Celebrating New Year’s Day is one of the oldest and most exciting traditions around the world. Since this festival marks the beginning of the year, New Year’s Day is thought of as a perfect time for a “clean start”. People in the world decide to act better in the year just beginning than the year just ended.
No day has ever been celebrated in so many different ways. All over the world, countries have their own special beliefs about what the New Year means to them.
In Scotland, the New Year is called Hogmanay. In the villages of Scotland, barrels of tar (沥青) are set on fire. It represents that the old year is burned up and the new one is allowed to enter.
New Year’s Day is also the Festival of Saint Basil in Canada. Children leave their shoes by the fireside on New Year’s Day with the hope that Saint Basil, who is famous for his kindness, will come and fill their shoes with gifts.
The Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah. It is an important time when Jews promise to do better in the future. Special services are held in the church, children are given new clothes and New Year bread is cooked to remind people of harvest time.
On New Year’s Day in Japan, everyone gets dressed in their new clothes and homes are decorated with bamboos—symbols of long life.
In European countries such as Germany, France and Belgium, families start the New Year by first attending church services. Afterwards, they visit friends and relatives. In France, boys and girls receive gifts of money on New Year’s Day.
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New Year Celebrations Around the 1.__________ | ||
Country/people | Celebration activities | Special beliefs |
Scotland | People2.______ barrels of tar. | The old year is burned up and the new one is allowed to enter. |
Canada | Children leave their3. _______by the fireside. | Their shoes will be filled with 4._____ by Saint Basil. |
Jews | It is a time for people to5.____to do better in the future. People6.______ New Year Bread to remind of harvest time. | |
Japan | People 7._____their new clothes. Homes are decorated with bamboos. | Symbols of 8._______life |
European 9._________ | People attend church services 10.__visiting friends and relatives. | |
书面表达
学校将在下周举行英文演讲比赛,Jack的话题是 “对我影响最深的人”,请根据以下材料,帮他组织一篇100字左右英文演讲稿,介绍一下三位对他影响最深的人,并说说你的感想.
Persons | Job | Details |
My mother | a teacher | 1. forties; 2. full of love(至少举一例说明); 3. decide to donate her body after her death |
Tan Dun | a composer | 1. born in Hunan, China; 2. help build a bridge between the East and the West; 3. bring Chinese and Western music together; |
Jackie Chan | a film star | 1. nearly 100 films, join humour and exciting action together 2. win many awards; 3. spend many years doing charity work; |
The persons who have influenced me most
I am happy to give a speech here. There are three persons who have influenced me most. They are my mother, Tan Dun and Jackie Chan.
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