Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival
Speaking | English and Chinese scripts are provided below and you can understand the content easier. https://www.youtube.com/@UpgradeEnglish
Mom, have you bought mooncakes for Mid-Autumn Festival?
No. I’m occupied with my work recently.
The Festival is around the corner. I enjoy moongazing while sharing mooncakes together.
I plan to shop around next week. Which flavour do you like? Sweet or salty mooncakes?
I like eating egg custard mooncakes.
Let’s try something new this year.
Do you have any suggestion?
I would like to cut down on calories. How about having healthy mooncakes?
What a good idea!
When I browsed through social media platforms last week, I was attracted by a shop selling vegan and gluten-free mooncakes. Shall we have a try?
What are the selling points? Can you share the information with me?
Sure. I’ve just forwarded the link to you.
Thank you, mom.
They’ve different flavours such as black sesame, matcha red bean and purple yam.
It’s cool. The price is reasonable too.
The feedback from customers is positive. They’re sugar-free with vegan fillings such as nuts and lotus paste.
They look both delicious and healthy. Let’s give it a try.
Which flavour do you prefer?
How about black sesame? Can you buy one box for me as well? I would like to present this gift to my boyfriend’s parents during the Festival.
Sure. I’ll get one for you.
Mom, love you so much.
Oh, there is 20% early bird discount for the purchase before the end of this month.
It’s awesome.
By the way, I’ll prepare dinner on the eve of Mid-Autumn Festival. Please come with your boyfriend.
Okay. I’ve marked my diary. It’s perfect to get together.
Yes. It’s a tradition to welcome the moon and have family reunion in this important Chinese festival.
Our balcony offers a great view of the moon. I must share the pictures with full moon to my friends.
I’ll also buy glutinous rice dumplings which will be served after the dinner.
I like sweet dumplings.
They symbolize family reunion. It wouldn’t be complete without having the delicious dumplings.
Last week, my boss asked me to send hampers to thank the long-standing clients before the Festival.
It’s common to express appreciation to the clients.
There are so many choices in the market. Each of the hamper is typically presented in a very nice gift box.
I like fruits hampers which feature seasonal fruits.
I’m performing the research. Some hampers offer pastry, chocolate, wines and even much expensive gifts such as dried seafood.
It’s time to shop around and select some fresh fruits. Do you have any preference?
I like blueberries and pears.
No problem. I’ll buy pomelos because they’ve the meaning of family reunion. I’ll also get some pomegranates which represent abundance.
Oh, it’s amazing.
Lastly, I’ll buy a few pumpkins. Do you know their meaning?
Let me guess. Are they related to good health?
Brilliant. They’re all blessings to the family.
I’m excited to soak up the festive feels.
Will you join some celebration events?
Yes. I plan to go to lantern carnival in the park. There is so much fun in solving lantern riddles on slips of paper every year.
Lantern riddles? Oh, it’s a brain challenge!
The riddles contain messages of wisdom.
It requires the knowledge of history and culture. It’s so difficult to guess the answer from a word or a poem.
When I crack each of them, I can obtain intellectual satisfaction.
They’re the brain teasers. I prefer enjoying the lanterns displays in the park.
What is the theme of the displays in the coming year?
It’s not announced yet. Anyway, there are hundreds of traditional lanterns and some are equipped with LED lights.
I was especially impressed by the displays and the festive atmosphere last year.
I would like to experience the fire dragon dance in person in the coming year. Can you accompany me?
I watched the parade through a live broadcast last year. Over hundreds of people carried the heavy fire dragon and weaved through the streets.
I was impressed by the incredibly long dragon with burning incense from head to tail. The spectators cheered as the dragon passed and danced through the streets.
The dance patterns of the giant fire dragon were incredible.
Right. They’re fascinating. I’m wondering how those performers can work together to make those patterns such as circling and crossing the bridge.
I would like to film some videos for recording the blazing spectacle.
The event has become part of the annual ritual. It’s a travel spot for tourists who have never came across such performance before.
It’s worth to visit the cultural heritage. Let’s go together.
Before joining the event, I’ll meet my friends in the park. They’ll bring their children to play with lanterns. I’ll chit-chat with them.
Mid-Autumn Festival is definitely a reunion time for families and friends.
Yes. We celebrate the Festival by appreciating the moon, eating mooncakes, sipping tea and visiting public lantern displays. I cherish our gathering each time.
Kids will be mesmerized by the spectacular lantern displays.
That’s true. A large-scale revolving lantern is set up and decorated with different themes every year.
Some of the beaches will also be very crowded. Parents will grab the lanterns and play with their kids on the sand.
I did the same when you were still small. Do you remember that we had barbecues under the moon?
Of course. It’s one of my happiest moments during the childhood.
By the way, how about celebrating with a lunch buffet?
It’s wonderful. I’m a foodie, you know. Okay, you’re tasked with finding the best offer from the hotels. Let’s go with grandma during the holiday.
WITH CHINESE SCRIPTS
媽媽，中秋節您買月餅了嗎？
沒有，我最近忙於工作。
節日即將來臨，我喜歡一邊賞月，一邊分享月餅。
我打算下週去購物，您喜歡哪種口味？是甜的還是鹹的月餅？
我喜歡吃蛋奶月餅。
今年讓我們嘗試一些新的東西。
您有什麼建議嗎？
我想減少卡路里的攝取，試試吃健康的月餅，如何？
多好的主意啊！
上週，當我瀏覽社交媒體平台時，我被一家出售純素和無麩質月餅的商店所吸引，我們要不要嘗試一下？
有哪些賣點？能分享一下訊息給我嗎？
當然可以，我剛剛把連結轉發給您了。
謝謝您，媽媽。
月餅有黑芝麻、抹茶紅豆、紫山藥等不同口味。
這很酷，價格也很合理。
客戶的回饋是正面的，它們不含糖，含有堅果和蓮蓉等純素餡料。
它們看起來既美味又健康，就試一試吧。
您比較喜歡哪種口味？
黑芝麻如何？您能也買一盒給我嗎？我想在節日期間把這份禮物送給我男友的父母。
當然。我買一份給您。
媽媽，非常愛您。
哦，這個月底前購買還有20%的早鳥優惠。
太棒了。
對了，中秋節前夕我會準備晚餐，請和您的男朋友一起來。
好的，我已經標記了我的日誌，能聚在一起真是太完美了。
是的，在這個重要的中國節日，迎月、閔家團圓是中國的傳統。
我們的陽台可以欣賞美麗的月亮景色，我一定要把月圓的照片分享給我的朋友。
我還會買湯圓，並於晚餐後吃。
我喜歡甜湯圓。
它們象徵著家庭團聚，如果沒有美味的湯圓，這一切就不完整。
上週，老闆請我在節前送禮籃來感謝長期支持公司的客戶。
向客戶表達謝意是很常見的。
市場上有很多選擇，每個禮籃通常都裝在一個非常漂亮的禮物盒中。
我喜歡以時令水果為特色的水果禮籃。
我正在進行調研，有些禮籃提供糕點、巧克力、葡萄酒，甚至還有乾海鮮等昂貴的禮物。
是時候周圍看看及挑選一些新鮮水果了，您有什麼喜好嗎？
我喜歡藍莓和梨子。
沒問題，我會買柚子，因為它有家人團聚的意義，我還會買一些代表豐富的石榴。
哦，太棒了。
最後，我要買幾個南瓜，您知道它們的意思嗎？
讓我猜一下，它們與身體健康有關嗎？
太好了，這都是對家人的祝福。
我很興奮能感受到節慶的氣氛。
您會參加一些慶祝活動嗎？
會的，我打算去公園的燈籠嘉年華會，每年猜紙條燈謎真是太有趣了。
燈謎？哦，這是對大腦的挑戰！
謎語包含智慧的訊息。
它需要歷史和文化知識，從一個字或一首詩猜出答案是非常困難的。
當我破解它們中的每一個時，我就能獲得智慧上的滿足。
它們是腦筋急轉彎，我更喜歡在公園裡欣賞燈籠展示。
來年的展覽主題是什麼？
還沒宣布，無論如何，都有數百個傳統燈籠，有些還配備了發光二極體的燈。
去年的展示和節日氣氛給我留下了特別深刻的印象。
來年我想親自體驗舞火龍，您能陪我嗎？
去年我透過現場直播觀看了慶祝遊行，數百人抬著重型火龍，在街上穿梭。
這條從頭到尾都燒著香的長龍給我留下了深刻的印象，當龍在街上翩翩起舞時，觀眾們歡呼雀躍。
巨火龍的舞姿令人難以置信。
的確是，他們很迷人，我想知道這些表演者如何一起合作來製作這些圖案，例如盤旋和過橋。
我想拍攝一些影片來記錄這熾熱的景象。
該活動已成為年度儀式的一部分，對於從未見過此類表演的遊客來說，這是一個旅遊勝地。
這是值得參觀的文化遺產，我們一起去吧。
在參加活動之前，我會在公園裡和我的朋友們見面這是他們會帶著孩子來玩燈籠這是我會和他們閒聊。
中秋節絕對是家人及朋友團聚的時刻。
是的，我們透過賞月、吃月餅、喝茶和參觀公共燈籠展覽來慶祝這個節日，我很珍惜我們的每一次相聚。
孩子們一定會被壯觀的燈籠展示所迷住。
這是真的，每年都會設置大型走馬燈，並裝飾不同的主題。
有些海灘也會非常擁擠，家長會拿著燈籠和孩子們在沙灘上玩耍。
當您還小的時候我也做過同樣的事。您還記得我們在月下燒烤嗎？
當然記得，這是我童年最快樂的時刻之一。
順便問一下，我們去吃自助午餐慶祝一下怎麼樣？
太棒了，我是一個美食家，您知道的。
好的，您的任務是找酒店的最吸引優惠，於假期我們和祖母一起去吧。