Festivalsandcelebrations

LearningObjectives:

Bytheendofthisperiod,youareexpectedtobeabletofigureoutthestructureofthetextjudgethewritingpurposeandintendedreadersofthepassageexpressyourideasonthegiventopicsthroughcriticalthinking

Ⅰ.TextualAnalysis

Workoutthestructure

ofthepassageReadparagraph1tofindoutthetopicsentence

andthekeywords.

Topicsentenceand

keywords

Para.1Festivalsarecelebratedallaroundtheworld.Theyhaveawiderangeoforigins,suchastheseasonsoftheyear,religions,famousfigures,andimportantevents.Everyfestivalhasitsdifferentcustomsanduniquecharms.However,nomatterhowdifferenttheymayseem,allovertheworld,thespiritofsharingjoy,gratitude,love,orpeaceiscommoninallfestivals.Mainidea:paragraph1Introductionof____________aroundtheworld.festivalsParagraph2:ReadandanswerQuestion1:

Whendoesagriculturalfestivaltakeplace?Question2:

Whydopeoplecelebrateharvestfestival?Question3:

Whydidtheauthormentionharvestfestivalhere?Para.2Ofallthetraditionalfestivals,theharvestfestivalcanbefoundinalmosteveryculture.Thisimportantagriculturalfestivaltakesplaceafterallthecropshavebeengatheredin.Peoplecelebratetoshowthattheyaregratefulfortheyear’ssupplyoffood.InancientEgypt,theharvestfestivalwascelebratedduringthespringtime—theEgyptianharvestseason.Itfeaturedaparadeandagreatfeastwithmusic,dancing,andsports.Today,insomeEuropeancountries,peopledecoratechurchesandtownhallswithflowersandfruit,andgettogethertocelebrateoverameal.DuringtheMid-AutumnFestivalinChina,familiesgathertoadmiretheshiningmoonandenjoydeliciousmooncakes.

Mainidea:paragraph2example:harvestfestival.(thespiritoffestivals,canbefoundinalmosteveryculture)

Paragraph3&4:ReadandanswerQuestion1:

WhydidtheauthormentiontheChineseSpringFestivalandHalloween?Question2:

Doyouthinkfestivalsshouldbecommercialised?Why?Para.3Customsplayasignificantroleinfestivals,butsometimestheycanchangeovertime.Withthedevelopmentofmodernsocietyandthespreadofnewideas,sometraditionsmayfadeawayandothersmaybeestablished.

purpose

OneexampleisthetypicalChineseSpringFestivalcustomoflightingfirecrackerstodriveawaytheevilspiritsandcelebratethenewyear.Nowadays,manybigcitieshavegivenupthiscustominordertoavoidairpollution.AnotherexampleisHalloween,whichslowlybecameanexcitingfestivalforchildren,inspiteofitsreligiousorigins.

Mainidea:paragraph3:thechangeofcustoms

Para.4Festivalsarebecomingmoreandmorecommercial,withbusinesstakingadvantageofthecelebrationsOnlineshoppingwebsitesandsocialmediaappshavemadeitmucheasierforthepublictospendmoreongiftsfortheirlovedones.Althoughsomebelievefestivalsshouldnotbecommercialised,othersbelievetheincreaseinspendingisgoodfortheeconomyandpublichappiness.

Mainidea:paragraph4:commercialfestivals.Paragraph5:ReadandanswerQuestion1:Whydowecelebratefestivals?Para.5Festivalsareanimportantpartofsociety.Theyreflectpeople’swishes,beliefs,faiths,andattitudestowardslife.Theyareoccasionsthatallowustorelaxandenjoylife,andforgetaboutourworkforalittlewhile.Theyhelpusunderstandwherewecamefrom,whoweare,andwhattoappreciate.Andifyoustudyfestivalscarefully,youmaybesurprisedtofindthatdifferentculturesactuallyhavealotincommonafterall.

Mainidea:paragraph5:theimportanceoffestivals.

Structure

Ⅱ.PragmaticAnalysisWhat’sthewriter’spurposeofwritingthepassage?Introducefestivals

TothepeoplewhoareinterestedinfestivalsORWhatisyourfavouritefestival?Why?Arethereanychanges?Whydowecelebrateit?Ⅲ.CriticalThinking