Match the highlighted words or word combinations in the text with their definitions.

1. is a language spoken by people in parts of Scotland and Ireland;

2. a Welsh festival at which competitions are held in music, poetry, drama, and art;

3. a fir tree, or an artificial tree that looks like a fir tree, which people put in their houses at Christmas and decorate with coloured lights and ornaments;

4. the day or the evening before Christmas Day, December 24;

5. the Sunday nearest to the 11th of November, when people honour the memory of those who died in the two world wars;

6. slow to reveal emotion or opinions. These persons keep their feelings hidden;

7. women thought to have evil magic powers, popularly depicted as wearing a black cloak and pointed hat, and flying on a broomstick;

8. inside a building;

9. short, pithy, commonly known expressions which generally offer advice or wisdom;

10. a celebration held for a man shortly before his wedding, attended by his male friends only.

Exercise2.

Are the following statements true or false? Find some mistakes. Check yourself.

1. You play the bagpipes by blowing air through a pipe into a bag, and then tossing up the bag to force the air out through other pipes.

2. Although proposals of marriage were the responsibility of the men, women were traditionally allowed to propose to men once every 4 years on leap year, February, 29th.

3. «An Englishman's home is his castle» means that an English person's home is a place where they may do as they please and from which they may exclude anyone they choose.

4. In Wales the back door is opened to release the Old Year at the first stroke of midnight. It is then locked up to ‘keep the luck in’ and at the last stroke the New Year is let in at the front door.

5. Halloween lanterns are pumpkins hollowed out with a ghostly face cut into one side, which glows when a candle is placed inside.

6. There are many superstitions in Britain, but one of the most widely-held is that it is unlucky to walk under a ladder - even if it means stepping off the pavement into a busy street! If you must pass under a ladder you can avoid bad luck by crossing your fingers and keeping them crossed until you’ve seen a dog.

7. Black and white cats are generally considered lucky in Britain, even though they are associated with witchcraft - a witch’s animal-familiar is usually a black cat. It is especially lucky if a black cat crosses your path.

Exercise3.

Do the words and word combinations from the diagram have associations for you? Work in pairs and speak about different types of British holidays.

British customs

 

 

Exercise4.

Comment on the following statement:

· Traditional British cuisine (the style of cooking that is characteristic of Great Britain) is honored as one of the best in the world;

· As a rule, many customs and traditions are connected with nothing.

Answer the following questions

1. What is a tradition?

2. What and when are ‘bank’ holidays?

3. What is Pancake Day?

4. What is Guy Fawkes Night?

5. What is the significance of the poppy and when is it worn?

6. What are Britain’s national flowers?

7. Where can we find out about British folk songs and folk tales?

8. What are Britain’s national costumes?

9. Who was Guy Fawkes?

10. Why does the Queen have two birthdays?

11. What is the significance of the poppy and when is it worn?

12. What are Britain’s national flowers?

13. What specific British holidays and traditions do you know?

14. Why do British people present gifts to each other? How do they choose them?

15. How do you think: do the holidays celebrated in Great Britain reveal the national character of British people?

Unit 8

You will read & translate a topic about travelling. Before you read, discuss in pairs the following. Do not worry if you can’t reach an agreement with your partner, but make sure that you demonstrate your ability to explain and discuss your opinions.

1. Do you like to travel? 2. Do you travel much? Can you imagine your life without travelling? 3. Was travelling a specific driving force of human development in the past? Was it extremely dangerous? 4. What do you know about the Age of Discovery? 5. What places (cities, towns, countries etc.) have you visited? What do you know about them? 6. What kind of travelling do your parents prefer?

Travelling

I think everybody agrees that travelling is very important as it shines out from the grey routines of our life and work as a time, when we can forget the stresses and enjoy ourselves, relax, be with our friends, see other cities and countries, discover different ways of life, try different food etc. Some people say that a change is as good as a rest.

After being in many different places, I’ve experienced travel by many different modes of transport. I like travelling by plane, as I really like the speed and the feeling of being high above everything. I’ve been from Moscow to Paris by coach, and it took 4 days, whereas by plane it takes three hours and a half – quite a difference! I quite like aircraft food (cold meat and nice salads) for example. I’ve only been on a plane one time. It was when I left Moscow for Tunisia with my brother. We went on a very cheap holiday organized by my brother’s university, and for a very reasonable price, we got a last minute place on a flight to Tunisia and returned a week later.

There are some things I dislike when I travel by plane. Firstly, when my ears pop on takeoff and I always have a slight feeling of nausea, feeling all blocked up from the air pressure changes. Secondly, airports are usually quite far away from the nearest town, so it takes another long journey after arriving to get into town. Thirdly, it's more expensive to travel by plain. And finally, some people are frightened to fly.

Usually I travel by train. I like trains very much. I’ve often travelled across Russia by train. One of the advantages of trains over airplanes is that you can get up and walk about, whereas on a plane you are stuck in your seat and you can’t move. The train can be cheaper than the plane and more convenient method of travel. When I was a child we used to go to Kargopol every summer. I stayed with my cousins. I was so young, I hardly remember it. We also went to Sochi and I went to the seaside and swum every day. It was really good.

My friends prefer to travel by coach. That is why of all the available tours they choose coach tours. Such tours are not expensive. They give a chance to do a lot of sightseeing and have a good rest at the same time. Last year they visited Germany, the Netherlands and France during the ten-day holiday. There was no trouble with the luggage. Moreover hotels were carefully selected and booked in advance. As for me I don’t really like travelling by bus for a long way as I find it quite uncomfortable and it often makes me feel sick. In my opinion coaches are subject to traffic jams and motorway pile-ups. They often have accidents, as coaches often go too fast because they have to keep up with their timetable.

My parents like going on ships. Sometimes they board a ferry. I have a friend who is called Thomas, whose main mode of transport is his bicycle.

People often travel on business. I am absolutely sure it helps them to get more information about achievements of other companies.

Topical vocabulary

Exercise1.