Ex. 6. Make up your own dialogues on the topic. Share your impressions on the most interesting facts. Say how you personally celebrate Christmas.

Ex. 7. Look through the texts about Christmas in Britain and Christmas in Australia and find the odd man out. Explain your choice.

· holly, mistletoe, maple, ivy

· Father Christmas, Santa Claus, snowman , St. Nicholas

· Christmas Day, Easter, Boxing Day, Christmas Eve

· turkey, porridge, cranberry sauce, pudding

· Norway, Trafalgar Square, Spain, Christmas tree

· Reindeer, chimney, sock, stocking

· robin red breast, Christmas card, sparrow, present 

Ex. 8. Besides Christmas, British people celebrate many other holidays. St. Valentine’s Day is one of the most favourite and lovely holidays. Read the text about some amazing Valentine’s Day facts. Then make up your own dialogues on the topic.

1. In Britain and Italy, some unmarried women get up before sunrise on Valentine’s Day. They stand by the window waiting for a man to pass. They believe that the first man to see will marry them within a year.

2. Roses are traditional gift given on St. Valentine’s Day but before you buy roses, you’d better know what message you are sending. Believe it or not, the colour of a rose can be very important.

3. Red roses are the universal symbol of romantic love. White roses symbolize innocence and secrecy. Orange roses communicate desire on the part of the sender. Yellow roses show friendship and freedom – so don’t send them if your intentions are romantic. Black roses mean farewell.

4. In many Western countries, wedding rings are worn on the third finger of the left hand. It was believed that a nerve ran up the finger straight to the heart.

5. In Denmark, people send pressed snowdrops to their friends on St. Valentine’s Day. Danish men also send a type of valentine called a joking letter. The sender writes a rhyme but doesn’t sign his name. Instead, he signs the valentine with dots, one dot for each letter of his name. If the girl, who gets it guesses his name, he gives her an Easter egg on Easter.

6. In the 19^th century, many valentines were hand painted. Some showed a fat Cupid or arrows piercing a heart. Many cards had satin, ribbon or lace trim. Others were decorated with dried flowers, feathers, pearl, sea shells or tassels. Today such cards can be seen in museums.

7. A group of American professionals posed the question “What does love mean?” to a group of 4 – 8 year-olds. Here are some of their answers: “Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other”, “Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more”.

innocence [‘inэsэns] – невинность

secrecy [‘si:krisi] – секрет, тайна

to communicate [kэ ‘mju:nikeit] – сообщать

intention [in’ten n] – намерение

desire [di’zaiэ ] – желание, страсть

on the part of – состороны

farewell [feэ ‘wel] – прощание

snowdrop – подснежник

dot – точка

Easter [‘i:st ] – Пасха

Cupid [‘kju:pid] – Купидон (римск. миф.)

arrow [‘ r ] – стрела

to pierce [‘piэs] – пронзать

satin [‘s tin] – атлас

ribbon [‘ribэn] – ленточка, тесьма

lace [‘leis] – кружево

trim – украшение, отделка

feather [‘feэ] – перо

pearl [pэ:l] – перламутр

tassel [‘tsl] – кисточка (как украшение)

shavingcologne [‘ eivikэ’lun] – одеколон (после бритья)

Ex. 9. TranslateintoRussian:

1. Святой Валентин – это святой покровитель всех тех, кто влюблен. 14 февраля люди посылают друг другу открытки и подарки. Некоторые британские газеты даже отводят целую страницу для поздравительных посланий (Valentine’sDaymessages).

2. 1 мая было важным днем в средние века. Ранним утром девушки уходили в поля и умывали лицо росой (dew). Они верили, что после этого они будут весь год очень красивыми.

3. На Хеллоуин (Halloween) многие люди делают специальные фонари из тыквы. Сначала они вынимают (takeout) сердцевину тыквы, затем прорезают отверстия (cutholes) для глаз, носа и рта. В конце они вставляют внутрь свечу.

4. В день Гая Фокса британцы сооружают костры в своих садах. На верхушке каждого костра находится чучело Гая. Люди делают «гая» из соломы, старой одежды и газет.

5. Пасха стала больше, чем традицией. Даже те, кто не считает себя религиозным, празднуют ее. На Пасху красят яйца, а также дарят друг другу шоколадных пасхальных кроликов (EasterBunny) и шоколадные яйца. Пасхальный кролик – символ Пасхи в Британии.

Ex. 10. Read the following texts about other British holidays. Do you have such holidays in Russia? Which text do you like most of all? Why? Ask your group-mates what information is the most interesting for them.

Guy Fawkes Night

In 1605 King James I was on the throne. As a Protestant, he was very unpopular with Roman Catholics. Some of them planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament on the 5^th of November of that year, when the King was going to open Parliament. Under the House of Lords they had stored thirty-six barrels of gun powder, which were to be exploded by a man called Guy Fawkes. However, one of the plotters spoke about these plans and Fawkes was discovered, arrested and later hanged. Since that day the British traditionally celebrate 5^th of November by burning a dummy made of straw and old clothes, on a bonfire, whilst at the same time letting off fireworks.

The dummy is called a “guy” and children can often be seen on the pavements before 5^th of November saying “Penny for the guy”. If they collect enough money they can buy some fireworks.

May is here

As summer comes, Britain likes to celebrate the end of the winter. In England on 1^st May, Morris men* may be seen in country areas celebrating traditional dances, waving their white handkerchiefs to drive away the evil spirits and welcome in the new ones. In the Middle Ages the young men of each village tried to win prizes with their bows and arrows, and people danced round the Maypole (a long pole beautifully decorated with brightly coloured scarves). The people of the community usually chose May Queen and they leave baskets of spring flowers on their friends’ doorsteps before the holiday.

Easter eggs

At Easter time, the British celebrate the idea of new birth by giving each other chocolate Easter eggs which are open and eaten on Easter Sunday. On Good Friday bakers sell hot cross buns, which are toasted and eaten with butter. The first Christians in Rome made hot cross buns two thousand years ago. But now they are an Easter tradition in Britain. Here is a story about hot cross buns. In 1800 a widow lived in a house in East London. Her only son was a sailor and went to sea. Every year she made hot cross buns and kept one for him. He never came back, but she kept a bun for him every year. Then, after many years, she died. Now, her house is a pub. It’s called “The Widow’s Son”. For a long time people remembered the widow. Every Easter they put a hot cross bun in a special basket in the pub. Now the tradition is different. The owner of the pub sells the special hot cross bun, then he gives the money to the British Sailors’ Society.

Christians commemorate Good Friday as the day that Jesus Christ died and Easter Sunday as the day that He was resurrected. The Easter egg is a good example of a custom that began many thousands of years ago. For ancient peoples, the symbol of new life was the egg. For countless years it was the custom to give eggs as gifts during the spring festival. So we do today.

In some countries of Europe, decorating eggs has been a great art for many years. In Poland and Yugoslavia girls and women paint fancy designs on eggs before they are dyed. They paint the designs with beewax, and try to make each one a little different. Flowers stand for love, a deer for good health, the sun for good luck, a rooster for wishes that will come true.

* Morrismen – мужчины, исполняющие театрализованный мужской танец в средневековых белых костюмах с колокольчиками во время майских праздненств.

Ex. 11. Answer the following questions:

1. Why was King James I unpopular with Roman Catholics?

2. What did they plan to do?

3. Did they succeed?

4. What did they store under the House of Lords?

5. Why Fawkes was discovered?

6. How do the British usually celebrate 5^th of November?

7. Who are Morris men?

8. In what competitions did they try to win?

9. What other customs (besides Maypole dance) do the English have on 1^st of May?

10. Retell the story of hot cross buns. Did it impress you?

11. What is Good Friday? And Easter Sunday?

12. Was the egg or the sun the symbol of new life?

13. Is decorating eggs an art?

14. Have you ever painted Easter eggs?

15. Describe the process of eggs painting in some European countries.

Ex. 12. Express your opinion on holidays we celebrate in Russia. Do we have anything in common with the British? If necessary, ask your group-mates for some extra-detailed information. What holiday is your favourite one? Why?