教你正确用（二十八）.docVIP

教你正确用（二十八） 　　Holidays――美国的节假日(上) 　　 　　My favorite days are, of course, holidays. On those days, I don’t have to go to work and can put my up feet to enjoy a cup of tea and catch up with the writing of “A Cup of English.” There are many holidays in the U.S., on some of which you can take a day off but on others you can’t. Many of my friends in China also celebrate western holidays, such as St. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas. Today, let’s chat about some of the important holidays in the U.S. and their meanings. By the way, my definition of an “important holiday” is a day we take off from work, which is also called a legal holiday. 　　 　　Holidays in January 一月中的节日 　　New Year’s Day―Of course the first day in a calendar year is a holiday for most parts of the world. Besides the thrill of going into an unknown year and everyone getting one year older, many people make “New Year’s resolutions,” where they fancy achievements they are going to have in the New Year. What is the most popular resolution people make for a New Year? To lose weight! Well, most people make this same resolution for the next New Year and the next and the next ... 　　 　　Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 15)―Born in 1929, Dr. King was one of the most important political activists in the U.S. history. In the early 1960’s, Dr. King promoted non-violence and equal treatment for all races and was the most influential leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King is remembered for his great speech “I Have a Dream,” in which he claimed: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his work in promoting racial equality and harmony. Dr. King was assassinated by white supremacists on April 4, 1968, in Tennessee. To pay tribute to this great civil rights movement leader, the U.S. Congress established Dr.