li Hua
1. Whom is the party for?
| A．Lisa. | B．Jane. | C．Ted. |
| A．Play some games. | B．Bring Jane along. | C．Watch a video. |
1.庆祝活动；
2.你的感受。
注意：1.词数80左右；
2.短文题目已为你写好。
An Unforgettable Birthday
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6 . Christmas is a very important festival in the west. However, different countries celebrate Christmas in different ways.
In England
Christmas is celebrated on December 25th. Christmas dinner is usually a roast turkey with Christmas pudding for dessert. Christmas decorations must be taken down on the twelfth day after Christmas otherwise it brings bad luck for the rest of the year.
In Australia
In Australia, it never snows at Christmas because Christmas is in the summer holiday. A traditional Christmas dinner is often held in the backyard for BBQ’s, picnics in the garden or even on the beach. People call the Christmas season the “silly season”. Christmas is a deeply religious festival. The Christmas season officially begins on December 8th. Christmas Eve is known as the “Good Night”.
In Germany
In Germany, people hold special markets every December that specialize in selling decorations and other Christmas related goods. People make and drink a special wine, which is called “mulled wine”. Christmas goose is also needed by many people. Families gather together on Christmas Eve to open their presents.
In Russia
Russian Christmas is very interesting because they celebrate Christmas twice and Christmas on December 25th is not for many Russians with religious beliefs. They celebrate Christmas on January 7th to commemorate (纪念) the birthday of Jesus. However, even more influential is still on December 25th when the streets and main venues of Christmas decorations are colorful. Christmas goose is traditionally eaten by people on Christmas Eve.
1. Why do British take down Christmas decorations on the twelfth day after Christmas?| A．To present them to relatives. | B．To sell them in special markets. |
| C．To make small gifts. | D．To avoid bad luck. |
| A．England. | B．Australia. | C．Germany. | D．Russia. |
| A．People celebrate Christmas twice a year. |
| B．People eat Christmas goose on Christmas Eve. |
| C．People celebrate Christmas in the summer holiday. |
| D．People make and drink a special wine on Christmas Eve. |
| A．Tips on how to have a pleasant Christmas. |
| B．Different ways to celebrate Christmas in four countries. |
| C．Comparison between different attitudes towards Christmas. |
| D．Suggestions given to tourists when travelling during Christmas. |
7 . Do you love seeing beautiful lanterns outside? The best time to do this is during the Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the first lunar (阴历) month. This year it is on Feb22, marking the end of Spring Festival celebrations.
Lanterns are a big part of the festival. One story says that the bright lanterns show respect for gods. Another says that people light lanterns to celebrate the declining (消退的) darkness of winter.
Watching lanterns is a great event. You see lanterns in any sizes and shapes you can imagine, from animals to plants and flowers. To make this activity more fun, people paste (粘贴) riddles (谜语) on the lanterns. “Ten plus ten, still is ten, ten minus ten, again is ten.” Guess what? It is a pair of gloves.
In some places, people like releasing sky lanterns, which are called Kongming lanterns. A sky lantern is a small hot air balloon made of paper, with an opening at the bottom, where there is a small fire source. When the bright lights fly high in the sky, people bless family members and make wishes. Releasing river lights is also a way to bless for each other. Usually, the lights are in the shape of a lotus (荷花).
In old times, the Lantern Festival was also romantic. At that time, young girls were not allowed to go out very often except during certain festivals. Therefore, looking at lanterns gave young people a chance to meet each other. A line from Xin Qiji, a poet during the Song Dynasty, shows this: “Anxiously, I searched for her in thousands, hundreds of ways. Suddenly I turned, and there she was in the declining light.”
1. When do people celebrate the Lantern Festival?| A．On the 22nd day of the first lunar month. |
| B．On the 15th day of the first solar month. |
| C．On the 22nd day of February every year. |
| D．On the 15th day of the first lunar month. |
| A．People paste riddles to show off their knowledge. |
| B．Young girls were not allowed to go out on the day. |
| C．People light lanterns to drive animals away. |
| D．People make wishes when releasing lights. |
| A．Sad. | B．Scared. | C．Romantic. | D．Anxious. |
| A．The Origin of the Lantern Festival |
| B．River Lights on the Lantern Festival |
| C．Celebrations of the Lantern Festival |
| D．A day to Guess Lantern Riddles |
Mid-Autumn Festival this year falls on Oct 1. In a recent survey
To celebrate, families will usually enjoy a dinner together and eat moon-cakes,which
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A dear friend of mine recently celebrated her
At the party, she prepared cards, which she’d written to each guest
So my gift to her was that during the
10 . When I was a kid, I really looked forward to all holidays.
| A．I knew what they meant for me. |
| B．It’s more about bringing back good memories. |
| C．I think the feeling of surprise never seems to disappear. |
| D．Food has always been the center part of many holidays. |
| E．Holidays are perfect occasions to enjoy some easy time with our family. |
| F．The most important part of any holiday is the gathering of the whole family. |
| G．The longer you prepare it, the more satisfied you will be later when it’s done. |
