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First Birthday
简体
First Birthday
周岁生日

Learn English with this birthday English lesson

Date: Apr 10 2013

Themes: Family, Party

Grammar: Simple Past Tense

Intro

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Dolls and robots! Games and music! Mountains of wrapping paper! What is this celebration for? It’s a baby’s first birthday. Traditionally, many cultures have had special celebrations for the first birthday of a baby. In the days when many babies died in infancy, the first birthday was an important milestone for the baby to have reached. Today, many parents and families are still very happy to celebrate the first birthdays of their babies.

However, as American culture has become increasingly consumerist, Americans are spending more and more money on presents that one-year-olds don’t need and are not able to understand or enjoy. Some families have large and sometimes expensive parties with games that one-year-olds can’t play. Listen in as Marni and Lily give their opinions on first birthdays in this birthday English lesson.

玩偶和机器人!游戏和音乐!一大堆包装纸!这是在庆祝什么?婴儿的周岁生日。许多文化都有为婴儿的周岁生日举办特殊庆祝活动的传统。在那些很多婴儿夭折的年月里,周岁生日对婴儿而言是一个重要里程碑。现在,很多父母和家庭仍会非常开心地庆祝婴儿的周岁生日。

然而,随着美国文化越来越倾向于消费主义,如今,美国人在购买礼物上花的钱越来越多,而那些一岁的婴儿根本不需要也不能理解或者享受这些礼物。一些家庭还会举办有游戏环节的大型派对,有时候还会开支巨大,但一岁的婴儿却无法参与这些游戏。在本节以生日为话题的英语课上,听听玛尼和莉莉对周岁生日的看法。

Dialog

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Marni

Marni

Lily

Lily

Marni:  I just bought a present for a one-year-old for their first birthday.

Lily:  Oh, that’s so cute.

Marni:  It is cute. It’s very sweet. But, you know, there’s part of me that… Have you been to a lot of birthdays for one-year-olds?

Lily:  Not since my own.

Marni:  Well, my experience these days is that, you know, it’s a big to-do, big theme party. There’s games, whatever, and the child is so disinterested in the gifts, and it’s very overwhelming to them that, you know, generally they’d be happy with a box and some wrapping paper.

Lily:  Oh yeah, totally. It seems like they’re more for the parents just to kind of celebrate that they have raised this child to be one year old.

Marni:  That’s true, and you know what? That is a very commendable thing.

Lily:  Definitely.

Marni:  They made it that first year.

Lily:  Mmm hmm.

Marni:  But, you know, I think once I have a one-year-old, I think I’m gonna be like, “Don’t worry about bringing gifts. Let’s just, you know, have a nice meal, and, you know, maybe a cake.” I don’t know, you know.

Lily:  Mmmm, cake is always good.

Marni:  Cake is always good

Lily:  If there’s a chance for cake, you should definitely take it, I think.

Marni:  But I think I’ll skip the goodie bags and the pin the tail on the donkey. I mean, that’s really not appropriate for a one-year-old.

Lily:  Yeah. Well, definitely.

Marni:  This might be my last gift that I buy for a one-year-old.

 

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Discussion

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Marni and Lily discuss birthday parties for one-year-olds. Some people have big parties with lots of games and presents that one-year-olds can’t enjoy.

Marni thinks that these parties are too much for a one-year-old baby. She plans to have a simple party with only a meal and cake when she has a baby. She does not want games like pin the tail on the donkey.

How is a baby’s first birthday celebrated in your country? Do you feel like people spend too much money on birthday parties for babies? What do you think is the best way to celebrate a baby’s first birthday?

 

Comments

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Englishty

Englishty

Egypt

I think it’s very common in most countries and the parents may be have a good reason for this, there’s a new guest has shown up and they’re so happy and they do their best to show their happiness, for me i think we have to get ourselves together and think twice and save up this money for later when the baby gets old.Be practical.

10:47 AM Apr 10 2013 |

wafa2525

wafa2525

Saudi Arabia

This matter is different from family to another . Some families are preparing a big and an expensive a baby’s first birthday celebrate . And the some others not spend alot of money for that ,they invited some friends and the relatives to baby’s first birthday and spend fun and beautiful time . On the other hand the gifts are token gifts like toys , bicycle , clothes , choclate and electronic games  ...etc

10:26 AM Apr 10 2013 |

1 person likes this

joodiaboot

joodiaboot

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i agree with giving big birth day for 1 year old baby,1 day he or she become a older and can see film of that day,it makes he/she happy.i feel happy when i saw my first birthday:)

06:42 AM Apr 10 2013 |

LilyAne

China

Congratulations<a href=”http://www.sweetywedding.com/”>affordable wedding dresses online</a> 

06:02 AM Apr 10 2013 |

LilyAne

China

Congratulations <a href=”http://www.sweetywedding.com/”>affordable wedding dresses online</a> 

06:02 AM Apr 10 2013 |

LiJie

LiJie

China

In our country, parents used to take a big party for celebriting baby’s first birthday, but almost all the guests are adults who are parents’ firends. Every guest puts some money, 2 to 10 hundred yuan for usual , into a red color bag as a gift for the baby.


Last summer, I invited my firends with their little kids to my baby’s first birthday party, and I told all the guests not to give “money gift”.So they took toys, dresses, bags which are sweet and meaningful more than money.      


 


 


 


     

05:09 AM Apr 10 2013 |

1 person likes this

sherryleio

sherryleio

China

I think it is nice to have a meal with friends and family memebers. Sure, it is OK to have a small party to have friends and family members to take their kids along with, to have fun. It is really an excitement for the parents to have their child to be 1 year old, especially kid at 1 year old is usually close to say his first word or take his first walk. So just be happy and not care too much about what kind of parties. It is important to share their happiness with friends and families. It is also right not to buy too much expensive gifts which are not actully needed by 1 year old kid.

04:02 AM Apr 10 2013 |

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