What（本课/本文主要内容）：The reading text in this section is a travel journal written by a travel writer Alex, sharing his experiences of attending an Indian wedding and the Rio Carnival. The title is “Alex around the world” and this topic belongs to the thematic context “man and society”. The travel journal is made up of two parts. The first part is about the author’s experience of joining in an Indian wedding, including the wedding’s location, dressing, traditional customs and celebration activities. The second part is the author’s description of the Rio Carnival by introducing the scenes before and during the street party in details.
How（文体结构和语言特征）：Based on the fact that this is a travel journal, the author employs a typical structure by telling the readers the place he traveled to, the date he wrote the journal and the custom or festival he experienced in the first line of each journal, so that the readers know the main idea at first sight. Besides, the wise choice of words and expressions makes the readers picture the Indian wedding and Carnival vividly in their mind. In addition, contrast is also used in organizing the journal, highlighting the differences between two people, places, things before and after, to draw the readers’ attention and make the description more vivid and interesting to read.
Why（作者意图）：Festivals and customs play a basic role in a country’s culture. Therefore, by sharing his own experiences in India and Brazil, the author intends to help students have a deeper comprehension of different countries’ customs. Furthermore, this travel journal could help students understand that even each country has its own specific custom and festival, the spirit and purpose for celebration is common. The author hopes after reading this journal, students can appreciate different festival and customs, build up the confidence of our own culture and develop a tolerant and respectful attitude towards different festivals and cultures.
