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（节假日活动） Valentines Day导读：瓦伦丁节，即情人节，是一个浪漫的节日。本文介绍了瓦伦丁节的来历及习俗。Every February 14, across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint, and where did these traditions e from? The history of Valentines Day is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentines Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentines actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. According to another legend, Valentine actually sent the first valentine greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl his jailors daughter who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed From your Valentine, an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. Valentines Day is not a public holiday. Government offices, stores, schools and other organizations are open as usual. Public transit systems run on their regular schedule. Restaurants may be busier than usual as many people go out for an evening with their spouse or partner. Valentines Day is also a very popular date for weddings.The most mon Valentines Day symbols are the heart, particularly in reds and pinks, and pictures or models of Cupid. Cupid is usually portrayed as a small winged figure with a bow and arrow. In mythology, he uses his arrow to strike the hearts of people. People who have fallen in love are sometimes said to be struck by Cupids arrow.瓦伦丁节每年2月14日，在美国，以及世界各地的一些地方，相爱的人互赠糖果、鲜花和礼物，这一切都是以圣瓦伦丁的名义。但是这个神秘的基督徒是谁呢？这些传统又是从哪里起源的呢？圣瓦伦丁节的历史是一个谜。但是我们确实知道二月一直就是一个浪漫的月份。圣瓦伦丁节，正如我们今天所知，既含有基督教又含有古罗马传统的痕迹。 有一个传说认为瓦伦丁是公元3世纪罗马的一位神父。当时罗马皇帝克劳迪乌斯二世认为单身男子比那些有妻子家庭的男人更适合作战士，于是剥夺了年轻人结婚的权利。瓦伦丁，认为这项法令不公平，违抗克劳迪乌斯的旨意继续偷偷地为相爱的年轻人举行婚礼。当瓦伦丁的行为被发现后，克劳迪乌斯下令将他处死。根据另一个传说，瓦伦丁实际上是第一个送出情人节礼物的人。在狱中的时候，人们认为瓦伦丁爱上了一个女孩典狱长的女儿在他被囚禁期间她常来看望他。据称，瓦伦丁死前写了一封信，署名是“寄自你的瓦伦丁”，直到今天人们仍在使用这种说法。虽然关于瓦伦丁传说背后的真相令人困惑，这些故事却都强调了他作为一个有同情心、英勇、最重要的，浪漫的人物的吸引力。瓦伦丁节并不是一个公共假日。政府机关、商店、学校和其他机构照常开放。公共交通系统也照常运行。餐馆可能要比平时忙碌些因为很多人会和配偶或者伴侣外出就餐。瓦伦丁节也是一个非常受欢迎的婚礼日期。瓦伦丁节最常见的象征物是心形，尤其是红色或者粉色的心形，还有丘比特的图片或者模型。丘比特被描因绘成一个长着翅膀的小人儿，手拿弓箭。在神话故事中，他会用箭射中人心。因此陷入爱河的人经常被说成“被丘比特的箭射中了”。重点单词:1. shroud rad vt. 覆盖2. contend kntend vt. 主张3. priest prist n. 牧师；神父4. decree dkri n. 法令5. defy dfa vt. 藐视；公然反抗6. confinement knfanmnt n. 监禁7. allege led vt. 宣称，断言8. murky mk adj. 令人困惑的；含糊的；不明确的9. mythology mld n. 神话重点短语 / 亮点句式：1. in secret秘密地；私下地。如：The two young lovers decide to marry in secret, which they do the very next day.这一对年轻的恋人决定秘密结婚，就在第二天他们就这么做了。The general ordered that the soldiers (should) fire at once.将军命令士兵立即开枪射击。We suggested that he (should) go and make an apology to his teacher. 我们建议他去向老师道歉。3. fall in love with 爱上。如：No one is perfect until you fall in love with them.直到你爱上了一个人才发现原来有人是完美的。4. in use 在使用中。如：Many are loans from churches where they are still in use.许多作品是从教堂借来的，在那里它们仍在使用之中。名句背诵：Knowledge is power. (Bacon, British philosopher) 知识就是力量。(英国哲学家 培根) 【话题解读】节假日活动是高中英语新课标话题之一，也是高考英语常考话题之一。它包括世界各地的文化节日、宗教节日、个人的庆祝活动及其庆祝这些活动的经历和感受等。节假日活动作为一个有效的文化载体，在高考英语中常以阅读理解、短文改错和书面表达的形式出现，如2017年新课标卷I阅读理解C篇、2016年全国卷阅读理解C篇、2016年四川卷和全国卷的短文改错、2015年全国卷II书面表达、2013年辽宁卷的书面表达等。【相关词汇】 .写作必记单词1.award n.奖品；奖；vt.授予；给予2.cheer v.& n.欢呼，喝彩cheerful adj.愉快的，高兴的3.pete vi.比赛；竞争petitive adj.竞争的；比赛的4.event n.事件；大事5.gather v.搜集；集合；聚集6.mark n.记号；标志；v.标志；做记号于7.match vt.使相配，使成对；n.比赛，竞赛；火柴8.national adj.国家的；民族的；全国性的nationality n.国籍9.participate vi.参加；参与participation n.参加10.permission n.许可；允许；n.许可证permit vt.& vi.允许11.prepare vt.准备；预备12.treat vt.& vi.招待；款待treatment n.治疗；处理.阅读识记单词13.adventure n.冒险；奇遇14.amusement n.娱乐amuse vt.以自娱，逗乐15.balloon n.气球16.cancel vt.取消17.candle n.蜡烛18.cater vt.& vi.提供饮食及服务19.celebration n.庆祝；庆祝会celebrate vt.& vi.庆祝，祝贺20.ceremony n.典礼；仪式；礼节21.champion n.冠军22.concert n.音乐会23.criterion n.标准；准则24.courage n.勇气；胆略25.decorate vt.装饰，修饰decoration n.装饰，装饰品26.director n.导演27.Easter n.复活节28.feast n.盛宴，宴会；(宗教的)节日29.festival n.节日；庆祝活动30.firework n.焰火；(pl.)烟火31.firecracker n.鞭炮32.flame n.火焰；光辉33.invitation n.邀请；请柬34.lantern n.灯笼；提灯35.mass n.群众；民众；大量；adj.民众的；大规模的36.medal n.奖章37.perfect adj.完美的，极好的38.preparation n.准备39.programme n.节目；程序40.reputation n.名誉，名声【常用短语】1.be on holiday/vacation在度假2.date back to追溯到3.day and night日夜，昼夜，整天4.dress up穿上；盛装；打扮，装饰5.fall on/upon(节日、生日等)正当；适逢6.in memory of为纪念；向表示敬意7.look forward to期望，期待，盼望8.on special occasions在特殊场合9.take place发生10.up to now直到现在 I阅读理解阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。A（2017年新课标卷I）Some of the worlds most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying(联合) voice across cultures.Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.Its Jason Morans job to help change that. As the Kennedy Centers artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.Jazz seems like its not really a part of the American appetite, Moran tells National Public Radios reporter Neal Conan. What Im hoping to acplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and write anymore. Its actually color, and its actually digital.Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. The music cant be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same, says Moran.Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Wallers music for a dance party, just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music, says Moran. For me, its the recontextualization. In music, where does the emotion(情感) lie? Are we, as humans, gaining any insight(感悟) on how talk about ourselves and how something as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context, says Moran, so I want to continue those dialogues. Those are the things I want to foster.1. Why did UNESCO set April 30 as International Jazz Day?A. To remember the birth of jazz.B. To protect cultural diversity.C. To encourage people to study music.D. To recognize the value of jazz.2. What does the underlined word that in paragraph 3 refer to?A. Jazz being more accessible.B. The production of jazz growing faster.C. Jazz being less popular with the young.D. The jazz audience being larger. 3. What can we infer about Morans opinion on jazz?A. It will disappear gradually.B. It remains black and white.C. It should keep up with the times.D. It changes every 50 years.4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?A. Exploring the Future of JazzB. The Rise and Fall of JazzC. The Story of a Jazz MusicianD. Celebrating the Jazz DayB（2016年新课标卷III）If you are a fruit grower or would like to bee one take advantage of Apple Day to see whats around. Its called Apple Day but in practice its more like Apple Month. The day itself is on October 21, but since it has caught on, events now spread out over most of October around Britain.Visiting an apple event is a good chance to see, and often taste, a wide variety of apples. To people who are used to the limited choice of apples such as Golden Delicious and Royal Gala in supermarkets, it can be quite an eye opener to see the range of classical apples still in existence, such as Decio which was grown by the Romans. Although it doesnt taste of anything special, its still worth a try, as is the knobbly(多疙瘩的) Cats Head which is more of a curiosity than anything else.There are also varieties developed to suit specific local conditions. One of the very best varieties for eating quality is Orleans Reinette, but youll need a warm, sheltered place with perfect soil to grow it, so its a pipe dream for most apple lovers who fall for it.At the events, you can meet expert growers and discuss which ones will best suit your conditions, and because these are family affairs, children are well catered for with apple-themed fun and games.Apple Days are being held at all sorts of places with an interest in fruit, including stately gardens and mercial orchards(果园). If you want to have a real orchard experience, try visiting the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, near Faversham in Kent.1. What can people do at the apple events? A. Attend experts lectures. B. Visit fruit-loving families. C. Plant fruit trees in an orchard. D. Taste many kinds of apples.2. What can we learn about Decio? A. It is a new variety. B. It has a strange look. C. It is rarely seen now. D. It has a special taste.3. What does the underlined phrase a pipe dream in Paragraph 3 mean? A. A practical idea. B. A vain hope.C. A brilliant plan. D. A selfish desire.4. What is the authors purpose in writing the text? A. To show how to grow apples. B. To introduce an apple festival. C. To help people select apples.D. To promote apple research.CAfter Stewart and Debbie Wilder lost their son, Cameron, in 2013, the last thing on their minds was decorating for the holiday season. “We havent put anything up in three years. It has all stayed boxed up,” said Debbie.But in December 2016, the house was lit up for Christmas, with little lights cheerfully lining the rood and eaves(屋檐). It wasnt the Wilders but a stranger Carson Zickgraf, the founder of CZ Enterprises LLC, who finally made the house shine. “I started crying,” Debbie says about seeing the lights for the first time. “It was really special.”Zickgraf has been donating his light-stringing services to brighten the lives of families affected by losing their children, especially during the difficult holiday season since 2015 and has decorated the houses of more than two dozen families so far.He started the project by chance. He was hanging lights on a home when the owner mentioned that some neighbors were having a hard time that holiday season because their son had recently died. Then he had an idea. “I sent my crew there to decorate that house too,” he says. The family was delighted. In fact, he had two friends who had died young, and hed always wished he could ease the pain for their loved ones. Now, hes found a way.“Theres something special about Christmas lights. They warm the spirit.” Zickgraf knows his efforts cant pletely remove the pain from these families, but he can make the holidays a little cheerier. “I wish I had a bigger pany so I could do more houses,” he says.1.How was the Wilders affected by the loss of their son?A. They didnt feel like decorating their house for Christmas.B. They were the last to put up some decorations at Christmas.C. They had no one to help decorate their house for Christmas.D. They had the belongings of their son boxed up at Christmas.2.Why did Zickgraf donate the light-stringing service?A. To make more houses brighter.B. To expand his own business.C. To relieve the victim familys pain.D. To memorize his dead friends.3.Which of the following words can best describe Zickgraf?A. Enthusiastic and optimistic.B. Courageous and smart.C. Ambitious and generous.D. Considerate and helpful.4.Which can be the best title for the text?A. Lights warming the spiritB.A person brightening housesC. Families going through sufferingsD.A business hanging lightsDQixi Festival, the Chinese equivalent of Valentines Day that fell yesterday, was not only a disappointment for forgotten lovers, but also for businessmen left with empty pockets.The cold reception has prompted cultural experts to seriously worry that the lovers festival, marked for generations since the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220)，is dying out. Some have even called for legislation to make the festival a legal Chinese Lovers Day, which falls on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar year.But the effectiveness of such a measure is in doubt, although efforts to preserve traditional festivals deserve highly praise.A growing number of traditional Chinese festivals, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, share the same fate of the Qixi Festival.Young people are showing less interest in traditional culture as symbolized by these festivals. Even if all traditional festivals are finally made legal, the risk of them being purely formalized celebrations with little meaning is not removed. If the younger generation fails to identify with the cultural significance of these holidays, there is little that can be done.While plaining about traditional festivals fading appeal, decision-makers should reflect on cultural protection. Undeniably, our country has done a bad job of preserving culture and traditional festivals, pared to neighbouring Japan and the Republic of Korea(ROK).The 2,500-year-old Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The traditional customs and ceremonies of the occasion, which originated in China, have been better preserved in the ROK.Only a few years ago did China begin to realize the significance of preserving intangible(无形的)cultural heritage when the ROK planned to apply to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to list its version of the Dragon Boat Festival as an important example of intangible culture.Concern about the traditional holidays also reminds people of the growing influence of foreign cultures as the country opens wider to the outside world. With traditional festivals being less important and imports such as Christmas and Valentines Day gaining widespread popularity, the public including cultural professionals have tended to measure traditional Chinese festivals in economic terms.Business rather than culture has begun to play a dominant role. More and more people are preoccupied with how much money can be made during the holidays.In fact, what makes traditional festivals unique and what keeps them alive is their cultural elements. After all, it is unique culture that contributes to the worlds diversity with globalization.1.What makes Chinese cultural experts worry that the lovers festival is dying out?A. The disappointment for both businessmen and lovers.B. The cold reacting of the public to Qixi Festival.C. The failure to make traditional Chinese festivals legal.D. The action to preserve culture and traditional festivals.2.The public look at the effectiveness of the legalization of the Qixi Festival with a(n) _ attitude.A. indifferentB. positiveC. doubtfulD. hopeful3.From Paragraph 5 we can learn that _.A. traditional festivals are thought more highly of by the young people.B. legal celebrations reduce the risk of disappearing of traditional culture.C. the significance of traditional festivals should be more identified with.D. young people value traditional culture more while they can do little.4.The writers purpose for writing this article is to _.A. remind us that the cultural elements make traditional festivals live on.B. plain that Japan and ROK do a better job in preserving culture.C. inform the public of the dying out of traditional Chinese festivals.D. warn people against business role in celebrating traditional festivals. A【话题解读】为提高人们对于爵士乐的重视程度，UNESCO把4月30日定为国际爵士日，然而这一行为还是没能挽救爵士乐。Jason Moran认为时代在进步，为了将老一代人和年轻一代人连接起来，爵士乐也应该不断进步。 2.C 【解析】推理判断题。根据前文Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations可知尽管UNESCO为爵士乐设了纪念日，但美国的爵士乐听众依然在减少，并且年龄在老化，爵士乐没能将年轻一代人连接起来。再结合Its Jason Morans job to help change that(是Jason Moran的工作是帮助改变那一情况)可推测that指代的是前文中爵士乐在年轻一代人中失去吸引力的现象。故选C。3.C 【解析】细节理解题。根据第五段中的The music cant be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same可知Moran认为现在爵士乐不能以1908或1958年的方式来呈现，因为世界已经不同了，所以爵士乐必须不断进步，说明随着时代的发展，爵士乐也要跟上时代才不会被年轻一代所抛弃。故选C。4.A 【解析】标题归纳题。通读全文可知本文主要讲UNESCO为提高人们对爵士乐的重视而设立爵士日，但实际收效甚微。有人认为爵士乐应随着时代的进步而进步，否则它将失去对人们的吸引力，因此本文主要是探索爵士乐的未来，故选A。B【话题解读】作者向人们介绍了一个节日Apple Day。由于这个节日翡翠受欢迎，现在已经演变成苹果月了。在英国，人们在十月份庆祝该节日，持续大约一个月的时间。1.D 【解析】细节理解题。根据第二段Visiting an apple event is a good chance to see, and often taste, a wide variety of apples.可知，参加相关庆祝活动的人们可以品尝各种各样的苹果，故选D。2.C 【解析】推理判断题。根据第二段中的.it can be quite an eye opener to see the range of classical apples still in existence，such as Decio.is more of a curiosity than anything else.可知，见到它能开阔眼界并且可以与稀奇的Cats Head这一品种类比，由此判断Decio非常稀少。 4.B 【解析】写作意图题。综合全文可知，作者向读者介绍了一个节日Apple Day，并推荐人们参加这个节日，故选B。C【文章大意】本文是一篇记叙文，主要讲述了Zickgraf免费为失去孩子的家庭在节日期间装饰房子，他想用灯光点亮他们的生活，减轻他们的丧子之痛。1.A 【解析】细节理解题。根据第一段中的“After Stewart and Debbie Wilder lost their son, Cameron, in 2013, the last thing on their minds was decorating for the holiday season.”可知，失去儿子后，Wilder夫妇就不再装饰圣诞节了。2.C 【解析】细节理解题。根据第五段中的“he had two friends who had died young, and hed always wished he could ease the pain for their loved ones. Now, hes found a way.”可知，Zickgraf在节日期间为他们装饰房子是为了减轻他们失去孩子的痛苦。3.D 【解析】推理判断题。根据第四、五段对Zickgraf进行这项服务的初衷介绍可知，Zickgraf为了减轻失去孩子的夫妇的痛苦，为他们免费在节日期间装饰房子，由此可知他是体贴和助人的。4.A 【解析】主旨大意题。通读全文，特别是根据最后一段中的“Theres something special about Christmas lights. They warm the spirit”可知，本文主要讲述了Zickgraf免费为失去孩子的家庭在节日期间装饰房子，他想用灯光点亮他们的生活，减轻他们的丧子之痛。D【文章大意】文章通过七夕节来指出传统节日应该被重视。 2.C 【解析】推理判断题。根据文章第三段“But the effectiveness of such a measure is in doubt, although efforts to preserve traditional festivals deserve highly praise.”可知，尽管保护传统节日的努力值得高度赞扬，但这种措施的有效性令人怀疑。故选C。3.C 【解析】推理判断题。根据文章第三段的内容可知，年轻人对这些节日所象征的传统文化表现出较少的兴趣，即使所有的传统节日最终都合法化了，纯粹形式化的庆祝活动的并没有什么意义。所以，传统节日的意义应该更加明确才好。故选C。4.A 【解析】推理判断题。根据文章内容可知，随着国家对外开放的加深，外国文化的影响越来越大，而传统节日变得越来越不重要。事实上，传统节日的独特之处在于它们的文化元素。作者通过七夕节来指出传统节日应该被重视。故选A。
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