问答题
Read the following text(s) and write an essay to
1) summarize the main points of the text(s),
2) make clear your own viewpoints, and
3) justify your stand.
In your essay, make full use of the information provided in the text(s). If you use more than three consecutive words from the text(s), use quotation marks(" ").
You should write 160-200 words.
Qixi Festival, the Chinese equivalent of Valentine"s Day that fell yesterday, was not only a disappointment for forgotten lovers, but also for businessmen left with empty pockets.
The cold reception has prompted cultural experts to seriously worry that the lovers" festival, marked for generations since the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), is dying out. Some have even called for legislation to make the festival a legal "Chinese Lovers" Day", which falls on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar year.
But the effectiveness of such a measure is in doubt, although efforts to preserve traditional festivals are highly commendable.
A growing number of traditional Chinese festivals, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, share the same fate as the Qixi Festival.
Young people are showing less interest in traditional culture as symbolized by these festivals. Even if all traditional festivals are finally made legal, the risk of them becoming purely formalized celebrations with little meaning is not removed. If the younger generation fails to identify with the cultural significance of these holidays, there is little that can be done.
While complaining about traditional festivals" fading appeal, decision-makers should reflect on cultural protection. Undeniably our country has done a bad job of preserving culture and traditional festivals, compared to neighboring Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK).
The 2,500-year-old Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The traditional customs and rituals of the occasion, which originated in China, have been better preserved in the ROK.
Only a few years ago did China begin to realize the significance of preserving intangible cultural heritage when the ROK planned to apply to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to list its version of the Dragon Boat Festival as an important example of intangible culture.
【正确答案】
【答案解析】As China opens wider to the outside world, foreign cultures, along with foreign products, are imported into the Chinese market, gaining popularity among especially the young generation. Imported festivals such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentines" Day are celebrated with greater enthusiasm while traditional Chinese festivals such as Qixi, Dragon Boat Festival, etc. are losing their appeal.
As far as I am concerned, this phenomenon is driven by two factors. For one thing, these foreign festivals are fervently advocated by merchants, shopping centers and department stores, which can seize the opportunity to boost their sales by encouraging the young to send each other presents. For another thing, less stress are laid on the cultural significance of Chinese traditional festivals, which now have become much more like an empty form of celebration rather than cultural heritage with unique characteristics.
In fact, it is cultural elements that make traditional festivals unique and keep them alive. Under the joint effort of both the government and the public, Chinese traditional festivals surely can be revitalized and contribute to the world"s diversity amid globalization.