成人高等教育英语教材第三册02

UNIT 2 Western Holidays

Integrated Skills Development

Passage Christmas

Christmas Day, which is the most festive¹ time in the United States, falls on December 25th on which Christian² people believe Jesus Christ was born. This is the biggest and best-loved holiday in the United States, which is full of joy and gaiety, love and laughter, hospitality and good will.
Americans begin to prepare Christmas long before the actual day. Small families and large business firms prepare the holiday differently. Stores are decorated with the traditional Christmas colors of green and red. Goods associated with Christmas become best sellers at this time. Many Americans take advantage of the time to earn extra money by selling Christmas cards, small gifts and ornaments⁴, etc. The decorating of homes for Christmas is also very common. Most Americans who observe Christmas have a Christmas tree in their homes. People like evergreens⁵ and they think that branches of fir will bring good luck and symbolize⁷ spring. The Christmas tree is usually covered with strings⁸ of colored lights, and a star fixed⁹ on top representing the star in the East which guided the three Wise Men to where Jesus was born.
Christmas food is special: bright colored hard sweets, chocolates, clusters of chocolate-covered raisins¹¹, walnuts¹³, etc. As for the Christmas dinner, Americans traditionally have turkey or ham, sweet potatoes, vegetables, and Christmas pudding.
Although Christmas is religious in origin, many of the customs and celebrations are no longer religious. Among them, the most popular ones are as follows:

Exchanging Gifts
This custom originated from the ancient religion of believing that the first Christmas gifts were given by the three Wise Men to the infant Jesus Christ. It has been passed down and become very popular among friends and families in the United States.

Sending Christmas Cards
This custom first started in London in the 19th century. Today, most Americans send greeting cards to their friends and families at Christmas time. Some people who are friends or relatives and live great distances from each other may not be much in contact with each other during the year — but will usually exchange greeting cards and often a Christmas letter.

Receiving Gifts from Santa Claus
Santa Claus is believed by American children to be a fat jolly old man with a red suit, red hat and a long white beard. On Christmas Eve Santa Claus comes down through the chimney to bring them gifts. So young children are happiest at this time of the year and look forward eagerly to Christmas morning when they find the gifts they want.

New Words and Expressions

ancient
a. 古代的，古老的

associate
V. 使发生联系；交往
n. 伙伴，同事

beard
n. 胡须，络腮胡子

celebration
n. 庆祝

century
n. 世纪；百年

chimney
n. 烟囱，烟筒

Christian
a. 基督教的
n. 基督教徒

cluster
n. 一串

custom
n. 习惯，风俗；海关

decorate
V. 装饰，装璜，修饰

differently
ad. 不同地

distance
n. 距离；远处

earn
V. 赚得，挣得；获得

eve
n. 前夜，前夕

evergreen⁶
n. 常绿树，常绿植物

festive
a. 欢乐的

fir
n. 枞树，杉木

gaiety
n. 欢乐，快活

gift
n. 礼物，赠品；天赋

greeting
n. 问候，招呼

ham
n. 火腿；（兽类的）后踝

hospitality
n. 好客，殷勤；宜人

infant
n. 婴儿
a. 婴儿的

jolly
a. 快活的；令人高兴的

joy
n. 欢乐；高兴

laughter
n. 笑，笑声

observe
v. 庆祝，过（节日等）；观察

origin
n. 起源；开端

originate
v. 发源；首创

ornament³
n. 装饰物

pudding
n. 布丁

raisin¹⁰
n. 葡萄干

relative
a. 有关系的；相对的

religion
n. 宗教；宗教信仰

religious
a. 宗教的；虔诚的

represent
v. 代表；象征

seller
n. 卖者；行销货

string
n. 细绳；带子

symbolize
v. 象征

traditionally
ad. 世代相传地；传统地

turkey
n. 火鸡；火鸡肉

walnut¹²
n. 胡桃，核桃

wise
a. 有智慧的，聪明的

fall on
（日期）适逢

associated with
与…有关

take advantage of
利用

as follows
如下

pass down
流传下来

in contact with...
与…联系

Merry Learning

No Answer

Jim: Tom, you promised to help me fix my door-bell and I was waiting for you all the afternoon. But why didn't you come?
Tom: I did come this afternoon.
Jim: Really?
Tom: Yes. When I got here, I rang the door-bell three times, but there was no answer. I thought you were not in at that time. So I could do nothing but go away.

1 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 ornament   

v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物

参考例句：

• The flowers were put on the table for ornament.花放在桌子上做装饰用。
• She wears a crystal ornament on her chest.她的前胸戴了一个水晶饰品。

4 ornaments   

n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 evergreens   

n.常青树，常绿植物，万年青( evergreen的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The leaves of evergreens are often shaped like needles. 常绿植物的叶常是针形的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pine, cedar and spruce are evergreens. 松树、雪松、云杉都是常绿的树。 来自辞典例句

6 evergreen   

n.常青树；adj.四季常青的

参考例句：

• Some trees are evergreen;they are called evergreen.有的树是常青的，被叫做常青树。
• There is a small evergreen shrub on the hillside.山腰上有一小块常绿灌木丛。

7 symbolize   

vt.作为...的象征，用符号代表

参考例句：

• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
• Dolphins symbolize the breath of life.海豚象征着生命的气息。

8 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

9 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

10 raisin   

n.葡萄干

参考例句：

• They baked us raisin bread.他们给我们烤葡萄干面包。
• You can also make raisin scones.你也可以做葡萄干烤饼。

11 raisins   

n.葡萄干( raisin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These raisins come from Xinjiang,they taste delicious. 这些葡萄干产自新疆，味道很甜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mother put some raisins in the cake. 母亲在糕饼中放了一些葡萄干。 来自辞典例句

12 walnut   

n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色

参考例句：

• Walnut is a local specialty here.核桃是此地的土特产。
• The stool comes in several sizes in walnut or mahogany.凳子有几种尺寸，材质分胡桃木和红木两种。

13 walnuts   

胡桃（树）( walnut的名词复数 )； 胡桃木

参考例句：

• Are there walnuts in this sauce? 这沙司里面有核桃吗？
• We ate eggs and bacon, pickled walnuts and cheese. 我们吃鸡蛋，火腿，腌胡桃仁和干酪。