Celebrations
I. Read the text and choose the correct answer
Christmas is a home and family celebration in Britain. Those who live away try to get back home. Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year.
As Christmas nears, everyone buys Christmas presents for friends and relatives. Christmas people try to give chil¬dren everything they want.
Children count the weeks, then the days to Christmas.
On Christmas Eve, families and friends gather for the festivities. Housewives are busy preparing food, and chil¬dren are sent to bed. They are told that if they don’t go to sleep, Father Christmas will not bring them any presents. Then, when they are asleep, the parents come into their bedrooms and leave the presents near their beds, or under the Christmas tree, or in a stocking hanging up somewhere in the room.
1. This text is about…
A) Christmas presents
B) Father Christmas
C) Christmas celebrations
D) the Christmas tree
2. When Christmas comes, the children are given presents…
A) at the Christmas table
B) in the streets
C) at schools
D) at home
3. Which sentence is wrong (неверно)?
A) Christmas is a family holiday
B) Presents are usually given at Christmas
C) At Christmas, children usually don’t go to sleep
D) Children find their presents near their beds, under the Christmas tree or in a stocking
4. Choose a title
A) British Children
B) British Christmas
C) Christmas parties
D) British Homes
5. Find the word which is not in the text.
A) Christmas
B) Presents
C) Easter
D) Eve
II. Read the text and mark the sentences T (true), F ( false) or DS (doesn’t say)
From: Sharon
To :Helen
Dear Helen,
Thanks for the birthday card! I’m really looking forward to the weekend. I,m going to have a party on Saturday night.
Mum and I are going to go shopping on Saturday morning. We want to buy some food and decorations for the party. Mum’s going to make her special pizza and a birthday cake. I am going to make sandwiches. In the afternoon, my brother is going to help me decorate the house with streamers. Then, I’m going to help my mum clean-up
Well, I think it’s going to be a great party. How are you going to spend your weekend? Write soon.
Love,
Sharon
1. Sharon’s birthday is on Saturday.
2. They’re going to go buy a birthday cake.
3. Sharon is going to decorate the house in the afternoon.
4. Sharon doesn’t like the rock music.
5. The party is going to finish on Sunday morning.
CHRISTMAS
- The 25th of December is Christmas Day. It’s a happy holiday for many people in different countries.
- Some week before Christmas English people are busy. They send greeting cards to all their relatives and friends. You can buy Christmas cards or you can make them. Many children make their cards at school.
- People buy a Christmas tree and decorate it with toys, coloured balls and little coloured lights.
- On Christmas Eve people put their presents under the tree. When children go to bed, they put their stockings near their beds.
- At night Father Christmas comes. He has got a big bag of presents for children. He puts the presents in the children’s stockings.
- Every year there is a very big Christmas tree in the centre of London, in Trafalgar Square. This is a present from the people of Norway to the people of Great Britain. They send it to Londoners every year and Londoners decorate the Christmas tree.
- In the evening before Christmas people like to come to Trafalgar Square to look at the tree. On Christmas Eve streets in London are decorated, too.
- The shops are very busy at Christmas. People want to buy presents for their family and friends (for their nearest and dearest). And they buy a lot of food and drink for all the Christmas parties.
- People open their presents on Christmas morning and they all are happy with what they get.
- For Christmas lunch people eat turkey, potatoes and green vegetables. Then they have the Christmas pudding. At five o’clock it’s time for tea and Christmas cake.
- On Christmas people wish their nearest and dearest a merry Christmas.
- The day after Christmas is Boxing Day. People usually visit their relatives and friends. They do not work on that day.
1. Answer the questions.
1) Why are people busy some weeks before Christmas?
2) Where can people get Christmas cards?
3) Where is a Christmas tree from?
4) What are the traditional Christmas dishes?
5) What is Boxing Day?
6) Do English people like Christmas?
2. Complete the sentences
1) Many children make their cards at ____.
2) Father Christmas puts the presents in the children’s ____.
3) There is a very big Christmas tree in the centre of ____.
4) On Christmas people wish their nearest and dearest a ____.
5) They do not____ on that day.
Вы проводите информационный поиск в ходе выполнения проектной работы. Определите, в каком из текстов A-F содержатся ответы на интересующие Вас вопросы 1-7. Один из вопросов останется без ответа.
1. What is the favourite sports entertainment on Thanksgiving Day in the USA?
2. What happens to the turkeys which are chosen by the President?
3. Why was it decided to celebrate Thanksgiving at the end of November?
4. How can people make the house ready for the autumn holiday?
5. Why did the turkey become the main dish for the Thanksgiving dinner?
6. What is the day after Thanksgiving known for?
7. Why is Thanksgiving celebrated on different dates in different countries?
A. The people of Canada celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the second Monday of October every year. It is celebrated to thank God for the past harvest and pray for the coming year. The United States, however, celebrates Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November every year. The reason behind the difference is geographical: autumn starts earlier in Canada than in the USA.
B. Thanksgiving is the right time to decorate homes. You can add some autumn-colored pillows to the sofa, light a candle and arrange some yellow or orange flowers in a vase. Special message boards have become very popular recently. As guests arrive for Thanksgiving, let them write what they are thankful for on a paper leaf and pin it up on the board. Paper leaves can be cut from scrapbooks and painted in autumn colours.
C. Lots of Americans cannot imagine Thanksgiving afternoon without watching TV. This tradition began in 1934. The reason was a great match between two football teams – the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears. That game turned out to be really exciting. Since that time, matches have been held every year (except the years of World War II) on Thanksgiving Day and have become very popular.
D. Once, President Truman chose a turkey on Thanksgiving Day and sent it back to the farm. That happened in 1947. Since that time it has become a tradition. Nowadays the President selects two turkeys and frees them in front of a large crowd. Then the turkeys are sent to a farm house to let them live in peace.
E. Some people use Thanksgiving Day and the day after to visit their families or friends. Others use this day to go shopping. The Americans call the day after Thanksgiving ‘Black Friday’. It first got its name in 1960 in Philadelphia. Many people visited the city for shopping. It was overcrowded and the local people considered it a bad black day. Nowadays ‘Black Friday’ means the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.
F. In 1863 Sara Hale, an editor and writer, wrote a letter to President Lincoln and advised him to proclaim a national day of Thanksgiving. She selected the last Thursday in November because, as she said, the harvests were finished, the elections were over and people were back from their summer vacations. She even suggested a list of dishes for the traditional holiday menu. President Lincoln liked her idea and declared a national holiday, Thanksgiving Day.