1. Unit 5 How to Celebrate Holidays []

2. Objectives To get to know the brief history of some major holidays To grasp the main purpose of this writing

3. To understand the author’s literary( 文学的 ) writing style To be able to write letters of gratitude

4. Lead-in Activities Discussion Do you think people are too busy to spend many important occasions with their families? Last winter, many migrant workers who wanted to go home were stuck in the train stations in South China due to the snowstorm, what is your opinion on that?

5. People have a great number of means to spend holidays, such as traveling, camping, partying, etc. What is your favorite way to celebrate holidays?

6. Writing Three Thank-you Letters By Alex Haley,( American writer of Roots) published on November21, 1982 by Parade Magazine

7. Words and expressions Para1 Under way– in motion or operation, having started and making progress Eg. The nationwide medical reform is now under way.

8. Cultural Notes Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is celebrated in the US on the forth Thursday in November. For many Americans it is the most important holiday apart from Christmas.

9. Thanksgiving is associated with the time when Europeans first came to North America. In 1620 the ship Mayflower arrived, bringing 150 people, among whom many died of hunger and coldness.

10. Today people celebrate thanksgiving to remember these early days. The most important part of the celebration is a traditional dinners with foods that come from North America.

11. In the following summer Native Americans showed them what foods were sage to eat, so that they could save food for the next winter. They held a big celebration to thank God and the Native Americans for the fact that they had survived.

12. The Pilgrims The English Puritans 清教徒 who went to America and founded the colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts. pilgrims 朝圣者 eg. The pilgrims are on their way to Mecca.

13. Para 1 Most holds…the other holds --the ‘hold’ on a ship 货舱 Padded racks 垫过的架子 a padded seat/padded envelop a jacket with padded shoulders

14. Para4 Afterdeck 后甲板 Draught [drα:ft] 气流

15. Para 3 …put everything away… --remove something to a place where it is usually stored Eg. The kids are asked to put the toys away in the cupboard.

16. Para 5 I go to thinking about Thanksgiving. Get/go to + sth/doing sth --begin to deal with or give serious thought to Eg. I have got to wondering why I took this course.

17. Para 6 In quest of --looking for/searching for/seeking Eg. I went to the school library in quest of Roots.

18. Para 6 Reverse -- turn around to the opposite direction; exchange the position of Eg. Why don’t you reverse the order so that I play first and she plays second?

19. Para 8 Yet my mind continued turning the idea over. --think about; consider

20. Para 10 I realized, swallowing hard… --often because of being nervous or frightened. Here the author tried to control his sad emotions by doing it.

21. Para 10 So they were forever beyond any possible expression of gratitude form me. --they cannot receive my gratitude forever as they have passed away.

22. Para 10 Cabin 船舱；机舱 Cabinet 储藏柜 The Cabinet 内阁

23. Para 11 genuine –faithful; sincere Statement –sth that is said or written, esp. formally and officially

24. Para 11 Grammar school --a type of secondary school which provides academic (contrasted with technical) courses

25. Para12 On one’s behalf/on the behalf of sb --for sb; in the interests of sb; as the representative of sb Eg. He delivered a speech on the behalf of all the graduates on Graduation Day.

26. Para13 Diminish—make or become smaller or less Eg. Time will not diminish our friendship so immersed in -- so absorbed in; engaged in deeply

27. Para 15 the equal of which I had not found since --since then I hadn’t found any cooking as good as hers

28. Para 17 Sometimes, when we were at sea, a mil ship would rendezvous and bring us mail from home. rendezvous n. point of assembling /v. to assemble

29. Para 17 We accorded topmost priority. accord --grant The headmaster accorded me permission to attend the seminar.

30. Para 18 Two hundred-odd shipmates came pounding up on deck… two hundred or so

31. Para 19 Humble Being modest by lowering oneself Eg. …my humble house…

32. Para 22 Undergo –go through, experience Eg. No one can force you to undergo a medical examination. Swift—rapid, prompt Eg. Because of the swift, enormous growth of the urban areas many farmers left their villages in quest of work.

33. Para 23 … a finished page would consume hours… --cost 耗费 Eg. This job is extremely time-consuming. --who she used to diaper --change diaper 换尿布

34. Writing Strategy --how to write thank-you letter Read the four sample thank-you letters on p184 Seek the features about writing thank-you letters and take a look at the writing strategy on p185

35. Assignment To read text B Where Is Home? To write three thank-you letters in the name of our author to the three people he mentioned in the article

36. Requirements Your three thank-you letters should be written in accordance with the requirement on P185. You need to use unrepeated words to express you gratitude to the three people.