外刊输入——悟语言之道
Same Festival, Different Styles
Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year in many countries including the US and the UK. Decorating Christmas trees, giving gifts and singing Christmas songs are just a few of the traditional features that the two nations share. However, just as there are many cultural differences between the two lands, Christmas is not exactly the same on both sides of the Atlantic. The differences range from language to the way people celebrate it.
The language of Christmas is not really the same in the US and the UK. Britons usually say “Happy Christmas” to each other on this important occasion. But Americans will look confused or burst out laughing if you wish them “Happy Christmas”， as opposed to “Merry Christmas”. The shortening of Christmas to “Chrimbo”， which is typical in the UK, is almost absolutely unknown in the US. Another difference is the name of the whitebearded old man figure who delivers presents to children. Britons usually call him “Father Christmas” whereas US people refer to him only as “Santa Claus” or simply “Santa”．
A Christmas dinner in the US doesn't necessarily have turkey, either. The BBC explained that Americans save that particular representative food for Thanksgiving Day, and they often go for ham or roast beef on Christmas Day. For dessert, Christmas cake, Christmas pudding is popular in the UK. In the US, however, your postmeal treat will probably be one of the following: pumpkin pie, fruitcake, apple pie, pecan (山核桃) pie, or sweet potato pie.
During the dinner, Britons make it a habit to put on paper hats and pull a firecracker with diners who gather together. But there is no such ceremony in the US, where paper hats are less common and Christmas crackers are nearly unheard of.
However, one thing you will find in the US, but not in the UK, is that the graceful Christmas decorations you see in movies are real. Some homeowners even turn their houses into light shows to display a joyful atmosphere.
In spite of all those differences, Christmas remains a significant festival for both countries when people show their religious beliefs and gratitude towards life.
1.重点词汇再现
(1)decorate v. 装饰
(2)feature n. 特征
(3)range from...to... 包括；从……到……之间
(4)occasion n. 特别的事情(或仪式、庆典)
(5)Merry Christmas 圣诞快乐
(6)typical adj. 典型的
(7)absolutely adv. 完全地
(8)figure n. 人物
(9)turkey n. 火鸡
(10)representative adj. 代表性的
(11)roast adj. 烤的
(12)pudding 不定
(13)pumpkin 南瓜
(14)firecracker 鞭炮
(15)gather v. 聚集
(16)ceremony n. 仪式
(17)graceful adj. 优雅的
(18)joyful adj. 快乐的
(19)atmosphere n. 气氛
(20)in spite of 尽管
(21)significant adj. 有重大意义的
(22)religious adj. 宗教的
(23)belief n. 信仰
(24)gratitude n. 感激之情
2．经典句型再现：make it ＋adj./n.＋for sb. to do sth.
During the dinner, Britons make it a habit to put on paper hats and pull a firecracker with diners who gather together.
在晚餐期间，英国人习惯戴上纸帽，和一起的聚餐的人们放鞭炮。
迷你语料库(Mini Corpus)
序号 | 佳句呈现 | 赏析 |
1 | Festivals are celebrated all around the world. They have a wide range of origins, such as the seasons of the year, religions, famous figures, and important events. | 描写节日的共性及区别——不同的起源。figure为名词，意为“人物”。 |
2 | Every festival has its different customs and unique charms. | 描写节日有不同的风俗及魅力。 |
3 | However, no matter how① different they may seem, all over the world, the spirit of sharing joy, gratitude, love, or peace is common in all festivals②. | 描写节日精神的共通之处。①no matter how 引导让步状语从句，等于however，意为“不管怎样、无论如何”。 ②描写节日的共性。 |
4 | People celebrate to show that they are grateful for the year's supply of food. | 描写对丰收节日的态度——感恩。be grateful for意为“因……感激”。 |
续 表
序号 | 佳句呈现 | 赏析 |
5 | It featured a parade and a great feast with music, dancing and sports. | 描写节日的庆祝活动。parade意为“游行”。 |
6 | During the MidAutumn Festival in China, families gather to admire the shining moon and enjoy delicious mooncakes. | 描写中秋节的庆祝方式。admire the shining moon意为“赏皓月”；enjoy意为“吃、享用”。 |
7 | Customs play a significant role in festivals... | 描写风俗的重要作用。play a significant role in“起重要作用”；significant“显著的”，可用great替换。 |
8 | With the development of modern society and the spread of new ideas, some traditions may fade away and others may be established. | 描写风俗的消失及新建。With the development of modern society意为“随着社会的发展”； fade away意为“逐渐消失”；establish意为“建立”，同义动词为found，同义词组为set up。 |
9 | One example is the typical Chinese Spring Festival custom of lighting firecrackers to drive away the evil spirits and celebrate the new year. | 描写中国春节最常见的庆祝方式——放鞭炮，驱赶邪恶。light firecrackers意为“放鞭炮”。 |
10 | Festivals are an important part of society. They reflect people's wishes, beliefs, faiths and attitudes towards life. | 描写节日的文化功能。attitude 为名词，意为“态度”，往往和介词to或towards搭配使用，意为“对……的态度”。 |
11 | They are occasions that allow us to relax and enjoy life, and forget about our work for a little while. | 描写节日的用途。that引导的定语从句，修饰occasions。 |
12 | I experienced the Naadam Festival in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region for the first time this year. | 概括描写第一次经历庆祝活动。 |
13 | The festival falls on the fourth day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, usually lasting for three days. | 描写节日的日期及持续时间。fall意为“发生”； fall on＋具体日期意为“适逢……”；lasting for three days为v.ing形式作状语，意为“持续”。 |
14 | After singing some songs, the competitors danced onto the green field, waving their arms in the air as if① they were eagles②. | 描写节日的庆祝活动。①is if意为“好像”，为比喻句；②v.ing形式作状语，和句子的主语the competitors构成主动关系。 |
15 | That was the moment I started to understand why people say “Horses are at the heart of Mongolian culture”． | 描写对节日或庆祝活动的理解。 |
16 | I'm finally back home now, feeling really tired①， but celebrating Naadam with my friend was totally worth it②. | 描写节日庆祝后的感受。①v.ing作状语，和句子的主语构成主动的关系。②单个v.ing形式作主语，谓语动词用单数形式。 |
读后续写入门篇：利用主题语境 快速归纳主题
主题语境是六大课程内容之一，和学科核心素养的“语言能力、文化意识、思维品质、学习能力”是紧密相关的。
根据《普通高中英语课程标准》，主题为语言学习提供主题范围或主题语境。学生对主题意义的探究应是学生学习语言的最重要内容，直接影响学生语篇理解的程度、思维发展的水平和语言学习的成效。
主题语境分为三大类：人与自我、人与社会和人与自然。在读后续写这个写作任务中，对于文章的主题走向，可以根据三大主题语境进行预测，提高写作效率和得分率。
主题语境 | 主题群 | 写作主题 |
人与自我 | 生活与学习； 做人与做事 | 自我的成长 |
人与社会 | 社会服务与人际沟通； 文学、艺术与体育； 历史、社会与文化； 科学与技术 | 人与人的互动，尤其是人和人之间的互相帮助 |
人与自然 | 自然生态； 环境保护； 灾难防范； 宇宙探索 | 人和野生动植物及环境和谐互动； 人和宠物的和谐互动； 灾难自救和救援 |
在文本的实际阅读中，有可能不仅仅涉及一个主题语境，在归纳文章中心主题的时候，应该注意全面涵盖，才能使续写能够和原文的衔接度更高。
【即学即练】
阅读下面三段材料，分别归纳主题语境及写作主题。
语篇1
I am the oldest of four kids in my family. In my parents' eyes, my milestone firsts are not only my own; they are brand new experiences for them. Under their careful guidance, I applied to six US East Coast universities in my senior year and easily decided which of the six would be my early action choice. I was confident about my first choice school.
The excitement to join the student body at my top pick school was obvious. My mother was excited, too. I filled an online shopping basket with school “goods” so the order would be ready to go when I received the acceptance letter that I was so sure was coming. I talked endlessly about the university's basketball team, what campus life would be like, and what classes I'd choose; that's how certain I was that I'd be accepted. As my parents, they felt reasonably hopeful that an acceptance letter was on its way.
Mother wasn't home when the rejection letter landed in my email box. The scene was a heartbreaking combination of sobbing and disbelief. My father had invested considerable time and resources into guiding me. We'd taken a fatherson tour of all six universities just a few weeks earlier. This was his loss, too.
I was extremely shocked and upset. So were my parents. I sat in my room for hours, staring silently at the email with tears rolling down my face. I didn't have a plan, but I knew that I had to get myself out of the house and away from the laptop. I needed to draw my attention away from that, just like I did when I was a 6yearold getting a shot in hospital. At that moment, my mother knocked on the door and slowly entered my room.
主题语境：人与社会；人与自我
写作主题： With the support of my parents，I grew up and learned to face the failure bravely.
语篇2
It happened when Tom was only ten years old. That day he was at home with his elder sister Jane. Tom was doing his homework when he heard raised voices. At first he didn't think seriously about it, since it was always noisy downstairs, but he soon realised this time it was different.
“Quick! Quick! Remove the motorcycles from the shop，” someone yelled.
Then a thick burning smell filled the air. When Tom opened the front door of their flat to investigate, a thick cloud of smoke greeted him. The motorcycle shop had caught fire and people were running and crying.
Jane, who had been playing the violin in her room, hurried to the living room. They rushed out of the door and along the corridor (走廊) through the smoke.
They were heading towards the stairway at the far end of the corridor when Jane suddenly stopped. She turned around and headed back the way they came. Tom had no idea what she was doing, but he followed her.
Jane had suddenly remembered the lady in her 70s who lived next door to them, who they called Makcik. Jane began banging on Makcik's door, but got no answer. As the smoke thickened around them, Tom could see many of their neighbours—some still in their pajamas—running for safety. The thought of fear crossed his mind.
“She would have run for safety like everyone else！” Tom cried. However, Jane refused to give up. “I know Makcik's still inside.” She said she was familiar with Makcik's daily routine and was certain she would still be sleeping. She pounded against the door. “Go downstairs. Go now! Go！”
主题语境：人与社会
写作主题： Facing the__fire and danger, Jane, together with her little brother, chose to help__an__old__lady trapped in her room.
语篇3
(浙江卷)On a bright，warm July afternoon，Mac Hollan，a primary school teacher，was cycling from his home to Alaska with his friends. One of his friends had stopped to make a bicycle repair，but they had encouraged Mac to carry on, and they would catch up with him soon. As Mac pedaled(骑行) along alone，he thought fondly of his wife and two young daughters at home. He hoped to show them this beautiful place someday.
Then Mac heard quick and loud breathing behind him.“Man，that's a big dog！” he thought. But when he looked to the side，he saw instantly that it wasn't a dog at all，but a wolf，quickly catching up with him.
Mac's heart jumped. He found out his can of bear spray. With one hand on the bars，he fired the spray at the wolf. A bright red cloud enveloped the animal，and to Mac's relief，it fell back，shaking its head. But a minute later，it was by his side again. Then it attacked the back of Mac's bike，tearing open his tent bag. He fired at the wolf a second time，and again，it fell back only to quickly restart the chase(追赶).
Mac was pedaling hard now. He waved and yelled at passing cars but was careful not to slow down. He saw a steep uphill climb before him. He knew that once he hit the hill，he'd be easily caught up and the wolf's teeth would be tearing into his flesh.
At this moment，Paul and Becky were driving their car on their way to Alaska. They didn't think much of it when they saw two cyclists repairing their bike on the side of the road. A bit later，they spotted what they，too，assumed was a dog running alongside a man on a bike. As they got closer，they realized that the dog was a wolf. Mac heard a large vehicle behind him. He pulled in front of it as the wolf was catching up fast，just a dozen yards away now.
主题语境：人与自然；人与社会
写作主题： Encountering a wolf, Mac tried his best to run away with the help of Paul and Becky．
