节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-12-02
难易度:High
关键字:lyrics, commemorate, fabulous, symbolize, cauldron
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom.
My name is Gabe.
And my name is Carolyn.
And your English will improve today.
We're beginning our month of December with a lesson about December.
Now of course it's the holiday season.
Anytime from Thanksgiving through Christmas is considered the holiday season.
And so of course we have a lot to learn today about the month of December and
different things you can learn around the world and enjoy.
Now what do you like about December?
Carolyn, is there anything you especially like about this month?
Well, in the United States, a lot of times there will be snow in December.
And it's very cold, so you can go outside and play in the snow.
And then come back in, spend time with your family where it's nice and warm and
have a nice cup of hot chocolate.
Ah, that does sound nice.
I'm a little envious of you because I did not grow up in a place where I could
see snow any time of the year.
And I love the idea of looking at snow or playing in snow, especially in the
winter or December.
Well, have you ever seen or had a white Christmas?
That's when there is snow all around at Christmastime.
OK, we have a lot to learn from today's lesson, so let's get started.
(Music).
December.
The last month of the year is filled with joy and celebration.
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." This popular song's title and lyrics
reflect the happiness many people feel during the holiday season,
which lasts the whole month of December.
Stores are filled with lights, decorations - and sales signs.
Businesses and families hold parties.
The smell of baking cookies and other holiday treats fills homes.
Geneva, Switzerland, holds a chocolate festival called l'Escalade on December 11
to commemorate the defeat of an attacking army.
According to one story, a woman poured soup on a soldier's head, hit him with
her cauldron and then ran to warn her neighbors.
This stopped the attack, so now people smash and eat chocolate cauldrons in her
honor.
(Music).
Well, there are very many interesting festivals in December, and they have very
interesting origins.
Well, let's go back to the beginning of our lesson.
We read:
The last month of the year is filled with joy and celebration.
And it's true, December is one of the most wonderful months of the year for many
people because of the holidays.
That's right.
So it fills people with joy.
And of course they like to celebrate.
Well, you could be filled with something else, too, another kind of emotion.
Maybe something happened, and you're filled with happiness or filled with
excitement.
Maybe something terrible happened, and you are filled with sadness.
Well, of course December, people are filled with joy and celebration.
That's right.
And we continue reading:
"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." And those are lyrics from a very
popular song, aren't they, Gabe?
It's true. Maybe you've heard it before.
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
And of course the song is singing about different things that happen during the
holiday season or the Christmas season.
That's right. And we read:
This popular song's title and lyrics reflect the happiness many people feel
during the holiday season, which lasts the whole month of December.
Well, let's take a look at something from this sentence.
We're talking about the popular song's title and lyrics here.
What are lyrics?
Well, that's a good word from our Word Bank.
The lyrics are the words to a song.
So do you like listening to songs for their melodies or for their lyrics,
Carolyn?
Well, I like to listen to songs many, many times so that I can first enjoy the
melody,
just listening to the music and enjoying the harmonies and the different
elements of the song, and then really focusing on the lyrics.
What are the lyrics saying?
Are they positive lyrics?
Are they negative lyrics?
I really like Heavenly Melody's song lyrics.
Interesting.
Yes, Heavenly Melody, they work here with Studio Classroom.
And of course, they always have positive lyrics.
Now sometimes it's true, you might like a song for the melody or the music, but
then you listen to the lyrics, and you change your mind.
That happens to me sometimes.
I think lyrics are very important.
It's important to have positive lyrics.
All right. Well, let's continue here.
This popular song's title and lyrics reflect the happiness that many people
feel.
Well, let's take a look at that word "reflect." Usually a mirror reflects
something.
Carolyn, how do we use it here?
Well, that's not what it means here.
Here we're talking about it makes the idea very clear or apparent; it represents
something.
So you might say that the movie reflected the importance of friendship.
So from watching the movie, you could tell that the main message was friendship.
All right.
Or maybe you walk outside and you look around and you can see that nature
reflects God's creativity or it reflects God's beauty.
Or maybe you listen to a song.
And you didn't write it, but you could say that the song reflects your love for
somebody.
And of course here we're talking about a song, It's the Most Wonderful Time of
the Year.
That's right. And we continue reading:
Stores are filled with lights, decorations - and sales signs because this is a
very busy shopping time as well.
And so businesses and families hold parties.
And the smell of baking cookies and other holiday treats fills homes.
All right. Well, has that ever happened to you?
Have you ever experienced a smell of some kind when you're walking into a mall
or a home?
Something can fill a home.
A smell can fill a home.
And the smell of baking cookies fills many homes during the holiday season.
Now we continue and we learn about our first festival:
Geneva, Switzerland, holds a chocolate... festival called l'Escalade on December
11 to commemorate the defeat of an attacking army.
Well, this sounds like a delicious festival.
I would love to attend this festival because Swiss chocolate is delicious.
Well, let's take a look at a word from our Word Bank here: commemorate.
Now this is remembering something by celebrating it.
How could you use that word?
Well, a lot of things are commemorated, especially in December.
On December 25, people commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, and we have
Christmas.
That's right.
Now what else can you commemorate?
Well, many countries commemorate their independence or the day they became their
own country.
They do this once a year.
Well, you can commemorate the defeat of an attacking army if you visit Geneva,
Switzerland, in December.
That's right. And we continue reading:
According to one story, a woman poured soup on a soldier's head, hit him with
her cauldron and then ran to warn her neighbors.
And Gabe, was this helpful?
Well, it... it was, because we read: This stopped the attack, so now people
smash and eat chocolate cauldrons in her honor.
All right. Well, it sounds quite painful.
Cauldrons are big, heavy pots.
All right. Now it's time for us to take a break.
But first, we need to learn something with Michelle in the Language Lab.
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).