Unit 4 Customs and Traditions Review of Passives 语法衔接活动案例 学案 -2024-2025学年高中英语沪外版必修第一册

Unit 4 Customs and Traditions：Review of Passives 语法衔接活动案例 学案 （教师版） 课题：Review of Passives 课时学习目标： 1. To go over forms, meanings and usages of passives they learned in junior high in the course of guessing and describing Chinese traditional festivals. 2. To use these passives to complete communicative tasks properly and proficiently in the context. Activity: guessing and describing Step 1 Directions: The teacher shows on the screen the following questions about one particular Chinese festival, and then invites student A to ask the questions one by one, which will be answered by the teacher using as many passives as possible. Student A shall take notes while listening. Questions: 1. On which day is this festival celebrated? 2. What activities are held onthis day? 3. What kind of food is eaten onthis day? 4. Is this festival related to a folk legend/cultural belief? 5. Is this festival called______? You may have a conversation like this: Student A: On which day is this festival celebrated? Teacher: It is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. Student A: What activities are held onthis day? Teacher: The most exciting activity is the Dragon Boat race.The Dragon Boats are generally brightly painted and decorated. Crowds of people are attracted to this event. Student A: What kind of food is eaten onthis day? Teacher: The traditional food eaten for this day is called Zongzi. It is a glutinous rice (糯米) ball, with a filling, and is wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. The fillings can be egg, beans, dates, fruits, meat etc. They are generally steamed. Student A: Is this festival related to a folk legend/cultural belief? Teacher: Yes. It is said that there was a great ancient poet named Qu Yuan, who loved his country so dearly. Unable to gain the respect of the emperor, he threw himself into the Mi Low River. The local people were afraid that his body might be eaten by the fish, so they made Zongzi to feed the fish. Student A: Is this festival called the Dragon Boat Festival? Teacher: You got it! Step 2 Directions: The teacher asks student A to give an introduction to this festival according to their previous conversation, using passives where possible. Student A may report like this: The festival is called Dragon Boat Festival. It is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. The most exciting activity held that day is the Dragon Boat race. The Dragon Boats are generally brightly painted and decorated. Crowds of people are attracted to this event. The traditional food eaten is called Zongzi. It is a glutinous rice ball, with a filling, and is wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. The fillings can be egg, beans, dates, fruits, meat etc. They are generally steamed.It is believed that people celebrate this day to memorize a famous ancient poet named Qu Yuan, who loved his country so dearly. Unable to gain the respect of the emperor, he threw himself into the Mi Low River. The local people were afraid that his body might be eaten by the fish, so they made Zongzi to feed the fish. Step 3 Directions: The teacher hands out envelopes of four different colors, each bearing information of a specific Chinese traditional festival. The students may add new information if necessary. Spring Festival *the first day of the first lunar month *house sweeping; paper cutting; red couplets (春联); family reunion dinner; lucky money for kids;firecrackers *dumplings/ “jiaozi” ; rice cake (年糕) * Ancient people were very scared of the beast Nian. So people put up red paper decorations and set firecrackers to drive the beast away. Lantern Festival *the 15th day of the first lunar month; the first full moon in the lunar New Year *decorative lanterns and festoons (彩灯); dancing and singing performances; word-play game called the Latern Riddle; fireworks * “yuan xiao” or sweet rice dumplings *A celestial (天界) swan was shot down by a human hunter. The Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝), decided to punish human beings by sending soldiers to Earth on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. So around that time, every family hung red lanterns outside their doors and set off firecrackers and fireworks, giving the impression that their homes were already burning. In this way, humans were saved. Pure Brightness Day/Tomb-Sweeping Day *the 15th day after the Spring Equinox (春分), around 4th or 5th April *tomb-sweeping and ancestor-remembering; spring outing and kite flying * “qingtuan”, green dumplings made of glutinous rice and Chinese mugwort (艾 蒿) or barley grass *It originated from ancestor belief and spring sacrifice custom in ancient times. It has two meanings of nature and humanity. It is not only a natural solar point, but also a traditional festival. Mid-Autumn Day *the 15th day of the eighth lunar month *reunion dinner, the full moon appreciation; flood tide watching in East China *moon cake *It is associated with legend of Chang-E, who was the wife of Hou Yi, the human hero who shot down eight suns and saved human beings. The beautiful lady accidentally drank the potion elixir (长生药) her husband had asked her to keep and flew to the moon. In memory of Chang-E, she is recognized as the goddess of the moon. Step4 Directions: Students getting the same color of envelopes form a group. The teacher asks each student in one group to find a partner from another group, and exchange their information on the envelopes by organizing a conversation the way it’s done in Step 1. E.g. A (group 1): On which day is this festival celebrated? B (group 3): It is celebrated on … … Step 5 Directions: The teacher asks representatives in each group to introduce in front of the whole class the specific festival according to the information given by his/her partner from another group. He/She is expected to use as many passives as possible. Students then vote for the best presenter. Exercise Activity 1 (Listening) Listen to the following passage about the tradition of western wedding, and finish the exercises below. 1. Read the followingstatements and decide whether they are true (T) or false (F). 1) The wedding tradition has been passed on for a long time. ( ) 2) The wedding dress must be worn by the bride’smother or grandmother. ( ) 3) The bride is suggested to wear something new to show success and hope. ( ) 4) The tradition of something blue has been kept the same all the time. ( ) Reference: T F T F 2. Listen again and fill in the blanks with the proper form of the words in the brackets to complete the summary of the text according to what you’ve heard. The time-honored western wedding tradition of “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” 1) (say) to bring luck and fortune to the newlyweds. So brides 2) (ask) if all of them 3) (gather) on their weddings. First, something old may 4) (carry) by the pride and the wedding dress can be the one that 5) (wear) by their mother or grandmother. Something new 6) (suppose) to be the easiest one to find. As for the borrowed item, it should come from a friend who 7) (happily marry)becausetheir happiness will 8) (fall) on you. Finally, the tradition of something blue 9) (date) back to times when blue symbolizedpurity and love. But overtime this tradition 10) (change). Reference: 1) is said 2) are asked 3) have been gathered 4) be carried 5) was worn 6) is supposed 7) is happily married 8)fall 9) dates 10) has (been) changed 3. Think of one special thing that you think must be done in your dream wedding. Write it using the passive on the line. E.g. In my dream wedding, the wedding dress must be specially designed and made. Reference: In my dream wedding, classic music shall be played throughout the ceremony. I’ve always been imagining that my wedding will beheld in a little chapel. Before the wedding ceremony, the wedding gifts can be opened and shown off in front of the guests invited to my house. During the marriage ceremony, the wedding rings must be engraved with our names and exchanged to show love and loyalty. After the ceremony, a bouquet of flowers will be thrown into the crowd to pass on the luck and fortune. Now ask your classmates about their wedding wishes. Select the most special one to report to the class. *You may ask and respond like this: A: What is the special thing that you think will be done on your wedding ceremony? B: Oh, I have lots of ideas in mind, but the most important thing is that my wedding dress must be handed down by my mother. They say “something old” will bring good luck. You may report like this: I think the most special wish is X’s. She said her wedding dress would be handed down by her mother because she believed in the good luck brought by it. 听力文本 The wedding tradition of“something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” has been around for hundreds of years. Many brides have been asked on their wedding days if they have gathered them. The tradition of carrying or wearing one of each item is said to bring luck and fortune to the newly married couple. Something old … A bride may wear or carry something old to show her continued ties to her family and her old life. Many brides wear a piece of family jewelry as their old item. Some brides wear the wedding dress worn by their mother or grand mother. In many cases, something old may also be something borrowed. Something new … Wearing something new is supposed to show success and hope in the bride's new life and in her marriage. If the bride bought her wedding dress new, it may be seen as her new item, but any item that is new maybe used.Something “new”is usually the easiest one to find. Something borrowed … The borrowed item should be something borrowed from a friend that is happily married. It is suggested that their happiness will fall on you and bring long happiness to your marriage. Some brides borrow an item of clothing, a piece of jewelry, a handkerchief or perhaps a purse. Something blue … Wearing something blue dates back to times when a blue wedding dress was worn to show purity and love. Overtime this has changed from wearing a blue dress to wearing just a blue band around the bottom of the bride’s wedding dress to modern times. Activity 2 (Speaking) Look at the two pictures of Shanghai presenting the contrast between the past and present, and describe the changes. Traditional VS Modern 1. Compare the two pictures and describe what has been done. E.g. Roads have been made wider. Reference: High-rise buildings have been established / erected. Many trees have been planted. More cars and buses have been put on the street. 2. Imagine you are midway between the two, and describe what is in the process of being done. E.g. More trees are being planted so that the city looks greener. Reference: The power lines are being removed to ensure the safety of the citizens. Some road signs are being taken away from the street to make the city tidier. The old buildings are being torn down to make room for skyscrapers. 3. Guess what will be done to make the city a better place. E.g. Self-driving cars will be invented and used by most citizens. Reference: Traffic will be controlled by AI technology. Measures will betaken to deal with the environmental pollution. Urban land will be better planned so that people will be allowed to work from home and given more time with their family. Activity 3 (Reading) Read the following two passages about Christmas celebrations in two different cultures, and make a comparison. Passage 1 Christmas in Britain For most British families, Christmas is certainly the most important public holiday of the year. Christmas songs can be heard in every store.Families decorate their houses in bright colors. Usually a Christmas tree is placed in the front room, shining with colored lights and interesting decorations. People have several weeks off for Christmas. On the morning of Christmas day (December 25), many people go to church to celebrate the birth of Christ. In the afternoon, they stay at home and open and exchange the gifts that were gathered around the tree. Family and friends tend to surprise each other by wrapping the gifts in delicate packaging beforehand. Oftentimes they also send Christmas cards to family and friends wishing them a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Later, they may watch the Queen appear on television to deliver her traditional Christmas message to the whole country. In the evening, the family sit down to a big goose (sometimes turkey) dinner coupled with baked ham,mince pies and some nice wine. They round off the meal with pudding, a Christmas specialty. Many traditions are connected with Christmas. For children, the most important one is that of receiving gifts. On Christmas Eve (December 24), they usually leave a long stocking hanging by the bed or by the fireplace. They hope that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and bring them small presents. They are usually not disappointed.Within the family, parents often give presents to the children. The idea here is that the gifts come from Santa Clause, so it only makes sense to give them while the children are still young enough to believe in Santa. December 26, Boxing Day, is also a public holiday. This is the time to visit friends or watch football. It’s worth noting that Christmas season is usually considered a time forgiving. People are encouraged to help those less fortunate at this time of year—donate a toy for a needy child, or give food to a food drive or homeless shelter so others can enjoy a holiday meal. Perhaps this is where the true meaning of Christmas lies. Passage 2 The Unique Japanese Holiday Called…Christmas! People in Western countries are often surprised to learn that the Japanese celebrate Christmas. To the Westerner who visits Japan at the end of the year, many sights and sounds are familiar: the Santas in the media ads, the big displays and the Christmas music in stores, the lights on the houses, the decorated trees within. However, the Japanese celebration of Christmas is something rather different. For one thing, Christmas is more of a fun beginning to the holidays rather than the main event. In Japan, the most important holiday of the season is New Year’s Day, which comes one week later and when family and friends get together, and Christmas is not officially a holiday at all—most people have to work that day. As a result, people celebrate on Christmas Eve. What do the Japanese do on that evening? Often they go out for dinner at a fancy restaurant. This custom has become very popular, and most good restaurants sell out for that evening. Because so many couples go out on that night, Christmas has become associated with romance, rather like Valentine’s Day in the West. Couples dress up, give each other presents, and enjoy a delicious meal. That brings us to the food for Christmas celebration. Unlike westerners, the Japanese like to eat fried or roast teriyaki (照烧) chicken, fried potatoes, cheese stuffed wonton, etc. The favorite dessert is a “Christmas cake”—a not very sweet cake covered with whipped cream and fruit, which hardly exists in the West. As for gift-giving, besides gifts given between family and friends, there are presents called oseibo, which are given between companies, or presented to the boss, the teacher or other people outside your immediate social circle. It’s part of the Japanese tradition of showing appreciation to those who have performed some type of service for you. Christians make up only a small part of the population, so people are not very familiar with the religious roots of the holiday. Yet the Japanese have shown an amazing ability to absorb other cultures and make Christmas their uniquely own. Find the similarities and differences between British Christmas traditions and Japanese ones, and then complete the table below. Pay special attention to what things are done, and write sentences with the verbs in the passive, where possible. Britain Japan Similarities Date: Christmas falls on December 25. Activities: Houses are decoratedwith bright lights. Music . Gifts . Differences Importance Christmas is consideredthe most important holiday. Christmas . Purpose To celebrate the birth of Christ. To . Food A big goose or turkey dinner is baked ham, , and then the meal is with pudding. are more likely to be eaten, and is most favored. Activities a. On Christmas Eve, a long stocking . b. On Christmas morning, many people . Christmas cards . c. In the afternoon, people and Christmas has become romance because on Christmas Eve. gifts . Later, by the Queen on TV. d. In the Evening, the family . ________________ e. On Boxing Day, people . ________________ People are also encouraged to . Gift-giving Children from parents, although the gifts fromSanta. Presents called “oseibo” are to people who . Others Reference: Britain Japan Similarities Date: Christmas falls on December 25. Activities: Houses are decorated with bright lights. Musicis played everywhere. Gifts are exchanged/given between family andfriends. Differences Importance Christmas is considered the most important holiday. Christmas is not seen so important as the New Year’s Day. Purpose To celebrate the birth of Christ. To serve as a fun beginning to the holidays. Food A big goose or turkey dinner is coupled with baked ham,mince pies and some nice wine, and then the meal is rounded off with pudding. Fried or roast teriyaki chicken, fried potatoes, cheese stuffed wontonare more likely to be eaten, and “Christmas cake” is most favored. Activities a. On Christmas Eve, a long stocking was hung by the bed or fireplace. b. On Christmas morning, many people go to church. Christmas cards are sent to family and friends giving best wishes. c. In the afternoon, people stay at home and gifts are opened and exchanged under the tree. Later, the traditional Christmas message is Christmas has become associated with romance because lovers often go out for a special dinner at a fancy restaurant on Christmas Eve. delivered by the Queen on TV. d. In the Evening, the family sit down to a big dinner. e. On Boxing Day, people visit friends or watch football. People are also encouraged to help those in need. Gift-giving Children receive gifts from parents, although the gifts are believed to come from Santa. Presents called “oseibo” are given / presented to people who have provided certain service for you. Others … … Activity 4 (Writing) Section A Read the following passage about eating culture paragraph by paragraph, and finish exercises 1-3. 1. Choose one passive verb phrase in the box for each blank to complete the paragraph. is served are invited it is eaten are defined is determined are reflected Almost every aspect of food consumption1) by food consumption. Social units 2) by who eats together. For example, in some societies, the nuclear family is the unit that regularly eats together.The anthropologist Mary Douglas has pointed out that, for the English, the kind of meal and the kind of food that 3) relate to the kinds of social links between people who are eating together. She distinguishes between regular meals, Sunday meals when relatives may come, and cocktail parties for acquaintances. The occasion and who is present 4) by the food served. For example, only snacks are served at a cocktail party. It would be inappropriate to serve a steak or hamburgers. The distinctions among cocktails, regular meals, and special dinners mark the social boundaries between those guests who 5) for drinks, those to dinner, and those to a family meal. In this example, the type of food symbolizes the category of guest and with whom 6) . Reference: 1) is determined 2) are defined 3) is served 4) are reflected 5) are invited 6) it is eaten 2. Rewrite the underlined sentences with verbs in the passive, where possible. 1)In some New Guinea societies, cultural traditions don’t allow couples to eat together. 2) The men take their meals in a men’s house, separately from their wives and children. 3)Women prepare and eat their food in their own houses and take the husband’s portion to the men’s house. The women eat with their children in their own houses. This pattern is also widespread among Near Eastern societies.4)People use eating as a metaphor to signify marriage. In many New Guinea societies, like that of the Lesu on the island of New Ireland in the Pacific and that of the Trobriand Islanders, marriage is symbolized by the couple’s eating together for the first time. 5) Eating symbolizes their new status as a married couple. In U.S. society, it is just the reverse. A couple may go out to dinner on a first date. 1) 2) 3) 4) Reference: 1) In some New Guinea societies, couples are not allowed by cultural traditions to eat together. 2) The men’s meals are taken in a men’s house, separately from their wives and children. 3) Eating is used as a metaphor to signify marriage./ Marriage is signified by using eating as a metaphor. 4) Their new status as a married couple is symbolized by eating. 3. Underline and correct the mistakes in this paragraph. Pay special attention to the verb phrases. Other cultural rules have to be done with taboos against eating certain things. In some societies, members of a clan, a type of kin (family) group, don’t allow to eat the animal or bird that is their totemic (图腾的) ancestor. Since they believe themselves to be descended from that ancestor, it would be like eating that ancestor or eating themselves.There is also an association between food prohibitions and rank, which finds in its most extreme form in the caste system of India. A caste system is consisted of ranked groups, each with a different economic specialization. In India, there is an association between caste and the idea of pollution. Members of highly ranked groups can been polluted by coming into contact with the bodily secretions, particularly saliva(唾 液), of individuals of lower-ranked castes. Because of the fear of pollution, Brahmans and other high-ranked individuals will not be shared food with, not eat from the same plate as, not even accept food from an individual from a low-ranking caste. E.g. have to be done with have to do with Reference: don’t allow to eatare finds in its most extreme form is consisted of can been polluted will not be shared not allowed to eat is found in its most extreme form consists of can be polluted will not share Section B Think back on the graduation ceremony in your junior high and write a composition of 100-120 words to describe what happened on that day. Try using passives, where possible. If you have difficulty in writing it, you may refer to the following questions for help: When did the graduation ceremony take place? Where was the ceremony held? By whom was this event watched? What clothes were worn on this special day? What things were done during the ceremony? What was done after the ceremony? My Graduation Ceremony Reference: OurJunior High Graduation Ceremony took place on June 28th, the last day of the school year. As usual it was held in the school gymnasium, and the whole process was watched by our teachers, parents and friends.School uniforms were worn by the graduates. First, our school song was sung together by the students. After that, a speech was made by the graduate who had the best record in school. Then each graduate was presented a diploma or a degree by the headmaster. After the ceremony, students were congratulated by their family and friends. Finally, pictures were taken of all the graduates and teachers, and would be shared among us afterwards. Graduation was really a memorable event! 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$ Unit 4 Customs and Traditions：Review of Passives 语法衔接活动案例 学案 （学生版） 课题：Review of Passives 课时学习目标： 1. To go over forms, meanings and usages of passives they learned in junior high in the course of guessing and describing Chinese traditional festivals. 2. To use these passives to complete communicative tasks properly and proficiently in the context. Activity: guessing and describing Step 1 Directions: Look at the questions about one particular Chinese festival on the screen, listen to the conversation between the teacher and Student A, and take notes if necessary. Questions: 1. On which day is this festival celebrated? 2. What activities are held on this day? 3. What kind of food is eaten on this day? 4. Is this festival related to a folk legend/cultural belief? 5. Is this festival called______? You may have a conversation like this: Student A: On which day is this festival celebrated? Teacher: It is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. Student A: What activities are held on this day? Teacher: The most exciting activity is the Dragon Boat race. The Dragon Boats are generally brightly painted and decorated. Crowds of people are attracted to this event. Student A: What kind of food is eaten on this day? Teacher: The traditional food eaten for this day is called Zongzi. It is a glutinous rice (糯米) ball, with a filling, and is wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. The fillings can be egg, beans, dates, fruits, meat etc. They are generally steamed. Student A: Is this festival related to a folk legend/cultural belief? Teacher: Yes. It is said that there was a great ancient poet named Qu Yuan, who loved his country so dearly. Unable to gain the respect of the emperor, he threw himself into the Mi Low river. The local people were afraid that his body might be eaten by the fish, so they made Zongzi to feed the fish. Student A: Is this festival called the Dragon Boat Festival? Teacher: You got it! Step 2 Directions: Listen to student A give an introduction to this festival according to their previous conversation, using passives where possible. Student A may report like this: The festival is called Dragon Boat Festival. It is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. The most exciting activity held that day is the Dragon Boat race. The Dragon Boats are generally brightly painted and decorated. Crowds of people are attracted to this event. The traditional food eaten is called Zongzi. It is a glutinous rice ball, with a filling, and is wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. The fillings can be egg, beans, dates, fruits, meat etc. They are generally steamed. It is believed that people celebrate this day to memorize a famous ancient poet named Qu Yuan, who loved his country so dearly. Unable to gain the respect of the emperor, he threw himself into the Mi Low river. The local people were afraid that his body might be eaten by the fish, so they made Zongzi to feed the fish. Step 3 Directions: Each student receives a colored envelope bearing information of a specific Chinese traditional festival. Read the information on it and you may add something more if necessary. Step4 Directions: Students getting the same color of envelopes form a group. Then find your partner from another group, and exchange your information on the envelopes by organizing a conversation the way it s (’) done in Step 1. E.g. Student A (group 1): On which day is this festival celebrated? Student B (group 3): It is celebrated on … … Step 5 Directions: Introduce in front of the whole class the specific festival according to the information given by your partner from another group. You are expected to use as many passives as possible. And then you vote for the best presenter. Exercise Activity 1 (Listening) Listen to the following passage about the tradition of western wedding, and finish the exercises below. 1. Read the following statements and decide whether they are true (T) or false (F). 1) The wedding tradition has been passed on for a long time. ( ) 2) The wedding dress must be worn by the bride’s mother or grandmother. ( ) 3) The bride is suggested to wear something new to show success and hope. ( ) 4) The tradition of something blue has been kept the same all the time. ( ) 2. Listen again and fill in the blanks with the proper form of the words in the brackets to complete the summary of the text according to what you’ve heard. The time-honored western wedding tradition of “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” 1) (say) to bring luck and fortune to the newlyweds. So brides 2) (ask) if all of them 3) (gather) on their weddings. First, something old may 4) (carry) by the pride and the wedding dress can be the one that 5) (wear) by their mother or grandmother. Something new 6) (suppose) to be the easiest one to find. As for the borrowed item, it should come from a friend who 7) (happily marry) because their happiness will 8) (fall) on you. Finally, the tradition of something blue 9) (date) back to times when blue symbolized purity and love. But overtime this tradition 10) (change). 3. Think of one special thing that you think must be done in your dream wedding. Write it using the passive on the line. E.g. In my dream wedding, the wedding dress must be specially designed and made. Now ask your classmates about their wedding wishes. Select the most special one to report to the class. *You may ask and respond like this: A: What is the special thing that you think will be done on your wedding ceremony? B: Oh, I have lots of ideas in mind, but the most important thing is that my wedding dress must be handed down by my mother. They say “something old” will bring good luck. You may report like this: I think the most special wish is X’s. She said her wedding dress would be handed down by her mother because she believed in the good luck brought by it. Activity 2 (Speaking) Look at the two pictures of Shanghai presenting the contrast between the past and present, and describe the changes. Traditional VS Modern 1. Compare the two pictures and describe what has been done. E.g. Roads have been made wider. 2. Imagine you are midway between the two, and describe what is in the process of being done. E.g. More trees are being planted so that the city looks greener. 3. Guess what will be done to make the city a better place. E.g. Self-driving cars will be invented and used by most citizens. Activity 3 (Reading) Read the following two passages about Christmas celebrations in two different cultures, and make a comparison. Passage 1 Christmas in Britain For most British families, Christmas is certainly the most important public holiday of the year. Christmas songs can be heard in every store. Families decorate their houses in bright colors. Usually a Christmas tree is placed in the front room, shining with colored lights and interesting decorations. People have several weeks off for Christmas. On the morning of Christmas day (December 25), many people go to church to celebrate the birth of Christ. In the afternoon, they stay at home and open and exchange the gifts that were gathered around the tree. Family and friends tend to surprise each other by wrapping the gifts in delicate packaging beforehand. Oftentimes they also send Christmas cards to family and friends wishing them a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Later, they may watch the Queen appear on television to deliver her traditional Christmas message to the whole country. In the evening, the family sit down to a big goose (sometimes turkey) dinner coupled with baked ham, mince pies and some nice wine. They round off the meal with pudding, a Christmas specialty. Many traditions are connected with Christmas. For children, the most important one is that of receiving gifts. On Christmas Eve (December 24), they usually leave a long stocking hanging by the bed or by the fireplace. They hope that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and bring them small presents. They are usually not disappointed. Within the family, parents often give presents to the children. The idea here is that the gifts come from Santa Clause, so it only makes sense to give them while the children are still young enough to believe in Santa. December 26, Boxing Day, is also a public holiday. This is the time to visit friends or watch football. It’s worth noting that Christmas season is usually considered a time for giving. People are encouraged to help those less fortunate at this time of year—donate a toy for a needy child, or give food to a food drive or homeless shelter so others can enjoy a holiday meal. Perhaps this is where the true meaning of Christmas lies. Passage 2 The Unique Japanese Holiday Called …Christmas! People in Western countries are often surprised to learn that the Japanese celebrate Christmas. To the Westerner who visits Japan at the end of the year, many sights and sounds are familiar: the Santas in the media ads, the big displays and the Christmas music in stores, the lights on the houses, the decorated trees within. However, the Japanese celebration of Christmas is something rather different. For one thing, Christmas is more of a fun beginning to the holidays rather than the main event. In Japan, the most important holiday of the season is New Year’s Day, which comes one week later and when family and friends get together. and Christmas is not officially a holiday at all—most people have to work that day. As a result, people celebrate on Christmas Eve. What do the Japanese do on that evening? Often they go out for dinner at a fancy restaurant. This custom has become very popular, and most good restaurants sell out for that evening. Because so many couples go out on that night, Christmas has become associated with romance, rather like Valentine’s Day in the West. Couples dress up, give each other presents, and enjoy a delicious meal. That brings us to the food for Christmas celebration. Unlike westerners, the Japanese like to eat fried or roast teriyaki (照烧) chicken, fried potatoes, cheese stuffed wonton, etc. The favorite dessert is a “Christmas cake”—a not very sweet cake covered with whipped cream and fruit, which hardly exists in the West. As for gift-giving, besides gifts given between family and friends, there are presents called oseibo, which are given between companies, or presented to the boss, the teacher or other people outside your immediate social circle. It’s part of the Japanese tradition of showing appreciation to those who have performed some type of service for you. Christians make up only a small part of the population, so people are not very familiar with the religious roots of the holiday. Yet the Japanese have shown an amazing ability to absorb other cultures and make Christmas their uniquely own. Find the similarities and differences between British Christmas traditions and Japanese ones, and then complete the table below. Pay special attention to what things are done, and write sentences with the verbs in the passive, where possible. Britain Japan Similarities Date: Christmas falls on December 25. Activities: Houses are decorated with bright lights. Music . Gifts . Differences Importance Christmas is considered the most important holiday. Christmas . Purpose To celebrate the birth of Christ. To . Food A big goose or turkey dinner is baked ham, , and then the meal is with pudding. are more _________________ likely to be eaten, and is most favored. Activities a. On Christmas Eve, a long stocking . b. On Christmas morning, many people . Christmas cards . _____________ c. In the afternoon, people and Christmas has become romance _________________ because on Christmas Eve. gifts . Later, by the Queen on TV. d. In the Evening, the family . _________________ e. On Boxing Day, people . _________________ People are also encouraged to . _________________ Gift-giving Children from parents, although the gifts from Santa. Presents called “oseibo” are to people who . Others Task 4 (Writing) Section A Read the following passage about eating culture paragraph by paragraph, and finish exercise 1-3. 1. Choose one passive verb phrase in the box for each blank to complete the paragraph. is served are invited it is eaten are defined is determined are reflected Almost every aspect of food consumption1) by food consumption. Social units2) by who eats together. For example, in some societies, the nuclear family is the unit that regularly eats together. The anthropologist Mary Douglas has pointed out that, for the English, the kind of meal and the kind of food that 3) relate to the kinds of social links between people who are eating together. She distinguishes between regular meals, Sunday meals when relatives may come, and cocktail parties for acquaintances. The occasion and who is present4) by the food served. For example, only snacks are served at a cocktail party. It would be inappropriate to serve a steak or hamburgers. The distinctions among cocktails, regular meals, and special dinners mark the social boundaries between those guests who 5) for drinks, those to dinner, and those to a family meal. In this example, the type of food symbolizes the category ofguest and with whom 6) . 2. Rewrite the underlined sentences with verbs in the passive, where possible. 1)In some New Guinea societies, cultural traditions don’t allow couples to eat together. 2)The men take their meals in a men’s house, separately from their wives and children. 3)Women prepare and eat their food in their own houses and take the husband’s portion to the men’s house. The women eat with their children in their own houses. This pattern is also widespread among Near Eastern societies. 4)People use eating as a metaphor to signify marriage. In many New Guinea societies, like that of the Lesu on the island ofNew Ireland in the Pacific and that of the Trobriand Islanders, marriage is symbolized by the couple’s eating together for the first time. 5)Eating symbolizes their new status as a married couple. In U.S. society, it is just the reverse. A couple may go out to dinner on a first date. 1) 2) 3) 4) 3. Underline and correct the mistakes in this paragraph. Pay special attention to the verb phrases. Other cultural rules have to be done with taboos against eating certain things. In some societies, members of a clan, a type of kin (family) group, don’t allow to eat the animal or bird that is their totemic (图腾的) ancestor. Since they believe themselves to be descended from that ancestor, it would be like eating that ancestor or eating themselves. There is also an association between food prohibitions and rank, which finds in its most extreme form in the caste system of India. A caste system is consisted of ranked groups, each with a different economic specialization. In India, there is an association between caste and the idea ofpollution. Members of highly ranked groups can been polluted by coming into contact with the bodily secretions, particularly saliva (唾 液), of individuals of lower-ranked castes. Because of the fear of pollution, Brahmans and other high-ranked individuals will not be shared food with, not eat from the same plate as, not even accept food from an individual from a low-ranking caste. E.g. have to be done with have to do with Section B Think back on the graduation ceremony in your junior high and write a composition of 100-120 words to describe what happened on that day. Try using passives, where possible. If you have difficulty in writing it, you may refer to the following questions for help: When did the graduation ceremony take place? Where was the ceremony held? By whom was this event watched? What clothes were worn on this special day? What things were done during the ceremony? What was done after the ceremony? My Graduation Ceremony ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$