Unit 5How to

CelebrateHolidays []

Objectives

• To get to know the brief history of some major holidays

• To grasp the main purpose of this writing

• To understand the author’s literary( 文学的 ) writing style

• To be able to write letters of gratitude

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?

• People have a great number

of means to spend holidays,

such as traveling, camping,

partying, etc. What is your favorite way to celebrate holidays?

Writing Three Thank-you Letters

• By Alex Haley,( American writer of Roots)

published on November21, 1982 by Parade Magazine

Words and expressions

• Para1

• Under way– in motion or operation, having started and making progress

Eg. The nationwide medical reform is now under way.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

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

Para4

• Afterdeck 后甲板

• Draught [drα:ft] 气流

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.

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.

Para 6

• In quest of

--looking for/searching for/seeking

Eg. I went to the school library in quest of Roots.

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?

Para 8

• Yet my mind continued turning the idea over.

--think about; consider

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.

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.

Para 10

• Cabin 船舱；机舱

• Cabinet 储藏柜

• The Cabinet 内阁

Para 11

• genuine –faithful; sincere

• Statement –sth that is said or written, esp. formally and officially

Para 11

• Grammar school

--a type of secondary school which provides academic (contrasted with technical) courses

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.

Para13 • Diminish—make or become smaller

or less

Eg. Time will not diminish our friendship

• so immersed in

-- so absorbed in; engaged in deeply

Para 15

• the equal of which I had not found since

--since then I hadn’t found any cooking as good as hers

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

Para 17• We accorded topmost priority.

accord

--grant

The headmaster accorded me permission to attend the seminar.

Para 18

• Two hundred-odd shipmates came pounding up on deck…

two hundred or so

Para 19

• Humble

Being modest by lowering oneself

Eg. …my humble house…

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.

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

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

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

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.