2007/03/19
Monday
English Around You
1.Warm-up game (10 mins)Which word doesn’t belong in the group?
Example: gold, iron, silk, copper, lead
1. chapter, novelist, paperback, plot, viewer
2. baggy, plain, striped, suede, tight
3. dress up, elegant, scruffy, smart, well-dressed
4. appalling, awful, dreadful, lousy, terrific
5. plump, skinny, slim, thin, underweight
6. curly, dreadlocks, freckles, fringe, redhead
7. delighted, ecstatic, over the moon, thrilled, upset
8. heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, ribs
1. barge, canoe, ferry, speedboat, van
2. briefcase, in-tray, pencil sharpener, sellotape, stapler
3. copper, mahogany, oak, pine, walnut
4. bake, boil, fry, roast, slice
5. mutter, scream, sigh, stare, whisper
6. blackmail, court, evidence, jury, trial
7. chalet, cottage, lawn, mansion, semi-detached
8. censorship, editor, journalist, quiz show, tabloid
2. China and its everything (20 mins)Qingming Festival
The Qingming (Pure Brightness) Festival is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China, falling on April 4-6 each year. After the festival, the temperature will rise up and rainfall increases. It is the high time for spring plowing and sowing. But the Qingming Festival is not only a seasonal point to guide farm work, it is more a festival of commemoration.
The Qingming Festival sees a combination of sadness and happiness.
This is the most important day of sacrifice. Both the Han and minority ethnic groups at this time offer sacrifices to their ancestors and sweep the tombs of the diseased. Also, they will not cook on this day and only cold food is served.
The Hanshi (Cold Food) Festival was usually one day before the Qingming Festival. As our ancestors often extended the day to the Qingming, they were later combined.
On each Qingming Festival, all cemeteries are crowded with people who came to sweep tombs and offer sacrifices. Traffic on the way to the cemeteries becomes extremely jammed. The customs have been greatly simplified today. After slightly sweeping the tombs, people offer food, flowers and favorites of the dead, then burn incense and paper money and bow before the memorial tablet.
In contrast to the sadness of the tomb sweepers, people also enjoy hope of Spring on this day. The Qingming Festival is a time when the sun shines brightly, the trees and grass become green and nature is again lively. Since ancient times, people have followed the custom of Spring outings. At this time tourists are everywhere.
People love to fly kites during the Qingming Festival. Kite flying is actually not limited to the Qingming Festival. Its uniqueness lies in that people fly kites not during the day, but also at night. A string of little lanterns tied onto the kite or the thread look like shining stars, and therefore, are called "god's lanterns."
The Qingming Festival is also a time to plant trees, for the survival rate of saplings is high and trees grow fast later. In the past, the Qingming Festival was called "Arbor Day". But since 1979, "Arbor Day" was settled as March 12 according to the Gregorian calendar.
清明节
清明是我国的二十四节气之一。由于二十四节气比较客观地反映了一年四季气温、降雨、物候等方面的变化，所以古代劳动人民用它安排农事活动。但是，清明作为节日，与纯粹的节气又有所不同。节气是我国物候变化、时令顺序的标志，而节日则包含着一定的风俗活动和某种纪念意义。因此，这个节日中既有祭扫新坟生别死离的悲酸泪，又有踏青游玩的欢笑声，是一个富有特色的节日。
清明节是我国传统节日，也是最重要的祭祀节日，是祭祖和扫墓的日子。扫墓俗称上坟，祭祀死者的一种活动。汉族和一些少数民族大多都是在清明节扫墓。由于清明与寒食的日子接近，而寒食是民间禁火扫墓的日子，渐渐的，寒食与清明就合二为一了，而寒食既成为清明的别称，也变成为清明时节的一个习俗，清明之日不动烟火，只吃凉的食品。
按照旧的习俗，扫墓时，人们要携带酒食果品、纸钱等物品到墓地，将食物供祭在亲人墓前，再将纸钱焚化，为坟墓培上新土，折几枝嫩绿的新枝插在坟上，然后叩头行礼祭拜，最后吃掉酒食回家。
与清明节扫墓的悲哀相反，人们在这个春光明媚的日子里，也一样是可以享受生活的。
放风筝也是清明时节人们所喜爱的活动。每逢清明时节，人们不仅白天放，夜间也放。夜里在风筝下或风稳拉线上挂上一串串彩色的小灯笼，象闪烁的明星，被称为“神灯”。
清明前后，春阳照临，春阳照临，春雨飞洒，种植树苗成活率高，成长快。因此，自古以来，我国就有清明植树的习惯。有人还把清明节叫作“植树节”。植树风俗一直流传至今。1979年，人大常委会规定，每年三月十二日为我国植树节。这对动员全国各族人民积极开展绿化祖国活动，有着十分重要的意义。
3. Randall’s listening (20 mins) Talking about family
1. Where is Pancho from?
A. Paraguay B. Peru C. Portugal
2. How many brothers and sisters does Pancho have?
A. 11 B. 12 C. 13
3. What is his father's job?
A. taxi driver B. dentist C. police officer
4. What does his mother do?
A. She owns a beauty salon.B. She runs a small family store.C. She works at a bread shop.
5. Which thing does Pancho NOT say?
A. His brothers and sisters help his mom.B. His mom sells food like eggs and sugar.
C. His mother enjoys her job very much.
Carl: Hi. My name's Carl. Nice to meet you.
Pancho: Nice to meet you, too. My name is Francisco.
Carl: What?
Pancho: Francisco, but all my (1) and family back in Peru call me Pancho.
Carl: Okay, Pancho. So, (2) me about your family?
Pancho: Well, I have (3) brothers and six sisters.
Carl: Wow. That is a (4) family. So are you the oldest, Pancho?
Pancho: No. I'm the second oldest in my family.
Carl: So, what do your (5) do?
Pancho: My father is a (6) driver in Lima, Peru. It's a hard job, but he works hard to (7) the family.
Carl: How about your mother?
Pancho: She helps (8) a small family store with some of my older brothers and sisters.
Carl: What kind of store?
Pancho: We (9) sell food, like bread, eggs, soft drinks, rice, sugar, and cookies. Things that people (
10) every day.
4.Supplements (20 mins) A Psalm of Life 人生礼颂 by Herry Wadsworth Longfellow
Tell me not in mournful numbers, 请别用哀伤的诗句对我讲；
Life is but an empty dream! 人生呵，无非是虚梦一场！
For the soul is dead that slumbers 因为沉睡的灵魂如死一般，
And things are not what they seem. 事物的表里并不一样。
Life is real! Life is earnest! 人生是实在的！人生是热烈的！
And the grave is not its goal;
人生的目标决不是坟墓；
Dust thou art , to dust returnest, 你是尘土，应归于尘土。
Was not spoken of the soul. 此话指的并不是我们的精神。
Not enjoyment , and not sorrow, 我们的归宿并不是快乐，
Is our destined and our way; 也不是悲伤，
But to act, 实干
That much to-morrow. 才是我们的道路，
Find us farther than to-day. 每天不断前进，蒸蒸蒸日上。
Art is long , and time is fleeting. 光阴易逝，而艺海无涯，
And our hearts , though stout and brave. 我们的心哪——虽然勇敢坚强，
Still , like muffled drums , are beating 却像被布蒙住的铜鼓，
Funeral marches to the grave。常把殡葬的哀乐擂响。
In the world’s broad field of battle,
在这人生的宿营地，
In the bivouac of Life, 在这辽阔的世界战场，
Be not like dumb,driven cattle!
别做无言的牲畜任人驱赶，
Be a hero in the strife!
做一名英雄汉立马横枪！
Trust no future.howe’er pleasant!
别相信未来，哪怕未来多么欢乐！
Let the dead Past bury its dead! 让死去的往昔将死亡一切埋葬！
Act,act in the living Present! 上帝在上，我们胸怀勇气，
Let us,then,be up and doing, 让我们起来干吧，
With a heart for any fate; 下定决心，不管遭遇怎样；
Still achieving,still pursuing 不断胜利，不断追求，
Learn to labour and to wait. 要学会苦干和耐心等待。
The poetry above was I picked from the Book "100 poems of life "which is an monumental work of the Master from various time of English history .The one I choosed was writen by Henry wadsworth Longfellow. I had read that poem several times that each time I read it I think over it for a time of longth. I completely accept his thought that ONlY ACTION can make us possess our own meaning in an ordinary either marvelous world .I like it very much this sentence "For the soul is dead that slumbers " It's the truth I always trust .It's the reality that people living in our world have affected by many and many acters such as different kinds of feeling in the inner world towards life ,different affections from the outer surronding world .The result of the outer affection is that we can't make any progress for the circumstance influence. Such as the death of those dear friends ,the sliping away of time, the frustraction of life and so on it put its influence on us for the fact we don't want to accept or face it. Then, we sojourn in the sadness or madness ofourselves unwilling to accept and unwilling to forget ...
Once upon a time,I had a experience that effect me greatly at that monment. When we were preparing for the entrance examination Of University on the second semester of Grade three in the high school, one best friend of mine was leaving school without taking the examination which was the most meanful exam during our high school time. I just can not accept it completely when I got the news treating its a rumour.I called her whether she had chose to give up to take the national exams ,why not staying together with us ,Which I got was that she had decided that she had no choice because there was no future by taking the exams with her poor scores and her familly did not support her to go on the last term 's studying any longer and the words she left for me was that I need make the best answer for three year's hard-working then she could make me as her honour .I could not take it easily completely by who was always the company of my studying and living , whose feature was always standing before my face whose appearance was not dying away by any means.The moment she went away what left for me to do was staying before the desk covering my head with hands and crying and crying again with uncontrolable tears running down .But I just can't accept its the truth,I spoke to myselfwhy God was so cruel to her and to me that we had no chance to study and encourage each other any more in the most important moment of our studying time. Several days after her leaving ,I still couldn't return to myself as having lostthe most crucial thing . No matter who talking to me and trying to make me feel ease was totally useless. Even once time the teacher who was in charge of our class had talked me about my condition that couldn't serve me my final exams very well and I should try to modulate it to the best way! The result was the same and I was affected by it too greatly even myself couldn't completely understand that why I can't put it away by any chance but replacing by puting the long year' ideal of familly members away which was also my dear friend's hope. Time pasted quickly and the exams finally came near that I could not take the most favourate condition for preparing for the exams.Finally I was received by a school not famous for any subjects or making any honor of my dear person
Even we are tiding along in this world ,we would pay attention to the most important thing which you appreciate and could not accept if it has any loss or any change ,even so we have the best choice that to make the world turn away all the same not just sojourning in the narrow place .Life is full of eparting, meeting again, reaching the place you want to go to not only one way, even yesterday was past there is still tomorrow left for our living being.
Even yesterday was unforgettable and then future is trustfulless, at least we have today. So my buddy make most use of today not leaving any chance to say sorry or take your determination to step forward with the most beautiful prospect or brave when bad chance is coming.
Just welcome the life which is coming and moving upward !
[ 本帖最后由 gsm0002 于 2007-3-17 13:40 编辑 ] |
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