The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Winter Solstice (冬至), the 22nd solar term of the year, begins this year on Dec 21.
On the first day of Winter Solstice, the Northern Hemisphere (北半球) experiences the shortest day and the longest night in the year, as the sun shines directly at the Tropic of Capricorn (南回归线). From then on, the days become longer and the nights become shorter. The Winter Solstice also marks the arrival of the coldest season in the year.
There was a saying in ancient China, “The Winter Solstice is as significant as the Spring Festival.”
As early as the Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-256BC), people worshipped the gods on the first day of the Winter Solstice, which also was the first day of the new year. The Winter Solstice became a winter festival during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220AD). The celebratory activities were officially organized. On this day, both officials and common people would have a rest.
During subsequent dynasties, such as the Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911), the Winter Solstice was a day to offer sacrifices to Heaven and to ancestors.
During Winter Solstice in North China, eating dumplings is essential to the festival. There is a saying that goes “Have dumplings on the first day of Winter Solstice and noodles on the first day of Summer Solstice.” People in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, are accustomed to eating wontons in midwinter. In places such as Shanghai, people eat tangyuan, a kind of stuffed small dumpling ball made of glutinous rice flour, to celebrate Winter Solstice. In Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, people call midwinter the “Ghost Festival”. On that day, it is customary for people there to drink mutton and vermicelli soup and eat the dumplings in the soup. They give the midwinter soup a strange name “brain” and share it with their neighbors. During the Winter Solstice, Hangzhou residents traditionally eat rice cakes. In some regions south of the Yangtze River on the first day of Winter Solstice, the whole family gets together to have a meal made of red bean and glutinous rice to drive away ghosts and other evil things.
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE about Winter Solstice?| A．The days are the shortest and the nights are the longest in the world. |
| B．The nights become longer after Winter Solstice in southern hemisphere. |
| C．The days become shorter after Winter Solstice in northern hemisphere. |
| D．The coldest season is approaching. |
| A．originated from the Zhou Dynasty |
| B．was also the first day of the Spring Festival |
| C．was a day to worship the gods and ancestors |
| D．was a holiday for people to have a rest in Song dynasty |
| A．wontons and tangyuan | B．mutton and vermicelli soup |
| C．peanuts and hazelnuts. | D．rice cakes |
| A．Winter Solstice in North China. | B．The beginning of Winter Solstice. |
| C．Different customs of Winter Solstice. | D．Reasons for eating dumplings in Winter Solstice. |
Thanksgiving Day in the United States is a holiday on the fourth Thursday of November. It precedes (先于) Black Friday.
Thanksgiving Day is traditionally a day for families and friends to get together for a special meal. The meal often includes a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, pumpkin pie, and vegetables. Meanwhile,
Public Life
Most government offices, businesses, schools and other organizations are closed on Thanksgiving Day. Many offices and businesses allow staff to have a four-day weekend so these offices and businesses are also closed on the Friday after Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving Day is one of the busiest periods for travel in the USA.
Background
There are claims that the first Thanksgiving Day was held in the city of El Paso, Texas.
| A．Accidents are quite likely to happen everywhere. |
| B．The Day Celebrations. |
| C．A Day of Feast. |
| D．Another influential event was held in 1619 in the Virginia Colony. |
| E．This can lead to congestion and overcrowding. |
| F．Thanksgiving Day is a time for many people to give thanks for what they have. |
| G．Public transportation systems do not usually operate on their regular timetables. |
Since the beginning of the China chic(中国风) fever roughly two years ago, Chinese elements have become increasingly popular among young illustrators and designers. From Chinese YouTuber Li Ziqi to the design of clothes to furniture, Chinese aesthetics(美学) can be found everywhere. Wu Yao, a well-known Chinese illustrator and designer, said in an interview that the emergence of China chic is in fitting with the times and provides ordinary consumers, both Chinese and foreign, with a channel and opportunity to learn about Chinese tradition.
The fundamental reason for the popularity of China chic comes from the all-covering nature of Chinese art. For instance, Chinese paintings have an extensive range of subjects and styles. There are a lot of French artists or fashion masters who have a lot of Chinese collections at home.
Some experts say that Chinese millennials(千禧一代) are a generation who grew up with the revival of Chinese culture. They are confident in their own culture, pay more attention to quality, innovation, personal experience and are willing to experience multiculturalism. Therefore a sense of identity and confidence in traditional culture began to emerge among them.
At the same time, to satisfy the Chinese market, a lot of foreign brands introduced products with Chinese elements such as "tiger bags" or clothing printed with flowers popular in Northeast China. However, it seems that Chinese consumers are not buying these products. This is due to the designer of these products' lack of understanding of Chinese culture. They don't know the stories of these cultural relics, so they define a Chinese style according to their own understanding.
"They don't take our traditional culture as seriously as we do. As Chinese designers, we carefully search literature, learn traditional culture and do much work before each creation, but they do not care so much about this," Wu noted.
【小题1】Why is Li Ziqi mentioned?| A．To praise Li Ziqi for her great success. |
| B．To give an example of Chinese aesthetics. |
| C．To show her influence on Chinese aesthetics. |
| D．To attract more people to know and follow her. |
| A．More art collectors' emergence. | B．The easier access to Chinese art. |
| C．The wide coverage of Chinese art. | D．People's improved aesthetic standards. |
| A．Take their profession more seriously. |
| B．Change their attitude toward the China chic. |
| C．Create more products with Chinese elements. |
| D．Learn more about Chinese traditional culture. |
| A．The characteristics of Chinese aesthetics. |
| B．The popularity of China chic in the world. |
| C．The challenges facing young artists in China. |
| D．The distinctions between Chinese and other aesthetics. |
Filial piety(孝心) is China's most important morality and involves strong deference(顺从) to one's parents. Thus, filial piety is an important value when it comes to treating one's immediate family, elders and superiors in general.
Origins
Filial piety was originally mentioned in the Western Zhou,
Meaning
Filial piety is a general attitude of offering love, respect, support, and deference to one's parents and other elders in the family, such as grandparents or older siblings.
The idea stems from the fact that parents give life to their children, and subsequently support them throughout their developing years in terms of providing food, education, and material needs.
Chinese character
Boy looking at the Chinese character for filial piety, you will learn a lot about the term's definition.
| A．let me tell you the definition of filial piety |
| B．Filial piety is clarified by the Chinese character xiao |
| C．Filial piety is one of the most important Chinese traditions |
| D．This placement is symbolic and tells of what filial piety means |
| E．which includes carrying on the family line and respecting the elders |
| F．Acts of filial piety include obeying parents' wishes, taking care of them when they are old |
| G．Extending beyond one's family, filial piety also applies to all elders like teachers, professional superiors, or anyone who is older in age |
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