1. Festivals around the world
Unit 1
Festivals around the world
Using language

2. Reading and writing Free talk
When is Valentine’s Day? Do you know its origin?
2. What do people do on Valentine’s Day?
3. Do you think only lovers send gifts to
each other on that day?

3. Valentine’s Day or Saint Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the English-speaking countries, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine’s cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery.

4. Do we have our own Valentine’s Day in China?
Qiqiao Festival
the seventh day of the seventh lunar month

5. Chinese Valentine’s Day
the Double Seventh Day

6. Fast reading True or False
The girl Li Fang loved and waited for didn’t turn up.( )
Because her most lovely grand daughter got married to a human secretly, the Goddess got very angry.( )
Zhinv was made to return to Heaven without
her husband. They were allowed to meet once a year on the seventh day of the tenth lunar month.( )
4. Hu Jin had been waiting for Li Fang for a long time with a gift for him.( ) F T F T

7. Read carefully and answer the following questions.
Careful reading
Read carefully and answer the following questions.
1. How did Li Fang feel at the beginning of the
story? Why?
He felt like a fool. Because Hu Jin didn’t come to meet him at the coffee shop.
2. What was Li Fang afraid that Hu Jin was
doing?
He was afraid that she was with her friend
laughing at him.

8. 3. How did Li Fang know the manager wanted
to shut the coffee shop?
The manager wiped the tables, then sat down and turned on the TV.
4. Why did Hu Jin not meet on time?
Because Hu Jin waited in the tea shop.
5. How did Li Fang feel at the end of the
story? Why?
He was worried because he had thrown away Hu Jin’s Valentine’s gifts.

9. With a partner, answer the following questions.
1. Why was the TV story what Li Fang needed?
The TV story was a sad story about lost love – the same situation as Li Fang.
2. Why do people want the weather to be fine
on Qiqiao Festival?
People want the weather to be fine so they can meet the one they love.
3. What more do you know about Qiqiao
Festival?

10. Practice
Act out the story, thinking of an ending to the story.

11. One of the most famous poems about the legend, Fairy of the Magpie Bridge (鹊桥仙), was written by Qin Guan of the Song Dynasty ( ).

12. Fairy of the Magpie Bridge
By Qin Guan
Among the beautiful clouds, 纤云弄巧
Over the heavenly river, 飞星传恨
Crosses the weaving maiden 银汉迢迢暗度
A night of rendezvous, 金风玉露一相逢
Across the autumn sky 便胜却人间无数
Surpasses joy on earth 柔情似水
Moments of tender love and dream, 佳期如梦
So sad to leave the magpie bridge. 忍顾鹊桥归路
Eternal love between us two, 两情若是久长时
Shall withstand the time apart. 又岂在朝朝暮暮

13. Reading Task
Free talk
Where do you live?
Do you have a lot of snow in winter?
Do you hold snow festival in winter?
Have you like snow sculptures?

14. Harbin’s winter
TXZH 英语学习辅导报 出品

16. The Quebec Carnival is probably the most well-known North American winter event, and has been popular since the beginning of the 20th century. Quebec City is situated on the St Lawrence River. The winter climate is very severe, and at carnival time people must dress very warmly and cannot stand around and watch the parades for long. It is similar to Harbin in climate and also has ice sculpture competitions that are very popular. The carnival has a very energetic atmosphere, as people take part in various kinds of races and competitions.

17. 1. Answer the following questions:
Why do you think that dogs are used to pull sleds in cold climates?
Which activity at the Quebec Carnival do you think would be the most fun? Why?
Because they can run on top of the snow, which horses cannot.

18. 3. Which activity at the Carnival do you think would be the most dangerous? Why?
4. If you could go to the Quebec Carnival, what would you do and see? Why?
5. If you had to draw a poster for the carnival, what things would you put on the poster?
Probably the canoe race through the ice would be the most dangerous.

19. 6. What would you wear if you went to the Carnival? Name three things.
I would wear a think/warm coat/jacket/hat/gloves/mittens/boots/underwear/scarf/socks.

20. Read carefully and fill in the blanks.
City
Similarity
Difference
Harbin
Quebec
ice
sculptures
snowboarding competitions, canoe races, dog-sled races
snow sculptures, skiing, skating and other activities just for fun, but not part of the festival
ice
sculptures