QingmingFestival清明節(jié)TheQingming(PureBrightness)Festival,whichisalsocalledtheTombSweepingFestival,isoneofthe24seasonaldivisionpointsinChina,fallingonApril4-6eachyear(ItfallsonApril5in2018).Afterthefestival,thetemperaturewillriseupandrainfallincreases.Itisthehightimeforspringplowingandsowing.ButtheQingmingFestivalisnotonlyaseasonalpointtoguidefarmwork;itismoreafestivalofcommemoration.TheQingmingFestivalseesacombinationofsadnessandhappiness.

Thisisthemostimportantdayofsacrifice.BoththeHanandminorityethnicgroupsatthistimeoffersacrificestotheirancestorsandsweepthetombsofthedeceased.Also,theywillnotcookonthisdayandonlycoldfoodisserved.TheHanshi(ColdFood)FestivalwasusuallyonedaybeforetheQingmingFestival.AsourancestorsoftenextendedthedaytotheQingming,theywerelatercombined.

OneachQingmingFestival,allcemeteriesarecrowdedwithpeoplewhocametosweeptombsandoffersacrifices.Trafficonthewaytothecemeteriesbecomesextremelyjammed.Thecustomshavebeengreatlysimplifiedtoday.Afterslightlysweepingthetombs,peopleofferfood,flowersandfavoritesofthedead,thenburnincenseandpapermoneyandbowbeforethememorialtablet.

Incontrasttothesadnessofthetombsweepers,peoplealsoenjoyhopeofspringonthisday.TheQingmingFestivalisatimewhenthesunshinesbrightly,thetreesandgrassbecomegreenandnatureisagainlively.Sinceancienttimes,peoplehavefollowedthecustomofSpringOutings.Atthistimetouristsareeverywhere.

PeoplelovetoflykitesduringtheQingmingFestival.KiteflyingisactuallynotlimitedtotheQingmingFestival.Itsuniquenessliesinthatpeopleflykitesnotduringtheday,butalsoatnight.Astringoflittlelanternstiedontothekiteorthethreadlooklikeshiningstars,andtherefore,arecalled"god'slanterns."

TheQingmingFestivalisalsoatimetoplanttrees,forthesurvivalrateofsaplingsishighandtreesgrowfastlater.Inthepast,theQingmingFestivalwascalled"ArborDay".Butsince1979,"ArborDay"wassettledasMarch12accordingtotheGregoriancalendar.（374words）◆Helper:division[di'vi?(?)n]

分開，分隔plow[pla?]犁耕sow[s?u]播（種）sacrifice['s?krifais]獻(xiàn)祭，供奉minority[mai'n?riti;mi-]少數(shù),少數(shù)民族ethnic['eθnik]少數(shù)民族的成員decease[dI'si:s]<律>死亡cemetery['semitri]墓地，公墓simplify

['simplifai]

\o"真人發(fā)音"簡化incense['insens]

香memorialtablet紀(jì)念碑incontrastto[in?k?ntr?sttu:]\o"真人發(fā)音"相比之下uniqueness[ju'ni?kn?s]獨特性arbor['ɑ:b?]樹木sapling['s?pl??]幼樹，樹苗◆ChineseBriefIntroduction:清明節(jié)是農(nóng)歷二十四節(jié)氣之一，在仲春與暮春之交，也就是冬至后的第108天，節(jié)氣是按照陰歷制定的。中國漢族傳統(tǒng)的清明節(jié)大約始于周代，距今已有二千五百多年的歷史。清明一到，氣溫升高，正是春耕春種的大好時節(jié)，也是植樹的好時節(jié)。清明節(jié)是一個祭祀祖先的節(jié)日，傳統(tǒng)活動為掃墓。清明時期，清明掃墓更為盛行。古時掃墓，孩子們還常要放風(fēng)箏。有的風(fēng)箏上安有竹笛，經(jīng)風(fēng)一吹能發(fā)出響聲，猶如箏的聲音。踏青早在唐代就已開始，歷代承襲成為習(xí)慣。踏青除了欣賞大自然的湖光山色、春光美景之外，還開展各種文娛活動，增添生活情趣。北宋時期清明節(jié)很是普遍，流傳下來的張澤端的《清明上河圖》描繪的就是北宋徽宗年間清明時節(jié)東京汴梁（開封）汴河兩岸的人物景象。從2008年開始，中國將清明節(jié)認(rèn)定為法定節(jié)假日，放假一天。至2009年，又改為三天。一直延續(xù)至今。◆Exercise:I.Questions:1.WhatisitthatisproperforfarmerstododuringtheQingmingFestival?2.WhydowesaytheQingmingFestivalcombinessadnesswithhappiness?3.WhyistherethecustomofSpringOutingsduringtheQingmingFestival?4.WhendoestheChineseArborDayfalleveryyear?II.Writtenwork情景作文：假設(shè)你是紅星中學(xué)高三一班的學(xué)生李華，為響應(yīng)綠化祖國的號召，你班四月十二日去郊區(qū)植樹，請根據(jù)以下四幅圖的先后順序，介紹植樹活動的全過程，給某英文雜志的“綠色行動”專欄寫一篇以“GreenActioninOurClass”為題的英文稿件。注意：詞數(shù)不少于80提示詞：郊區(qū)suburbs內(nèi)容要點：（1）騎車去植樹（2）植樹（3）安插提示牌（4）照相說明：內(nèi)容要點可用不同方式表達(dá)SuggestedAnswers5.TombSweepingFestivalI.Questions:1.Itisproperforfarmerstoplowandsow.2.Notonlyisthisthemostimportantdayofsacrifice,whenpeopleoffersacrificestotheirancestorsandsweepthetombsoftheancestors,butalsotheyenjoyhopeofspringonthisday.3.Becauseitisatimewhenthesunshinesbrightly,thetreesandgrassbecomegreenandnatureisagainlively.It’spropertogoout.4.March12accordingtotheGregoriancalendarII.WrittenworkGreenActioninOurClassApril12ismemorablebecauseourclasshadameaningfulexperienceonthatday.Inthemorning,webicycledtothesuburbstoplanttrees,talkingandlaughingalltheway.Uponarrival,webegantoworkimmediately.Somewerediggingholes.Somewerecarryingandplantingyoungtrees.Otherswerewateringthem.Aftergettingtheworkdone,weputu