本单元课文中有这样一句话：Creating a new festival may seem an unusual way to celebrate history and culture, but we are in fact all creating new festivals every year.句中涉及到seem一词，其用法很多，它的后面可以接形容词、介词短语和从句，还可以接名词、不定式等。seem是连系动词，意思是"好像"、"似乎"、"看来好像"、"觉得似乎"。seem表示说话人主观的判断或表示主语可能的情况。其常用结构如下：
1. seem+形容词
Everything seems easy.一切似乎很容易。
2. seem+名词
He seemed an honest man.他看上去像是个老实人。
This seemed to us an ideal plan.我们感到这是个完美的计划。
3. seem+不定式
The maths problem seems to be very difficult to work out.这道数学题似乎很难解决。
I seem to have caught a cold.我好像是感冒了。
4. seem+过去分词
Our teacher seemed stopped by the question.我们的老师似乎是被那个问题难住了。
His story seemed revealed.他的谎言似乎已被揭露。
5. seem+doing
No one seemed thinking that way.似乎没人那样想。
She seemed lacking in enthusiasm when we were talking about that film.我们谈论那部电影时，她看来好像没多大热情。
6. seem+like+n./ V-ing，意思是"看起来像……"
It seems like years since I last saw you.自从我上次见到你以后，好像是过了好几年。
Those cards seemed like so many little flags dotted about the schoolroom.那些卡片好像许多面小旗点缀着教室。
7. There seems to be...,意为"似乎有；好像有……"
There seems to be no work for you to do now.看来现在没有工作需要你做了。
8. It seems/seemed +that从句
It seems that he is lying.看来他在撒谎。
It seemed that no one knew what happened.看来没有人知道发生了什么事。
9. It seems/seemed + as if从句
It seems as if he were in a dream.看来他像是在做梦。
It seemed as if the good man were trying to teach us all he knew at this last lesson.这个好心人仿佛要在最后这一堂课上把他的全部知识教给我们。
【注意】在It seems/seemed as if...句型中，从句的谓语动词常用虚拟语气来表示所设想的事情不可能发生。例如：It seems as if she had read this novel.看来她好像看过这本小说。但如果句中的情况可能发生或可能被设想为真实，则仍然用陈述语气。例如：It seems as if our team is going to win.看来我们队要胜了。It seems as if he has learned by heart a speech written by someone else.看来他像是背了一篇由别人写的演讲稿。
