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Celebrating Graduations
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Celebrating Graduations
庆祝毕业

Learn Passive Voice

Date: Mar 21 2012

Themes: School

Grammar: Passive Voice

Intro

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Graduations are an important rite of passage. But some graduation celebrations can feel a little over the top, especially when the guest of honor is only graduating from elementary school or middle school. These graduations aren’t as important as college graduation or even high school graduation. Yet that often doesn’t stop parents from sending out graduation announcements and throwing their child a party. Schools have special graduation ceremonies too, where each graduating student receives a diploma and wears a cap and gown. Hear Marni and Mason talk about graduations.

毕业是成长过程中的一个重要仪式。但是某些毕业庆典似乎有点过头,特别是荣誉获得者只是小学或中学毕业生时。这些毕业无法与大学毕业甚至高中毕业相提并论。但是,这通常并不能阻止父母发表毕业宣言并为孩子举行一个派对。学校也会举办特别的毕业仪式,每位毕业生都身穿礼服,戴着帽子,接受毕业证书。听听玛尼和梅森谈论关于毕业的事情。

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Mason

Marni

Marni

Mason:  A friend of mine has a little brother who just had a middle school graduation party. It wasn’t just a party, the whole ceremony. The school put this on.

Marni:  Really? They still do that for middle school?

Mason:  Still? I didn’t know they did that ever. I think it’s ridiculous.

Marni:  I seem to recall there being some pomp and circumstance at some point at that age. There’s sort of like an eighth grade promotion, like, OK, you’re going to high school now. But it’s not a big to-do.

Mason:  Right. That’s appropriate. But then, like, graduating high school, that’s OK. Graduating college, that’s a big deal.

Marni:  That’s a big deal. You know, my cousin just graduated from college. She lives in Florida. I was invited. Of course, I couldn’t attend, because I can’t fly all the way across the country to watch her walk across the stage. I’m very happy for her, but you know, it’s not something that…I feel like it’s more of a personal accomplishment.

Mason:  I always feel like the whole thing’s kind of ridiculous. Like no one knows what the cap and gown’s for, and the mortar…isn’t that what it’s called? The hat?

Marni:  Yeah, and you move the tassel to one side.

Mason:  It’s really a ceremony that’s lost, I think, a lot of its meaning.

Marni:  It is a rite of passage, in some respects, and I think it is worthy of celebrating. But the middle school thing is pretty fascinating. Next we’re going to be like…what?

Mason:  Kindergarten graduation!

Marni:  Well, we’ll see.

Mason:  There is a big industry in baby cap and gowns, ‘cause you have to buy a new one every year. They grow like weeds.

Marni:  Ooh. Actually, maybe we should get in on this.

 

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Discussion

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Mason tells Marni about his friend’s little brother, who just had a big graduation party and ceremony for graduating from middle school. Mason thinks it’s silly that a big deal is being made out of graduating from middle school.

Nearly everybody graduates from middle school, so it isn’t a big accomplishment, like graduating from college. According to Mason, even graduating from high school isn’t that special.

Marni says that graduations are a rite of passage. She thinks that they are very important on a personal level. But maybe there doesn’t need to be as much pomp and circumstance as typically goes with them.

Which graduations are celebrated in your country? What kind of celebrations do you usually have for graduations?

 

Comments

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emi0808

emi0808

Philippines

Graduation day is always memorable for me. It means so much and very special because you know it is the day that you know you fullfilled something in your life, you’ll miss many things and all the experience that you had with your classmates and professors and all the things that taught you in school.  The beggining of another journey in your life. graduation is celebrated in preschool, elementary, highschool and college in my country. :)

12:26 AM Mar 21 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Kotleysa,  I  don´t think as an old tradition, rather  stupidity, why don´t they invite her to have a pizza and bear instead of  smearing  her  like that.  

05:17 PM Mar 20 2012 |

1 person likes this

kotlesya

kotlesya

Belarus

What a stupid rules, Julito??? Or maybe it is an old tradition in your country? It sounds like not respectful and strange action.


You are not old-fashioned, don’t worry, you are sensible.Smile

12:18 PM Mar 20 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

I live two blocks away from an University , I Got sick  every time I see how  students celebrate  when one of them  graduates,  they brake  eggs on  their friend´s  head , and not happy with that , smear her hair    and clothes  with flour , they really mess her up to the bone.    I wouldn´t like to treat a friend like that.   There are others ways  to share the joy with a friend  for the graduation.  Maybe I am too old-fashioned.Cry

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