Background knowledge building
Traditional Chinese festivals: the beauty of celebrations
China has a long history of colourful traditional festivals, which are important parts of Chinese culture and always full of warm family love. These festivals not only have special meanings but also lovely traditional customs(习俗), and people in China always celebrate them with their loved ones.
The Spring Festival is the most important one. It comes in January or February of the lunar(农历的) calendar. Families always have a big reunion dinner, eat dumplings and set off fireworks. People also put up couplets for good luck. The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. We usually watch the bright full moon and eat round mooncakes, because the round shape stands for family reunion. The Dragon Boat Festival is to remember the great poet Qu Yuan. People often hold dragon boat races and eat sweet zongzi on that day.
Every Chinese festival is a time to gather family and pass on culture. They let us feel the warmth of family and the beauty of traditional Chinese culture. It's wonderful to keep these festival traditions alive and share them with people all over the world.

Unit 4 Time to celebrate

Reading
阅读延伸
A warm Spring Festival in London
It was my second Spring Festival studying abroad in London, and the cold February wind couldn't dim my excitement.
My flatmate, a cheerful British girl named Chloe, had heard me talk about Chinese New Year traditions for weeks and begged（乞求） to join in. “I want to make dumplings and see what all the fuss（忙乱的事） is about!” she said, her eyes sparkling.
On New Year's Eve, we turned our
small kitchen into a festive workshop. I video-called my parents in Shanghai, and they guided us step by step. “First, fold the wrapper in half and pinch（捏） the edges tightly。” Mum said from the screen, as Chloe struggled to seal her dumpling—her first attempt（尝试） looked more like a lopsided pocket than a neat crescent（新月）. We laughed as flour dusted our cheeks, and by the end, we had a tray（托盘） of dumplings that were far from perfect, but full of pride.
Next, I brought out a steamer of nian gao—sticky rice cake—and explained, “It means ‘higher year by year’, so we eat it for good luck.” Chloe took a bite, her eyes widening. “It’s sweet and chewy! I could eat this every day.” Just then, the doorbell rang: our neighbours, an elderly couple, had brought a plate of mince pies as a gift. In return, we offered them dumplings and nian gao. They hesitated at first, but after trying a dumpling, the grandmother smiled and said, “This is wonderful—like a little hug in my mouth.”
When midnight came in China, we watched the fireworks display in Shanghai on my laptop, while Chloe lit some fairy lights in our living room. “Your family feels so close, even though they’re thousands of miles away,” she said softly. As we ate our dumplings and listened to my mum’s voice on the phone, I realised that Spring Festival isn’t just about food or
traditions—it’s about sharing warmth, no matter where you are.
1. Where was the writer spending the Spring Festival?

2. What did Chloe struggle to make at first?

3. What is the meaning of eating nian gao during the Spring Festival?

4. Who brought mince pies to the writer and Chloe?

5. What did the writer realise the Spring Festival is truly about?

1. The writer was spending the Spring Festival in London.
2. Chloe struggled to make a neatly sealed dumpling.
3. Nian gao means "higher year by year", so it is eaten for good luck.
4. Their elderly neighbours brought mince pies.
5. The writer realisd that Spring Festival is about sharing warmth, no matter where you are.