新編大學英語第一冊unit4 Text A: A Merry Christmas

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UNIT 4 IN-CLASS READING; New College English (I)

More Stuffing?

Patrick Brendan

1 "Merry", as you may know, has two meanings: happy and drunk. If you're like a large number of British people, then your Christmas will be an alcoholic, rather than a religious, occasion. Throughout the whole Christmas season, which stretches from early December to the end of the first week in January, you will spend hours drinking with friends, relatives and colleagues. Whether you are surrounded by the noisy friendliness of a pub or whether you are seated in the peaceful comfort of someone's home, you will be sipping away on a drink.

2 If you walk down Piccadilly or Oxford Street just before Christmas, you will see an incredible amount of money being spent on electronic games, bottles of spirits, expensive clothes, CDs, cassettes, cameras, and a large number of luxury items. If you walk down the main street of several towns in the East end of London just before Christmas, you won't see a large amount of money being spent on presents. If you have the money or if you are prepared to go into debt, you will participate in the conspicuous consumption that Christmas has come to represent. If you are poor, you will feel sad and disappointed because you cannot give the gifts you would like to give to your loved ones.

3 Christmas is supposed to be a time to express our love and goodwill towards others. It is supposed to be a time when we perform acts of kindness for people less fortunate than ourselves. But do we think of other people when we sit down to our Christmas dinner? Of course not we're too busy eating those delicious foods associated with Christmas. We are too busy wondering whether the presents we gave were as nice or better than the ones we received. We forget to think of the sick and the homeless. The whole idea of Christmas now is completely unchristian I'm sure that Christ would be distressed if he could see what sort of celebrations are being carried out in his name.

4 So I'm against Christmas I agree with Scrooge: "It's all humbug." If we're going to continue with this wasteful, thoughtless ceremony, then let's be truthful about it, and call it "Stomach Week" but let's get rid of the hypocritical pretence that Christmas is "the season of goodwill". Let's face it, Christmas is a holiday that has lost its meaning.

Not only for Children?

Lynne Knight

5 Recently, a rather sophisticated woman told me shyly that she saves up all her presents until Christmas morning and then sits up in bed and opens them, just like a child. She thought I would laugh at her and say how silly she was. But in fact I was absolutely delighted to meet someone who treats Christmas as I do.

6 Many people today have a very different attitude to Christmas. They think it's just a time when shopkeepers make a lot of money and everyone rushes round buying presents they don't want to give and food they don't want to eat. But have they grown so far away from their own childhood that they can't remember all the good things?

7 First of all, Christmas takes you out of the ordinary routine of life. For children, the fun begins weeks before when the decorations are put up, and excitement gradually increases as December the 25th approaches.

8 Everyone seems much friendlier to each other than usual at Christmastime. You can lean out of a car window when you're stopped at the traffic lights and say "Merry Christmas", and people will smile and respond. You probably wouldn't think of doing that at any other time of the year. Perhaps it's because most people are on holiday or because everyone knows that they are sharing a similar experience. Giving presents can be very satisfying, too, if you plan far enough in advance and really think of the right present for the right person.

9 Indeed, whatever shopkeepers gain out of Christmas, it is still a "holy day", the words from which "holiday" is derived and it gives people time to pause and concentrate for a moment on non-commercial values.