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Chapter 49 Custom Custom Culture (2)
Ancient Greece was nearly separated by the sea from Asia Minor (Turkey) and escaped conquest by the Near Eastern empires.

Due to lack of land, many Greeks left their hometowns and searched for new continents.They built luxurious paddle ships, and Greek colonists and merchants were seen everywhere, from one end of the Mediterranean to the other.

In many ways, ancient Greece was the birthplace of Western civilization.In small Greek towns, especially in Athens, people gathered to discuss ideas of all kinds. The word "philosophy" comes from two Greek words meaning love and wisdom, and from the Greeks we learn a lot about ideas of beauty, justice, and government.

The Greeks were never united as one people, but they spoke the same language, had the same religion and a similar view of the world.

The ancient Greeks were pioneers in medicine, mathematics, and natural science. They viewed the world with logic and reasoning, and had some basic inventions.Before 400 BC, Democritus asserted that all things are the outer manifestations of atoms, and the critic Samos (200 BC) recognized that the earth was round, and even suggested that the earth revolved around the sun.

The names of the great scientists in ancient Greece are well known today, such as Archimedes, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle are three great philosophers at that time and in any era, but ordinary people often doubt Their questions and free-spirited thoughts.Socrates was also sentenced to death in 399 BC for his own views.

The Greeks believed in many gods, each city had its own patron saint, and each family also enshrined its own family gods.The gods lived on Mount Olympus and were ruled by Zeus, the king of the gods.Greek gods were eternal, but they also had human traits, such as exhibiting love and jealousy.

The Greeks built many beautiful temples to their gods, and they developed a first-class architecture based on mathematics, and built three different ways to build the stone columns, which are the characteristics of many Greek buildings.

Greek sculptors depicted the bodies of the dead in extremely realistic detail.The prosperity of music is often accompanied by certain dances or corresponding stories, the most famous of which is Homer's heroic story.The Greeks also invented our theater and some plays about them are still performed in languages ​​other than Greek.

Exercise
Answer the following questions.

1.Greek colonists and merchants can be seen on the coast.

2.Ancient Greece was the birthplace of the West.

3. The word "philosophy" means and.

4.The assertion that all things are outward manifestations of atoms.

5.Sentenced to death for his views.

6.Greek temples were built on the foundations of .

1. Mediterranean 2． civilization
3. love, wisdom 4． Democritus
5. Socrates 6． mathematical
03 Eastern Religions Eastern Religions

Peoples all over the world formed systems of beliefs in powers greater than their own. The earliest religions were connected with the forces of nature—the sun, the moon, wind, water, rocks and trees—and with animals.
The great religions of the world all began in Asia. Three of them—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—began in the same area of ​​west Asia. Hinduism and Buddhism began in India.
In the civilizations of die ancient world, die king was often seen as the gods' representative. The god-king defended his people. The Egyptians believed in many gods, and in a life after death. One pharaoh, Akhenaton, tried to replace the old gods with a “one-god” faith based on sun worship. The experiment was short-lived.
India
Hinduism is the oldest of the Asian beliefs. There are many Hindu gods, and many rules that govern foods, behavior, festivals, and even which jobs people may do.
Buddhism began in India in the 500s BC and was later spread by missionaries to Burma and China. In its birthplace of India, Buddhism practically died out. It was different from other religions in having no god or gods. Its followers were taught to escape the sufferings of life by desiring nothing. Another Indian religion, Jainism, forbade its followers to kill any living thing, even an insect.
Judaism
The Jews were the first people in Europe and Asia to put their faith in one god. They believed that they were a chosen people, who owed their escape from slavery in Egypt and Babylon to a supreme God whom they called Yahweh (the Lord). God gave die Ten Commandments (laws) to Moses, and prophets delivered messages from God. Jews believed that God would send a messiah, or saviour, to bring justice and peace. Later, followers of Jesus Christ, a Jew, believed he was the Messiah (the Son of God).
Confucius
In China, people worshiped their ancestors and nature spirits. In the 500s BC, a scholar named Confucius taught a system of “right behavior” which has influenced Chinese government and society ever since, He taught loyalty to the family, worship of ancestors, and obedience to the laws of society.
Vocabulary
Asia ["ei??] n. Asia
Judaism ["d? u: deiiz? m] n. Judaism

Christianity ["kristi"? niti] n. Christianity

Islam ["izlɑ: m] n. Islam, (collectively) Muslims, Muslims
pharaoh ["f??r?u] n. Pharaoh

Worship ["w?:?ip] vt. Worship, respect;
vi. to worship

Missionary ["mi??n?ri] n. missionary

messiah [mi"sai?] n. (People are looking forward to saving the world) savior; Messiah (Jewish looking forward to the savior)

savior ["seivj?] n. Rescuer, savior, savior, savior, Jesus Christ
Loyalty ["l? i? lti] n. Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty... feelings, loyalty

obedience [? "bi: dj? ns] n. Obedience, obedience, obedience

Practice
Write true or false.
1. The earliest religions always connected with the forces of nature.

2. Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism began in India.

3. Hinduism have many gods.

4. Jainism forbade its followers to kill any living thing.

5. In China, a scholar named Confucius taught people obedience to the laws of society.

Translation
People all over the world have formed religious systems more powerful than their individual religious beliefs, initially in connection with natural forces (sun, moon, wind, water, rocks, and trees) and animals.

All major religions in the world originated in Asia, and the three major religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) originated in the same area of ​​West Asia.Hinduism and Buddhism originated in India.

In the lost civilizations of the ancient world, dead kings were often seen as representatives of the gods, the king of gods protecting his people.The Egyptians revered many gods and believed in life after death.Akhenaten, an Egyptian pharaoh, tried to replace the worship of the gods with a monotheistic belief in the sun, but this attempt lasted only a short time.

印度
Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in Asia.There are many gods in Hinduism, many precepts on food, behavior, festivals, and even the work people do.

Buddhism originated in India in 500 BC and was later spread to Burma and China by missionaries.In India, where it originated, Buddhism has all but disappeared.Unlike other religions, Buddhism has no gods to worship.Buddhist believers must achieve no desire in order to escape the suffering of life.Another religion, Jainism, forbids its followers to kill living things, even insects.

Judaism

The Jews were the first people in Europe and Asia to worship only one god. They believed that they were chosen by God, and they believed that the reason why they escaped from slavery in Egypt and Babylon was the supreme god Yahweh. (God's) credit.God gave Moses and those who preached God's gospel ten commandments.The Jews believed that God would send them a Messiah or savior who would bring justice and peace.Subsequently, a Jewish man named Jesus was identified as the Messiah (Son of God).

Confucius
In China, people respect their ancestors and their true nature.In 500 BC, a scholar named Confucius put forward the idea of ​​"Rule of Virtue", which had a great impact on Chinese politics and society.He also advocated loyalty to the family, respect for elders, and observance of social institutions.

Exercise
True or false.

1.Early religions were always closely related to the forces of nature.

2.Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism all originated in India.

3.Hinduism has many gods.

4.Jainism forbids its followers to kill.

5.In China, a scholar named Confucius taught people to obey the social system.

1．true　2．false　3．true　4．true　5．true
04 Carnival in Halloween
One story about Jack, an Irishman, who was not allowed into Heaven because he was stingy with his money. So he was sent to hell. But down there he played tricks on the Devil (Satan), so he was kicked out of Hell and made to walk the earth forever carrying a lantern.
Well, Irish children made Jack's lanterns on October 31st from a large potato or turnip, hollowed out with the sides having holes and lit by little candles inside. And Irish children would carry them as they went from house to house begging for food for the village Halloween festival that honored the Druid god Muck Olla. The Irish name for these lanterns was “Jack with the lantern” or “Jack of the lantern”, abbreviated as “Jack-o'-lantern” and now spelled “jack-o-lantern ".
The traditional Halloween you can read about in most books was just children's fun night. Halloween celebrations would start in October in every elementary school. Children would make Halloween decorations, all kinds of orange-paper jack-o-lanterns. And from black paper you 'd cut “scary” designs—an evil witch with a pointed hat riding through the sky on a broomstick, maybe with black bats flying across the moon, and that meant bad luck. And of course black cats for more bad luck.
(End of this chapter)