Практический курс разговорного английского языка

Ex. 1. Read and translate the text.

January, which derives its name from Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, endings and closing, appropriately symbolizes the theme of leaving the old for the new. When we see the old year out and noisily welcome the new one in, we are following the ancient tradition of burying the past and frightening away demons that might threaten the future.

Although the holiday does not have  a religious origin, churches of many denominations and faiths hold "Watch Night" services on New Year's Eve.

Greeting cards and spoken messages convey wishes for health, wealth and long life. A new year allows a fresh start and New Year's resolutions abound.

Grown-ups and children alike enthusiastically vow to get rid of their bad habits and resolve to lead better lives. Popular modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking.

Traditionally, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night after the ringing in of a new year. It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to be a tall, dark-haired man. It meant good luck for the coming year if the first visitors brought food, coals, or something green-signs of plenty; but it was supposed to be bad luck if they came empty-handed.

Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle", completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's day will bring good fortune.

Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.

A popular custom for many centuries was to prepare a large wassail bowl from which to drink to the health of everyone present just after midnight. (Wassail is derived from the Middle English waes haeil – "to your health"). The contents of the wassail bowl were called "lamb's wool" and included ale, sugar, nutmeg and roasted apples. "Wassailing", on the other hand, was an ancient custom of going from house to house with a bowl to beg for one's New Year's gifts. This was done by the poor, and also by children, who were given fruit and nuts.

Ex. 2. Answer the questions:

1. When do we celebrate New Year?

2. Why is it common to celebrate the first few minutes of a new year with relatives or friends?

3. Why do people eat special food on New Year's Day?

4. What was the tradition of "wassailing"?

5. How do people in Russia celebrate this holiday?

St VALENTINE’S DAY.

Ex. 1. Read and translate the text.

St. Valentine’s Day is neither a national nor a religious holiday, despite the fact that it is named in honour of two early Christian martyrs named Valentine. Still, it is hard to imagine the American holiday calendar without heartfelt expression of love exchanged on February 14 between sweethearts, good friends, acquaintances, and even spouses of many years. People take the time and trouble (and merchants of cards, flowers, perfumes and candies help them!) to send a message to those people dear to them. Valentines often have poems written on them. One of the most popular poems is the following:

Roses are red;

Violets are blue;

Sugar is sweet,

And so are you.

People of all ages love to send and receive valentines, and to hear and sing many new and traditional songs which flood television and radio programs on that day.

Robert Burns sang his beloved “My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose”, and to this day red roses are appropriate for that one special love. However yellow roses are also popular on that day, as a sign of friendship, and forget-me-nots always make sense. Flowers, or anonymous messages from someone shy or tender-hearted, may be signed simply “from a secret admirer”, in the relative certainty that the person receiving them can easily guess who the sender is.

Many teenagers and adults today send in messages to major newspapers throughout the country which, for a small fee, print anyone’s message in a special section of the February 14th issue.

The celebration of the holiday dates back to the ancient Roman festivals called “Lupercalia” which took place on February 14th or 15th, in honour of Juno, the Roman Goddess of women, and Pan, the god of nature. On that day a curious courting ritual was played out in which young men randomly drew from an urn love messages written and decorated by young women. Thus, “matched by fate”, the two would be partners at the upcoming festival. This echoes the old folk tradition that the birds do could hardly justify the continuation and spread of this Roman custom throughout Christian Europe in the Middle Ages. It needed the sanction of the church and the authority of some martyred saints. Two likely candidates were soon found. The first, Valentine, was a Christian priest who was imprisoned and executed in the third century for spreading the teaching of the Christ. On February 14, he was beheaded, but not before he managed to heal the jailer’s blinded daughter and write her a farewell letter which he signed “From Your Valentine”. The second Valentine was an Italian bishop who lived at about the same time and was imprisoned for secretly marrying couples, contrary to the laws of the Roman emperor. Legend has it that he was burned at the stake.

Now, St. Valentine’s Day is the day of sweethearts when people show their friends, relatives and loved ones that they care.

Ex. 2. Answer the questions

1.      What kind of holiday is St. Valentine’s Day?

2.      What are the typical symbols of the holiday?

3.      What is the origin of the holiday?

4.      Why does the holiday have the name Valentine?

5.      How do people celebrate St. Valentine’s Day?

              Do you follow the American tradition on February 14th?

APRIL FOOL’S DAY.

the butt of practical jokes – предмет розыгрышей (посмешище)

Ex. 1. Read and translate the text.

Unlike most of the other nonfoolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not totally clear. There really wasn't a "first April Fool's Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it sort of evolved simultaneously in several cultures at the same time, from celebrations involving the first day of spring.

The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1564, in France. Prior to that year, the new year was cele­brated for eight days, beginning just after the first day of spring. The celebration typically ended on April 1. With the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, and New Year's Day was moved to January 1.

However, communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years. Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to cele­brate the new year on April 1. These backward folk were labeled as "fools" by the general popu­lace. They were subject to some ridicule, and were often sent on "fools errands" or were made the butt of other practical jokes.

This harassment evolved, over time, into a tra­dition of prank-playing on the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the English and French. April Fool's Day .thus devel­oped into an international fun fest, so to speak, .with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.            

Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple, (such as saying, "Your shoe's untied!), to the elaborate. Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, "April Fool!"

Practical jokes are a common practice on April Fool's Day. Sometimes, elaborate practical jokes are played on friends or relatives that last the en­tire day. The news media even gets involved. For instance, a British short film once shown on April Fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary about "spaghetti farmers" and how they harvest their crop from the spaghetti trees.

April Fool's Day is a "for-fun-only" obser­vance. Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their "significant other" out to eat in a fancy res­taurant. Nobody gets off work or school. It's sim­ply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool!

Countries Celebrate April Fool's Differently

France:                         The April Fool's is called "April Fish" (Poisson d'Avril). The

French fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their

friends' backs and when someone discovers this trick, they

              yell "Poisson d'Avril!". (The fish in April are newly hatched

and easily caught.)

England:                       Tricks can be played only in the morning. If a trick is played

on you, you are a "noodle".

Scotland:                             April Fools' Day is 48 hours long and you are called an

"April Gowk", which is another name for a cuckoo bird. The

second day in Scotland's April Fool's is called Taily Day and

is dedicated to pranks involving the buttocks. Taliy Day's gift

to posterior posterity is the still-hilarious "Kick Me" sign.

Portugal:                             April Fool's is celebrated on the Sunday and Monday before

Lent. The traditional trick there is to throw flour at your

friends.

United States:               Americans play small tricks on friends and strangers alike on

the first of April. One common trick, is pointing down to a

friend's shoe and saying, "Your shoelace is untied."

Here are some pranks to pull for April Fool's Day:

      Choose a bright color of food coloring to add to the milk. Buy it in a cardboard container so nobody can see inside. Make sure you are around when they pour it on their cereal.

      Change the time on someone's clock ahead especially if they have to be some place and make it appear that they are running late.

      Stick chalk in the cracks of the erasers so when the teachers go to erase, they write on the board instead!

      Use a small post-it note and place it under someone's computer mouse (covering the ball on the bottom). When they go to use the mouse, it won't do anything! Remember to write "April Fool!" on the bottom.

Ex. 2. Answer the questions:

1.      What is the history of April Fool's Day?

2.      What is the main tradition of this holiday?

3.      What types of jokes are appropriate?

4.      How do people in different countries celebrate April Fool's Day?

5.      Have you ever played tricks on your friends or relatives?

EASTER.

to liken smth/smb. to – уподоблять что-нибудь/кого-нибудь

Ex. 1. Read and translate the text.

Easter, a Christian holiday celebrating the Resurrection of Christ, occurs on a Sunday in March or April: the date varies from year to year. Regarding Christian holidays in the U.S., Easter is considered to be second only to Christmas. From a religious standpoint, it's preceded by Lent, which begins 40 days before Easter, on Ash Wednesday. The Sunday before Easter is called Palm Sunday. The Friday before Easter is know as Good Friday and commemorates the day Jesus died. The Monday directly after Easter is commonly referred to as Easter Monday. On Easter Sunday, many families go to church, sometimes attending sunrise services, which is an Easter tradition brought to the U.S. by Protestant immigrants from Europe. Many families also get together for a large meal on Easter.

Elementary and secondary schools usually have between four days (Good Friday through Easter Monday) and one week of vacation. Universities typically have a week of vacation, which is usually considered to be their spring break.

Like Christmas, Easter is both a religious and a secular holiday in the United States. While many Christians appreciate the deep religious meaning that this holiday has for them, other people observe only its secular aspects. Many Easter customs have their origins in both pre-Christian religions and Christianity, and are in some way associated with spring and rebirth. The word "Easter" comes from Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. Long ago, a festival was held in her honor every year at the vernal equinox.

A very well-known symbol of Easter is the Easter Bunny, or Easter Rabbit. Rabbits have frequent multiple births and are considered to be a symbol of fertility. On the morning of Easter Sunday, children wake up and find that the Easter Bunny has left them baskets of candy and hidden colored and decorated eggs for them. The children hunt for the eggs which have usually been hidden outside near their home. It's not certain where the custom of dying decorating eggs originated, although this appears to be a very old tradition. The egg was cherished as a symbol of the Universe and in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and Persia, eggs were dyed for spring festivals.

In Pagan times the egg represented the rebirth of the earth. The long, hard winter was over; the earth burst forth and was reborn just as the egg miraculously burst forth with life. The egg, therefore, was believed to have special powers. It was buried under the foundations of buildings to ward off evil; pregnant young Roman women carried an egg on their persons to foretell the sex of their unborn children; French brides stepped upon an egg before crossing the threshold of their new homes.

With the advent of Christianity the symbolism of the egg changed to represent, not nature's rebirth, but the rebirth of man. Christians embraced the egg symbol and likened it to the tomb from which Christ rose.

Religious symbols for Easter include a cross and sunrise. Other symbols are flowers, especially the Easter lily (a large, white flower), rabbits, chicks, eggs, baskets, chocolate bunnies and eggs.

Carl Faberge's Easter eggs

The most famous decorated Easter eggs were those made by the well-known goldsmith, Peter Carl Faberge. In 1883 the Russian Czar, Alexander, commissioned Faberge to make a special Easter gift for his wife, the Empress Marie. The first Faberge egg was an egg within an egg. It had an outside shell of platinum and enameled white which opened to reveal a smaller gold egg. The smaller egg, in turn, opened to display a golden chicken and a jeweled replica of the Imperial crown. This special Faberge egg so delighted the Czarina that the Czar promptly ordered the Faberge firm to design further eggs to be delivered every Easter. In later years Nicholas II, Alexander's son, continued the custom. 57 eggs were made in all.

Ex. 2. Answer the questions:             

1.  When does Easter usually occur?

2.  What are the main symbols of Easter? Do you think they are the same in Russia and the USA?

3.  What are Easter symbols associated with?

4.  What is the oldest Easter tradition?

5.  What traditions and believes connected with eggs, existed in different countries in ancient times?

6.  What are the most famous Easter eggs? What are they famous for?

INDEPENDENCE DAY.

Ex. 1. Read and translate the text.