Further improvement

Task.Read the following passages.Pay attention to your pronunciation and intonation.

Passage 1

New Year’s Day

Many countries celebrate New Year’s Day at different times of the calendar year.The definition of New Years is the custom of celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of another.It marks the closing and the start of a measurement of daily time in a period of one rotation of the earth around the sun.The custom of New Years is different to different nations and even religions.

The Chinese New Year is also referred to as the Lunar New Year.It can start anywhere between January 21 and February 21.It depends on when the first new moon of the month begins during the first lunar month.It is astronomically defined.Each Chinese year is symbolized by one of twelve animals and one of the five elements.These combinations cycle once every 60 years.The twelve animals are the Rat，Ox，Tiger，Rabbit，Dragon，Snake，Horse，Sheep，Monkey，Rooster，Dog，and the Pig.The five elements are rotated every two years with the addition ofyinandyang.The five elements are wood，fire，water，metal，and earth.

In the modern Western World，it took quite some time to get one particular start day of a calendar year.It took from 1522 to 1752 for the date of January 1st to be recognized as the official date for New Years.There are many different customs with the start of the New Year.Many regard it as a Holy Day for different religions.However，in almost every country and nation，it is a day of celebration.People party and happily look at the exchange of years.

In America，one of the largest celebrations is in Times Square in New York.Preparations begin months in advance for this event.It is broadcast over radio and television live.A countdown begins as the ball makes it descent to mark the beginning of a New Year.The ball has been lowered every year since 1907 with the exception of two years during World War II.

Passage 2

Western Culture

Western culture，sometimes equated with Western civilization，Western lifestyle or European civilization，is a term used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms，ethical values，traditional customs，belief systems，political systems，and specific artifacts and technologies that have some origin or association with Europe.The term has come to apply to countries whose history is strongly marked by European immigration，such as the countries of the Americas，and the countries of Australasia，and is not restricted to the continent of Europe.

Western culture is characterised by a host of artistic，philosophic，literary，and legal themes and traditions；the heritage of Celtic，Germanic，Hellenic，Jewish，and Latin ethnic and linguistic groups，and Christianity，which played an important part in the shaping of Western civilization since at least the 4th century.Also contributing to Western thought，in ancient times and then in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance onwards，a tradition of rationalism in various spheres of life，developed by Hellenistic philosophy，scholasticism，humanism，the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment.Values of Western culture have，throughout history，been derived from：political thought，widespread employment of rational argument favouring freethought；assimilation of human rights；the need for equality；and democracy.

Historical records of Western culture in Europe begin with Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.Western culture continued to develop with Christianization during the Middle Ages，with the reform and modernization triggered by the Renaissance，and with globalization by successive European empires，that spread European ways of life and European educational methods around the world between the 16th and 20th centuries.European culture developed with a complex range of philosophy，medieval scholasticism and mysticism，and Christian and secular humanism.Rational thinking developed through a long age of change and formation，with the experiments of the Enlightenment，and breakthroughs in the sciences.With its global connection，European culture grew with an all-inclusive urge to adopt，adapt，and ultimately influence other cultural trends around the world.

Tendencies that have come to define modern Western societies include the existence of political pluralism，prominent subcultures or countercultures（such as New Age movements），and increasing cultural syncretism—resulting from globalization and human migration.

Passage 3

Chinese New Year and Western Christmas

In the course of globalization，western culture has flooded into China at an almost non-stop rate.Along with it come western festivals，the most influential of which is Christmas.As a result of this“culture invasion”，more and more Chinese people，particularly the youth，are abandoning traditional Chinese festivals.There is even a prediction that the Spring Festival will ultimately be replaced by Christmas.However，personally I’m not in favor of this statement，as the Spring Festival is a kind of cultural heritage serving as a spiritual legacy for all of us to cling to，regardless of any hindrance.

First of all，observing Christmas does not mean that the Spring Festival can be neglected.The Spring Festival has its roots in Chinese history，from which it requires its identity and meaning irreplaceable by Christmas.As Christmas stemmed from Western civilization，it can’t easily fit in with Chinese society，let alone take the place of the Spring Festival.

Secondly，the Spring Festival expresses our true emotions while Christmas cannot.Often，the Spring Festival arouses a feeling of eternal harmony，creates a sense of happiness，and conveys a message of family.However，Christmas goes no further than one night’s pleasure or some fancy presents，which is surely to fade away with passing tide of time and memory.

The Spring Festival is not going to lose its vigor to Christmas，as it’s just like a warm beacon for all the Chinese to gather around to cheer，to dream and to carry on.

Passage 4

Thanksgiving：A Favorite US Holiday

Thanksgiving in the United States is a time to gather with family and friends，share a traditional meal and express gratitude for the good things in life.It can also be a time of service to others in the community.

Celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November，Thanksgiving traces its origins to harvest festivals.It was customary to express gratitude for a bountiful harvest in the cultures of both the Pilgrims who sailed from England in 1620 and the Native Americans they encountered.

A three-day harvest celebration held in 1621 in Plymouth Colony（part of today’s Massachusetts）is generally considered to be the first American Thanksgiving.The Pilgrims had arrived the year before on the ship The Mayflower.They hadn’t brought enough food，and it was too late to plant crops.Half the colony died during the winter of 1620—1621.In the spring，local Wampanoag Indians taught the colonists how to grow corn（maize）and other crops，and helped them master hunting and fishing.They also showed the colonists how to cook cranberries，corn and squash.

The colonists had bountiful crops in the fall of 1621.They invited their Wampanoag benefactors to feast on wild turkeys，duck，geese，fish and shellfish，corn，green vegetables and dried fruits.Wampanoag Chief Massasoit and his tribe brought venison.

Harvest festivals became a regular affair in New England.Thanksgiving was observed on various dates in the states until 1863，when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as the national Thanksgiving holiday.In 1941，President Franklin Roosevelt signed a law fixing Thanksgiving on the fourth（not always the last）Thursday in November.

Many Thanksgiving traditions come from that 1621 harvest celebration.Sheaves of wheat or corn are often used as decorations.Roast turkey，cranberry sauce，sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie are commonly served at Thanksgiving dinner.But as the US population becomes more diverse，so does the Thanksgiving meal.Nowadays，sitting next to the turkey might be a dish of tamales，tabbouleh，couscous or sauerkraut.

Colleges serve a special meal for students remaining on campus during Thanksgiving，and international students are often invited to share Thanksgiving with local families.US troops stationed overseas are served a Thanksgiving meal.When Americans at home sit down at the table and give thanks，they often express gratitude for their freedom and the sacrifices made to preserve it.

Many people prepare Thanksgiving meals and serve them to the needy.Others donate to food drives，work at food warehouses or deliver groceries to soup kitchens，churches and other charitable groups.

Thanksgiving is the busiest travel period of the year because families make a special effort to be together.Some favorite pastimes include watching television coverage of the annual Macy’s Department Store parade in New York and of American football games played around the country.The day after Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season，an important time for US retailers.

One whimsical Thanksgiving tradition is the annual“pardoning”of a turkey by the US president，who spares the bird from the dinner table.The bird goes on to live out its life at a petting zoo.

Passage 5

Culture Shock

Do you think studying in a different country is something that sounds very exciting？Are you like many young people who leave home to study in another country thinking you will have lots of fun？Certainly，it is a new experience，which brings the opportunity to discover fascinating things and a feeling of freedom.In spite of these advantages，however，there are also some challenges you will encounter.Because your views may clash with the different beliefs，norms，values and traditions that exist in different countries，you may have difficulty adjusting to a new culture and to those parts of the culture not familiar to you.This is called“culture shock”.At least four essential stages of adjustment occur during culture shock.

The first stage is called“the honeymoon”.In this stage，you are excited about living in a different place，and everything seems to be marvelous.You like everything，and everybody seems to be so nice to you.Also，the amusement of life in a new culture seems to have no ending.

Eventually，however，the second stage of culture shock appears.This is“the hostility stage”.You begin to notice that not everything is as good as you had originally thought it was.You become tired of many things about the new culture.Moreover，people don’t treat you like a guest anymore.Everything that seemed to be so wonderful at first is now awful，and everything makes you feel distressed and tired.

Usually at this point in your adjustment to a new culture，you devise some defense mechanisms to help you cope and to protect yourself against the effects of culture shock.One type of coping mechanism is called“repression”.This happens when you pretend that everything is acceptable and that nothing bothers you.Another type of defense mechanism is called“regression”.This occurs when you start to act as if you are younger than you actually are；you act like a child.You forget everything，and sometimes you become careless and irresponsible.The third kind of defense mechanism is called“isolation”.You would rather be home alone，and you don’t want to communicate with anybody.With isolation，you try to avoid the effects of culture shock，or at least that’s what you think.Isolation is one of the worst coping mechanisms you can use because it separates you from those things that could really help you.The last type of defense mechanism is called“rejection”.With this coping mechanism，you think you don’t need anybody.You feel you are coping fine alone，so you don’t try to ask for help.

The defense mechanisms you utilize in the hostility stage are not helpful.If you only occasionally use one of these coping mechanisms to help yourself survive，that is acceptable.You must be cautious，however.These mechanisms can really hurt you because they prevent you from making necessary adjustments to the new culture.

After you deal with your hostile feelings，recognition of the temporary nature of culture shock begins.Then you come to the third stage called“recovery”.In this stage，you start feeling more positive，and you try to develop comprehension of everything you don’t understand.The whole situation starts to become more favorable；you recover from the symptoms of the first two stages，and you adjust yourself to the new norms，values，and even beliefs and traditions of the new country.You begin to see that even though the distinction of the culture is different from your own，it has elements that you can learn to appreciate.

The last stage of culture shock is called“adjustment”.In this stage，you have reached a point where you actually feel good because you have learned enough to understand the new culture.The things that initially made you feel uncomfortable or strange are now things that you understand.This acquisition of understanding alleviates much of the stress.Now you feel comfortable；you have adjusted to the new culture.

Culture shock is not something you can avoid when living in a foreign country.It does not seem like a very helpful experience when you are going through its four stages.However，when you have completely adjusted to a new culture you can more fully enjoy it.You learn how to interact with other people，and you learn a considerable amount about life in a culture that is not your own.Furthermore，learning about other cultures and how to adjust to the shock of living in them helps you learn more about yourself.