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Chapter 48 Custom Custom Culture (1)
01 New Year
New Year's Eve is the last day of the year. We have a custom that people stay up late on New Year's Eve. They want to wait for the new year to start. When the new year starts the people blow horns and say, “Happy New Year!" Many parades are in different cities on New Year's Day. Some people make lists of things they want to do in the new year. The good times, the parades, and the lists are custom.
In a little town in England people gather around a fire. A band plays songs. The people skip around the fire. The custom is for the people to stay until the fire goes out. They say “Happy New Year” in this way. custom is so old that no one knows how it starts.
In Japan, people eat fish on New Year's Day. They hope the fish will make them strong.
Farmers in Belgium say “Happy New Year” to all their animals on New Year's morning.
People in Vienna, Austria chase a pig on New Year's morning. If they feel the pig, they believe they will have good luck.
Long ago in Scotland the people wanted to have good luck. The custom of having someone bring good luck on New Year's Eve was called “first footing”. The first boy to come to a house on New Year's Eve brought good luck. If a girl was the first to come to a door, she brought bad luck. Only boys went out so that everyone would have good luck in the new year. First footing is still a custom in Scotland on New Year's Eve.
The Chinese New Year is not the first day in January. It is at the end of January or the first part of February. Chinese fathers and mothers put money in a little red envelope. They put the envelope by their sleeping child. They put the Money in a red envelope because red means good luck in China.
Vocabulary
eve [i: v] n. (religious festival or holiday) the day before, eve, (major event) before the moment

horn [h? : n] n. Horns, tentacles, horns, horns, horns, sirens
parade [p? "reid] vt. & vi. (make) the assembly accept review, procession;
vt. to display, to show off;

parade
list [list] n. list, directory, list;
vt. list, put... into a table

skip [skip] vi. jump, jump, jump rope;
vt. Skip, skip, miss;
n.

envelope ["env? l? up] n. envelope
Practice
1. The last day of the year is ．

A． the Chinese New Year B． New Year's Eve
C． New Year's Day
2. "First footing" is a custom in ．

A． Japan B． Austria C． Scotland
3. People in Vienna, Austria, think it is good luck.

A． to feel a pig on New Year's Day B． to eat hot dogs for breakfast
C． to put money in red envelopes.

Translation
New Year's Eve is the last day of the year.On this day, people have the custom of staying up late, they have to wait for the new year to start.When the new year begins, people blow horns and say, "Happy New Year!" On New Year's Day, there are many parades in different cities.Some people make a list of things they want to do in the new year.Happy hours, parades, and lists are all customs.

In a small town in England, people gather around a campfire.Bands play songs and people dance around the fire until the bonfire dies.They say "Happy New Year" in this way.This custom is so old that no one knows when it started.

In Japan, people eat fish on New Year's Day, hoping that it will make them stronger.

On New Year's morning, Belgian farmers say "Happy New Year" to all their animals.

In Vienna, Austria, people chase a pig on New Year's morning.If they touch a pig, they believe that they will have good luck in the new year.

Long ago, in Scotland, people always wished good luck.Among their customs, the custom of someone bringing good luck on New Year's Eve is called "first foot".On New Year's Eve, it is good luck to be the first boy to arrive at your home.If it's a girl, she brings bad luck.Therefore, only boys are allowed to go out, so that in the new year, everyone will have good luck.Today, "first foot" is still a Scottish New Year's Eve custom.

In China, the New Year is not the first day of January, it is probably at the end of January or the first ten days of February.Chinese parents put the money in a small red envelope and place the envelope next to their sleeping child.They put money in red envelopes because red is good luck in China.

Exercise
1.It's the last day of the year.

A．Chinese New Year b.New Year's EveC．New Year

2. "First foot" is a custom of _____.

A．JapanB．AustriaC．Scotland
3.In Vienna, Austria, it is believed that _____ is good luck.

A．Touching a pig on New Year's Day B.hot dog for breakfast
C．Put money in a small red envelope

1. C2. C3. A
02 The Rise of Greece ancient Greek civilization

Ancient Greece, practically cut off by sea from Asia Minor (Turkey), had escaped conquest by the warlike empires of the Near East.
Farmland was so scarce that many Greeks left home and wandered in search of new lands. They built fine oared ships, and Greek colonists and traders could be found from one end of the Mediterranean Sea to the other.
In many ways, ancient Greece was the birthplace of Western civilization. In the small Greek cities, and especially in Athens, people gathered to discuss new ideas. The word “philosophy” comes from two Greek words meaning love of wisdom, and it is to the Greeks that we owe many of our ideas about beauty, justice, and government.
The Greeks were never united as one nation, but they shared the same language and religion, and many similar ideas about the world.
The ancient Greeks were pioneers in medicine, mathematics, and science. They looked at the world in the light of logic and reason and made some fundamental discoveries. In the 400s BC Democratus declared that everything was nude of atoms, Aristarchus of Samos (200s BC ) knew the Earth was round, and even suggested that it traveled around the Sun.
The names of great Greek scientists such as Archimedes are familiar lo this day. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were three of the greatest philosophers of that, or any other, age. But the common people were often suspicious of their questioning and free thinking. Socrates was sentenced to death in 399 BC for his views.
The Greeks believed in many gods. Each city had its own protector god or goddess, and families made offerings to household gods too. The gods were thought to live on Mount Olympus, under the rule of Zeus, the king of the gods. Greek gods were immortal, but they had human characteristics too — such as displaying love and jealousy.
The Greeks built many beautiful temples to their gods. They developed an elegant architecture based on mathematical rules and the use of three styles for the stone columns that are a feature of many Greek buildings.
Greek sculptors portrayed die human body in superb lifelike detail. Music also flourished, often accompanying dances or stories. The most famous stories were the heroic tales of Homer, but the Greeks also invented theater as we know it, and some of their plays are still performed in many languages ​​other than Greek.
Vocabulary
Conquest ["k?? kwest] n. Attack, conquer, overcome

warlike ["w?: laik] adj. Military, war-related

scarce [sk? ? s] adj. Lack of, rare
wander ["w?nd?] vt. & vi. Roaming, wandering;
v. get lost
oared ["?: d] adj. Oared

philosophy [fi"l? s? fi] n. Philosophy, outlook on life, philosophy

Wisdom ["wizd? m] n. Wisdom, wisdom, correct judgment, knowledge, learning

fundamental ["f?nd?"ment? l] adj. basic, important, necessary;

n. basic principles
nude [nju:d] n. (painting, photo or sculpture) nude;
adj. Nude

atom ["?t?m] n. atom, atomic energy, particle, trace

suspicious [s? "spi??s] adj. suspicious, doubtful, doubtful, doubtful
Zeus [zju:s] n. 〈Greek God〉Zeus

Immortal [i"m?: tl] adj. Immortal, immortal;

n. Immortal, Immortal

Jealousy ["d? el? si] n. Jealousy, jealousy

temple ["templ] n. temple, temple, shrine, temple
elegant ["eliɡ? nt] adj. beautiful, elegant, elegant, concise, concise
Architecture ["ɑ: kitekt??] n. Architecture, architecture, architectural style, architectural style

column ["k? l? m] n. column, column, column, straight line, column, column (article)

sculptor ["sk? lpt?] n. Sculptor

portray [p? : "trei] vt. portrait, description, performance

superb["sju:"p? : b] adj. Excellent, outstanding, excellent
lifelike ["laif"laik] adj. lifelike, lifelike
flourish ["fl? ri?] vi. lush, prosperous, flourishing;
vt. to wave
Practice
Answer each of the following questions.
1. Greek colonists and traders can be found all over the bank of Sea.

2. Ancient Greece was the birthplace of Western .

3. The word “philosophy” means and ．

4. declared that everything was nude of atoms.

5. was sentenced to death in 399 BC for his views.

6. Greek temples based on rules．

Translation
(End of this chapter)