Dialogue 3 Talking About Traditional Festivals 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 　　 Dialogue　 I　 II　 III 　IV
(Mr. Zhang is talking about other Chinese traditional festivals with his American students in their classroom.)
Tom: Mr. He, you have talked about Chinese Spring Festival just now. What other traditional festivals are celebrated throughout China?
Zhang: Mainly three of them, the Lantern Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival. The first one is on 15th of the first lunar month; the second is on the fifth of the fifth lunar month, that’s why it is called in Chinese Duanwujie; the last one is on the fifteenth of the eighth lunar month.
Maria: what do people eat on these festivals?
Zhang: At the Lantern Festival people, customarily eat round sweet dumplings, which symbolize family reunion. At the Dragon Boat Festival people eat Zongzi, which is made of glutinous rice and dates wrapped in bamboo of reed leaves. At Mid-Autumn Festival people eat moon-cakes.
Jack: What do people do during these festivals?
Zhang: During the lantern Festival, people hang up colorful lanterns in their courtyards, play Yangko (a popular rural folk dance) and set off fireworks.
Maria: What about the Dragon Boat Festival?
Zhang: During the period, there are boat races in many parts of the country, especially in the South.
Jack: Boat racing has become an international sports event. Sorry to have interrupted you What about the Mid-Autumn Festival?
Zhang: Customarily, people sit outdoors after dinner to enjoy the full moon, which on that occasion symbolizes family reunion. All the students: That’s really interesting. Thank you for the talk.