节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2014-01-06
难易度:High
关键字:brace, awesome, illuminate, check out
Well, we are in the middle of learning about the Harbin International Ice and
Snow Festival.
It's one of the awesome winter festivals that we will learn about from this
article.
We learn that Harbin has enjoyed a thriving winter tourism season for a long
time.
How long?
Well, we'll find out about that in the next part of our reading for today.
Hey, Gabe. Want a cookie?
They're fresh out of the oven.
Of course I do.
Thanks a lot.
Well, you're welcome.
Hey, what are you wearing?
Oh, this? It's an oven mitt.
Hmm, I like that oven mitt.
Ooh! And this cookie is delicious.
Well, friends, let's continue with the reading for today.
And of course, we'll visit Michelle in the Language Lab.
(Music).
The World's Best Winter Festivals.
Tourists loved seeing the ice lanterns, a tradition which began during the Qing
dynasty.
Ice lanterns began as a simple tool to provide light in the bleak winter months,
but today they are elaborate sculptures illuminated with colored lights.
There's plenty to see and do at this winter wonderland.
Visitors can tour the world's largest indoor ice and snow art museum at the Sun
Island Park or wander around the frozen exhibitions at Zhaolin Park.
Besides ice and snow sculptures, there are winter sports competitions to check
out and fairs to explore.
(Music).
(Chinese).
And don't go away yet. Let's go to our teachers.
Thank you, Michelle.
Well, we were talking about how Harbin enjoyed a thriving tourism season even
before this festival began in the 1980s.
People have enjoyed a long tradition of ice lanterns dating as far back as the
Qing dynasty.
Of course, ice lanterns didn't begin as a touristy thing, right, Gabe?
Well, no.
As with most things, they had a practical use.
They were simple tools used to provide light, of course.
But today, ice lanterns are elaborate sculptures illuminated with colored
lights.
Uh, could you please elaborate, Gabe?
Elaborate?
Yes. Illuminate me on the word: elaborate.
Oh. That's a little confusing, Carolyn.
Well, Carolyn asked me to elaborate, which is a verb that means to express
something in greater detail or to explain something more.
But here in the text, it's an adjective, elaborate.
If a sculpture is elaborate, that means it is very detailed artwork.
Someone spent a lot of attention making it great.
Now can you hear the difference - the verb elaborate and the adjective
elaborate?
Well, thank you for elaborating on that word, Gabe.
You're welcome.
Actually, I enjoy the way that you used that other word illuminate.
Ah, yes. In the text, "illuminate" means to provide light for something.
Of course all kinds of lights can illuminate.
Even a small candle can illuminate a large room.
That's right.
But you said, "Illuminate me." And what does that mean?
Oh, I was just having fun with the word.
To illuminate could also mean to make something easier for someone to
understand.
Gabe illuminated me by explaining the word elaborate.
Now I understand more about something.
I am illuminated.
Well, English certainly is fun, isn't it?
All these different big words with many meanings:
elaborate or elaborate, illuminate.
Well, let's continue learning about the festival at Harbin.
We have more to elaborate on.
We read that there is plenty to see and do at this winter wonderland.
Yes. You can tour the world's largest indoor ice and snow art museum, or you can
wander around frozen exhibitions at Zhaolin Park.
Wait! So I could say you can wander in a winter wonderland.
You're right.
Of course, wander and wonder.
These two words sound very similar, but they mean very different things.
If you wander around, that means you are moving about without any real goal or
purpose.
You can wander through the forest just because you like walking or wander around
a city that you just moved to.
And you could wonder as you wander.
I wonder how tall these flowers could grow in this forest.
I wonder if there's a restaurant for vegetarians in this neighborhood.
When you wonder, you are filled with curiosity.
It's good to wonder about many things.
Can you hear the difference?
Wander and wonder.
Well, there certainly are a lot of English words that sound similar to other
ones.
And there is a lot you can do at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture
Festival.
If you're finished wandering among ice sculptures, you can check out some winter
sports competitions.
And "check out" is a good phrase to know.
When you check something out, you have a look at it or you go to observe
something.
Sometimes we use the phrase "check it out" when we want someone to see something
interesting.
Ooh! Hey, Carolyn, check it out.
I can fit your cool little oven mitt onto my big hand.
Uh, Gabe, why do you have my oven mitt?
It's nice.
Sometimes I really wonder about you.
Well, hey! It is good to wonder about many things, as you said before.
Well, we hope that you have enjoyed learning about some words here that will
help make it easier for you when you reread the lesson.
And we've enjoyed elaborating.
And we hope you feel illuminated.
And if you are wondering how to summarize today's lesson, you're in luck.
Let's check out the Editor's Summary with Linda.
Our first winter festival is the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture
Festival, which is held in January and February each year.
Thousands of tourists attend this icy festival, which officially began in the
80s.
In addition to the world's largest indoor ice and snow art museum, winter sports
take place.
So there is something for everyone to enjoy at this winter festival.
Thank you, Linda.
We've certainly learned a lot about one awesome winter festival today - the
Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival.
There's lots to do there.
There certainly is.
You can wander around and wonder at all of the sculptures there and all of the
different kinds of art.
Hey, have you ever been to Harbin?
Carolyn, have you been to this icy place?
Actually I haven't, Gabe, but I do know two people who have studied Chinese in
Harbin.
And they had a really great time.
And they said it's a really great place to visit, and the Ice and Snow Sculpture
Festival is a great time to go.
Hmm. Well, that's something good to keep in mind.
I would definitely like to see this sometime in the future.
Well, friends, come back to learn more about festivals right here at Studio
Classroom.
See you then.