万圣节英语作文：Superstitions of Halloween 600字高中英语作文
Halloween has always been a holiday filled with mystery， magic and superstition。 It began as a Celtic end-of-summer festival during which people felt especially close to deceased relatives and friends。 For these friendly spirits， they set places at the dinner table， left treats on doorsteps and along the side of the road and lit candles to help loved ones find their way back to the spirit world。
Today's Halloween ghosts are often depicted as more fearsome and malevolent， and our customs and superstitions are scarier too。 We avoid crossing paths with black cats， afraid that they might bring us bad luck。 This idea has its roots in the Middle Ages， when many people believed that witches avoided detection by turning themselves into cats。 We try not to walk under ladders for the same reason。 This superstition may have come from the ancient Egyptians， who believed that triangles were sacred; it also may have something to do with the fact that walking under a leaning ladder tends to be fairly unsafe。 And around Halloween， especially， we try to avoid breaking mirrors， stepping on cracks in the road or spilling salt。
But what about the Halloween traditions and beliefs that today's trick-or-treaters have forgotten all about? Many of these obsolete rituals focused on the future instead of the past and the living instead of the dead。 In particular， many had to do with helping young women identify their future husbands and reassuring them that they would someday--with luck， by next Halloween!--be married。
In 18th-century Ireland， a matchmaking cook might bury a ring in her mashed potatoes on Halloween night， hoping to bring true love to the diner who found it。 In Scotland， fortune-tellers recommended that an eligible young woman name a hazelnut for each of her suitors and then toss the nuts into the fireplace。 The nut that burned to ashes rather than popping or exploding， the story went， represented the girl's future husband。 (In some versions of this legend， confusingly， the opposite was true: The nut that burned away symbolized a love that would not last。) Another tale had it that if a young woman ate a sugary concoction made out of walnuts， hazelnuts and nutmeg before bed on Halloween night， she would dream about her future husband。 Young women tossed apple-peels over their shoulders， hoping that the peels would fall on the floor in the shape of their future husbands' initials; tried to learn about their futures by peering at egg yolks floating in a bowl of water; and stood in front of mirrors in darkened rooms， holding candles and looking over their shoulders for their husbands' faces。
Other rituals were more competitive。 At some Halloween parties， the first guest to find a burr on a chestnut-hunt would be the first to marry; at others， the first successful apple-bobber would be the first down the aisle。
Of course， whether we're asking for romantic advice or trying to avoid seven years of bad luck， each one of these Halloween superstitions relies on the good will of the very same "spirits" whose presence the early Celts felt so keenly。 Ours is not such a different holiday after all!
话题作文精彩构思80则－－话题62：环境
话题六十二：环境??
环境，可以是自然的，比如山水田园、城市乡村；也可以是人文的，或宽松或严酷，或文明或野蛮。总之，人总是生活在一定的环境当中而且会受环境的影响，正如古人所说：居兰芝之室，久而不闻其香；人鲍鱼之肆，久而不闻其臭。
请以“环境”为话题写一篇作文。 ??
[精彩构思]?
1、巍巍泰山
写一篇散文，向人们介绍泰山的自然环境和人文环境。 ?
泰山号称五岳之首，有优美的自然环境：松柏郁郁苍苍，飞瀑如素如练，日出蓬勃昂扬，云海变化万端；也有浓厚的人文环境。石刻的《金刚经》不但是一奇观，更是珍贵的研究资料，草书“▲二”(意为“风月无边”)更让人赞叹不绝……
2、孤儿
从相同的环境不相同的人生出发，编一则故事。?
张健与王昭的身世差不多，都是在孤儿院长大的，只是不在同一家孤儿院。张健在老师及工作人员的关怀下性格开朗，学习努力，深得老师和同学的喜爱。后来的经历虽然也有挫折，却也努力克服了，如今他是某外企的白领。王昭从小孤僻，不与别人交往，发展到后来竟然成了自闭症，现在还在医院治疗，院长说，心理疾病是很难治好的……
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3、同事
转换视角，通过刚毕业的大学生张岚的感受说明人与环境的作用是相互的。?
张岚刚到某宣传部的时候，感觉办公室的气氛很压抑，每个人都低头忙自己的，偶尔才交流一下。张岚有一天故意穿了一身很酷的衣服，办公室的同事都觉得眼前一亮，张岚趁机多聊了几句。慢慢地，办公室的气氛活络了。张岚原来粗心的毛病也渐渐被几位严谨的同事改正过来。
4、一位中学生的日记
对照两则日记，通过中学生张靖在国内、国外的不同遭遇反映中国教育机制中存在的弊端。?
2001年6月20日 今天历史课老师提问，我又没记住，又挨了一顿批。我都麻木了，反正在老师眼里我是差生，批就批吧。爸爸说，过了暑假让我到美国去上学，我真盼着到一个新环境中去。
2002年3月4日 过了语言关后，我受表扬的次数越来越多。我开始都不相信老师夸奖的是我。有创造力、反应敏捷，这竟然是在说我，真是太不可思议了!?
