Level 1 · Reading series
Lesson 48 · A Festival of Light
Audio track 48
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
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Many places have a festival with light. People may celebrate with a lamp, a candle, or electric displays. Light can stand against darkness, welcome a new season, or carry a religious meaning.
Dates and traditions are not the same everywhere. One photograph cannot explain a whole festival. Ask who celebrates it and why.
In a community, old customs may also change with new technology and safety rules. Traditions live because people continue them, discuss them, and sometimes change them.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
许多地方都有以光为主题的节日。人们可能用灯、蜡烛或电子灯饰来庆祝。光可以象征驱散黑暗、迎接新季节，也可能带有宗教意义。
不同地方的日期与传统并不相同。一张照片无法解释整个节日。我们应该了解是谁在庆祝，以及为什么庆祝。
在社区里，古老的习俗也可能随着新技术和安全规定而改变。传统之所以延续，是因为人们继续实践、讨论，有时也调整它。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- festival
- 节日；庆典。
- light
- 光；灯光；也可指‘轻的’。本文作名词。
- celebrate
- 庆祝。
- lamp
- 灯；照明器具。
- candle
- 蜡烛。
- darkness
- 黑暗。
- season
- 季节。
- meaning
- 意义；意思。
- tradition
- 传统。
- community
- 社区；共同体。
Background notes (Chinese)
以光为主题的活动有排灯节、光明节、灯笼节和冬季灯饰等多种例子。外观看似相近，历史与宗教意义却不一样。介绍具体节日时，应查阅参与者或主办者自己的说明。