雅思口语话题:“A Cultural Event in China”

除了描述春节之外，其实还有很多其他的cultural event值得一说，相对大众的文化传统节日如中国传统的“鬼节”the Ghost Festival，重阳节the Double Ninth Festival；具有地方特色的文化活动可以选择“成都的麻将节the Mahjong Festival，重庆的火锅节the Hotpot Festival in Chongqing”等。这里我们选择中国传统的“鬼节”作为例子，相信考官一定没有在考场中听过考生描述这类的主题。

The seventh lunar month in the traditional Chinese calendar is called Ghost Month. On the first day of the month, the Gates of Hell are open to allow ghosts and spirits access to the world of the living. The spirits spend the month visiting their families, feasting and looking for victims. 总体介绍该文化活动的情况，初步解释。

There are three important days during Ghost Month. On the first day of the month, ancestors are honored with offerings of food, incense, and ghost money - paper money which is burned so the spirits can use it. These offerings are done at makeshift altars set up on sidewalks outside the house. 进一步详细解释该文化的表现。

Almost as important as honoring ancestors, offerings to ghosts without families must be made, so that they will not cause you any harm. Ghost month is the most dangerous time of the year, and malevolent spirits are on the look out to capture souls. This makes ghost month a bad time to do activities such as evening walk, traveling, moving house, or starting a new business. Many people avoid swimming during ghost month, since there are many spirits in the water which can try to drown you. 用适当的例子来说明该文化的特征。

The last day of the month is when the Gates of Hell are closed up again. The chants of Taoist priests inform the spirits that it’s time to return, and as they are confined once again to the underworld.

针对这样的话题，若希望增加其自然度和真实感，可以在回答正题之前先给考官打一个预防针：“The cultural event I’m going to talk about may sound a little bit superstitious and scary, but it is one of our traditional and cultural events in most areas.”

对于Cultural event的话题，回答思路大多情况下都是介绍文化活动或事件的主题+具体文化习俗和传统活动的表现；所以，建议希望得高分的考生可以更换老主题的具体内容，也可以更换一个新的主题，否则考官将会始终以茫然的表情面对你。