Traditional Festivals in Modern Times

3 . As the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Therefore, when you intend to run your business in France, you may as well get to know French culture, make marketing plans, and do business by local laws.

    1    The French take great pride in their language, so anyone who does not speak it may run the risk of being disrespected by his French colleagues or business partners. Also, another reason why learning French is important is that it is a great way to show every possible French business partner that you care and respect their country’s culture and language.

Use first names only after being invited to.    2    The French will sometimes introduce themselves using their surname first, followed by their first name.

Dress well. The French draw information about people based on their appearance. Your business clothing is a reflection of your success and social status.    3    Women are advised to dress simply but elegantly. Wearing make-up is practiced widely by businesswomen.

The French are passionate about food, so lunches are common in doing business in France, which usually consist of an appetizer, a main meal with wine, cheese, dessert and coffee, and normally take up to two hours.    4    

Do not begin eating until the host says “bon appetite”. Pass dishes to the left, keep wrists above the table and try to eat everything on the plate.    5    This may suggest that you find the food tasteless. If eating in a restaurant, the person who makes an invitation always pays.

5 . Today was Mother’s Day. The young woman was feeling a little ______ because she was 800 miles away from her parents.

In the morning she called her mother to ______ her a happy Mother’s Day and her mother told her about the beautiful lilacs (丁香花) in their garden.

Later that day, she told her husband how she ______ those lilacs in her parents’ garden. “I know where we can find some,” he said. “Get the ______ and come on.” So off they went, ______ down the country roads. There on a small hill were a lot of colorful lilacs. The young woman ______ over and buried her face in the flowers, ______ and enjoying them. Carefully she ______ a few and went back to the car.

On the way home the woman held her flowers, ______ all the way. When they were passing a ______, the young woman saw an old granny sitting alone in a wheelchair at the gate.“______!” she said to her husband. Getting off the car, she quickly walked up to the granny and put the ______ in her hands. As their car pulled away, the old granny ______ with a smile and held the lilacs tightly (紧紧地).

When the young mother sat back to the car, her kids asked her ______, “Who is that old granny? Why did you give her ______ flowers?” “I don’t know her. It is Mother’s Day, and she seems so ______ while I have all of you. I believe those flowers ______ much to her.” The kids nodded with ______, looking rather happy.

Now, every Mother’s Day my kids will go to that small ______ and pick some lilacs for me and that old granny. I’m glad that my small act of ______ has a good effect on my kids.

2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

How is everything going? I would like to express my thanks with your kindness during my stay in London last week. Know that you take a great fancy to Chinese culture, especial the Spring Festival, I would love to introduce it to you. The Spring Festival, one of the most important festival in China, falls on January 1st in the lunar calendar. It has a long history, where was originally celebrated to drive away a monster “Nian”. Different that in the past, it is now given new meanings. On the New Year’s Eve, each family have its members gather together. They tell each other their lives in the past year, exchange gifts and to eat delicious meals in the warm of the family. I hope you will come here and experienced this wonderful festival.

Yours,

Li Hua

8 . Saint Patrick’s Day is a major holiday in Ireland, but the rest of the world has influenced its celebration as much as the Irish     1     (they). Most Americans think of Saint Patrick’s Day as a big party     2     (center) around drinking alcohol. But its     3     (origin) in Ireland were religious, says Mike Cronin, a professor of Irish history with Boston College of Massachusetts.

Saint Patrick lived in Ireland more than 2,000 years ago. He is     4     (wide) considered to have established Christianity in the country. The Church decided to honor him with a holy day. March 17, the date of his death,    5     (choose) in the 171h century.

St. Patrick is believed     6     (serve) in Ireland as a Catholic Bishop (主教). The average Irish person honored March 17 quietly.    7     (attend) church services was the main activity. In fact, most businesses that served alcohol would close in honor     8     the day. In the early 1900s, Ireland’s government made St. Patrick’s Day     9     official holiday. By the 1960s, towns across Ireland started celebrating the holiday with parades and music.

In Ireland today, Si. Patrick’s Day is a four-day public celebration     10     includes parades, music, food, and games.

9 . Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for family, health, and life in general. However, Black Friday has turned it into a business.

Traditionally, the true value of Thanksgiving lies at home not the shopping centers. However, Black Friday has nowadays allowed society to ignore this as individuals(个人) long for something that they do not need or even truly want. Shopping on Black Friday becomes a sign of a shift into a culture that values material wealth（财富） over spending time with loved ones. People are willing to force their way through the crowds in their desperate search for marked-down sweaters and necklaces.

In recent years, Thanksgiving has become a pre-Black Friday holiday for many families. They are devoted to mapping out shopping routes and making organized schedules for which stores to hit first. By drawing individuals out to shopping centers with "matchless savings", businesses encourage this behavior of ignoring Thanksgiving. Many families take their home-cooked meals while camping out at the door of shopping centers. With each new year, Thanksgiving is becoming victim to over-commercialized（过度商业化）society—changing from a meaningful time for family to a day devoted to products and shopping.

Black Friday has shown that with current common standards(标准), people cannot even set aside a single day to appreciate what they already have without immediately buying more. Families have lost sight of what is truly important in life, and have found reasons in debating between a low cost HD television and an appreciation for what they already have. Remember, Thanksgiving should be a day in which people are grateful for all that they have.