New year traditions all over the world

The English New Year in the report of Jane:

«In England there is an old tradition - letting the Old Year out. Now the clock is striking twelve, our father is going to the front door, is opening it, and is holding it until the last stroke of midnight. Now he is shutting the door and comes back to the family. The Old Year is out and we are waiting for the New Year. The other our popular tradition – making New Year's resolutions' — they are promises for the New Year. For example: «This year I am going to do exercises every morning, to be nice to my little sister and to go to the swimming pool every day». Of course, people, especially children, don’t always keep their resolutions».

The Japanese New Year in the report of Tomoko:

« We have New Year days from January 1 to January 3. Now it is the end of December and many people are having bonenkai parties. They are «forget-the-year parties» when friends and co-workers go together in pubs and bars and have fun. In Japan we believe that the New Year starts a new life that’s why in December we try to forget all troubles of the old Year»

The Spanish New Year – report of Manuela:

«Today is the 31st of December, and Spanish people are waiting until twelve p.m. with twelve grapes on the plate in front of them. It is a funny Spanish tradition - when it is midnight, people put one grape in their mouth each time the clock strikes. Look! Everybody is sitting with a full mouthful of grapes. It's almost impossible to finish eating the grapes so people are looking at each other and laughing».

The Chinese New Year – report of Lee:

«We celebrate our New Year in February. Today we are having big parades in the streets. People are dancing, are singing, are watching acrobats and magic tricks and are carrying paper dragons and lions. The Chinese buy oranges for the New Year Day because we believe it brings good luck».

Follow-up

Vocabulary and speaking

A.

1. Make the phrases with the words from two lines. Use the text if you don’t remember the phrase.

is striking are carrying are making is shutting are having are watching is waiting

acrobats the door dragons the midnight fun the clock resolutions

2. Say where people are doing this:

- are letting the New Year out - are making resolutions

- are eating grapes - are dancing in the street

-are watching parades - are going to pubs

-are spending time with co-workers - are laughing at each other

B.

1. Answer the questions:

1. What is happening at the midnight in Spain? In England?

2. Are bonenkai parties family days?

3. Why are the Chinese buying oranges?

4. Are Spanish people looking funny at the moment of eating the grapes?

5. What promises do English people make in December?

6. When is the Japanese New Year’s Day?

2. Are the sentences true or false?

1. In Spain people see the New Year in with a mouthful of cherries.

2. Japanese people celebrate the New Year with their co-workers.

3. In China people go out into the streets and have fun, dance and sing.

4. Children always try to keep their New Year resolutions.

5. Bonenkai parties are popular in China.

C.

1. Describe:

1. The Spanish tradition of celebrating the New Year’s Day.

2. The English children’s customs.

3. The Chinese celebration.

4. Japanese bonenkai party .

5. Letting the New Year out.

2. You are at the New Year’s party art the moment. Make the report about the seeing the new Year’s day in your country. Are there any special traditions? What are people doing?

Grammar

Present Continuous

A.

1. Use the words in brackets in Present Continuous.

e.g.The Japanese (have) fun with co-workers in a pub . –

The Japanese are having fun with co-workers in a pub.

1. Manuela (laugh) at the plate with grapes.

2. On the parade the people (sing and watch) magic tricks.

3. In English family the father (open) the door for the New Year..

4. This Chinese man (buy) oranges for the New Year party.

5. You (celebrate) the bonenkai party.

2. Ask general questions to the sentences.

e.g.Tomoko is having fun in the pub– Is Tomoko having fun in the pub?

1. Lee is watching the parade.

2. Johnny and Mary are writing the papers with their resolutions.

3. Anna is sitting with mouthful of grapes.

4. Mr. Smith is opening the door for the New Year.

5. We are enjoying funny tricks.

B.

1. Choose between Present Simple and Present Continuous.

e.g.People like / are likinghaving New Year’s parties.

1. Generally we buy / are buying much food for New Year’s dinner.

2. Look! That boy makes / is making tricks in the street.

3. We don’t celebrate / are not celebrating the New Year with our friends.

4. I go / am going to the pub because my friends wait / are waiting for me there.

5. In Britain people usually make / are making promises for themselves.

2. Ask questions to the parts in bold. Watch the tense!

e.g. We always go to the bonenkai parties with colleagues. – Where do you always go?

1. The Chinese are singing and dancing together in the streets.

2. People all over the world are waiting for Santa Claus.

3. In England people have a tradition of letting the New Year out.

4. The Spanish are seeing the New Year in with mouthful of grapes.

5. The Chinese is making wonderful tricks with fire.

6.In December we try to forget our old troubles.

C.

1. Fill in the necessary verb. Mind the spelling of the verbs with – ing form.

1. Why … you … at the table with the plate full of grapes?

2. We … the door and then we … it.

3. Many people … paper dragons and flowers.

4. – Tomoko … fun with her co-workers in a pub.

5. How many oranges … you … for the party?

6. The clock … twelve and we … “Happy New Year” !

2. Ask 5 tag-questions with not true information to the text. Make up the questions of different types. Make questions in the Present Continuous and the Present Simple tenses.

E.g.

In Spain people wait for the midnight with a plate of grapes, don’t` they?

What are the people looking at the Chinese parade?

Module 8

Vocabulary: Travelling

Grammar: Numerals

Reading: Edinburgh: A colourful city

Warm-up

Read and translate these words.

Edinburgh [`edınbәrә] medieval [medi`i:vәl]

colourful [`kΛlәfәl] ghost [`gәust]

hundred [`hΛndrıd] castle [`ka:sl]

thousand [`θauzәnd] volcano [vol`keınәu]

A.

Match the words from these columns. Use a dictionary for unknown words and pronunciation.

Castle a New year party in Edinburgh

Ghost a fortified building

Festival a spirit of a dead person

Edinburgh any occasion for celebration

Hogmanay the capital of Scotland

B.

Read and translate the phrases, pay attention to the numerals.

1. 450 000 people live in Edinburgh.

2. In 2003, there were over 500 different shows.

3. Over 1 000 000 people visit the castle every year.

4. The old city has 100s of ghosts.

5. 100 000s of years ago, the hills in Edinburgh were volcanoes.

C.

Answer the questions.

1. Which old cities of your country do you know?

2. How old are they?

3. How many castles could you name?

4. Which festivals are there in your country?

5. What do people do there?

Reading

EDINBURGH: A COLOURFUL CITY

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. Four hundred and fifty thousand people live there, and because it’s in the North the skies are often grey. But Edinburgh itself is a colourful city – it mixes modern and medieval, the traditional and the new. It’s famous for its international festivals and unusual local culture.

When you arrive the first thing you see is Edinburgh castle, on a hill, high above the city. Hundreds of millions of years ago, the hills in Edinburgh were volcanoes. Today, the volcanoes are quiet. Over one million people visit the castle every year. Part of it is a thousand years old. Edinburgh castle is not the only castle in Edinburgh. In fact there are many old castles and old houses.

It’s not surprising that the old city has hundreds of ghosts. Some are famous. One is the ghost of George Mackenzie who killed a lot of people.

Edinburgh is a great place for a party. From the twenty-ninth of December – the first of January Edinburgh has a New Year festival called Hogmanay. Four hundred thousand people from all over the world go to the party. There are fireworks, concerts and a huge street party with dancing in the street!

Every summer there are art festivals in the city. They include jazz, book, cinema festivals and, of course, the famous International and Fringe Theatre Festivals. At these festivals you can see everything from circuses to ballets and from comedy shows to Shakespeare plays. In 2003, there were five thousand different shows and many of them were free!

Follow-up

Vocabulary and speaking

A.

1. Find in the text the expressions and read them correctly.

450 000 / 1 000 000 / 1 000 / 400 000 / 5 000 / 2 / сотни / сотни миллионов / 29-ое число / 1-ое число

2. Complete the sentences.

1. Edinburgh is … .

2. When you arrive the first thing you see is … .

3. Edinburgh castle is not … .

4. Edinburgh is famous for … .

5. In 2003, there were … .

B.

1. Explain in English what is:

- a ghost - Edinburgh

- a festival - a castle.

2. Answer the questions.

1. How many people live in Edinburgh?

2. When is Hogmanay?

3. What type of festivals does Edinburgh have in summer?

4. What could you see at the festivals?

5. Who is George Mackenzie?

C.

1. Find the difference between the numerals hundred-hundreds/ thousand-thousands / million-millions. Fill in the right word in the gaps.

1. Every old castle has h… of ghosts.

2. One m… people visit the castle yearly.

3. Part of Edinburgh castle is a t… years old.

4. M… of years ago the hills were volcanoes..

5. There were over five h… different shows.

2. Write an advertisement for foreigners who are interested in old cities and castles of our country. Recommend them to visit some traditional festivals and explain what people do there.

Grammar

Numerals

A.

1. Write the numerals.

e.g.45 000; 1 April – Forty-fivethousand; the first of April.

1. in 2003

2. 29 December

3. 100s

4. 100 000s

5. 1 000 000

2. Write by numbers.

e.g.six million – 6 000 000

1. the first of January

2. five hundred

3. four hundred and fifty thousand

4. one million

5. two festivals

B.

1. Transform all ordinal numerals into the cardinal.

e.g. the second – two; the sixty-ninth – sixty-nine

1. the first

2. the millionth

3. the fiftieth

4. the five thousandth

5. the twenty-forth

2. Ask questions to the numerals.

e.g.450 000of people live in Edinburgh. – How many people live in Edinburgh?

1. In 2003 many shows were free. (When?)

2. The old city has hundreds of ghosts. (How many?)

3. Hogmanay is from 29 December – 1 January. (When?)

4. Hundreds of millions of years ago, these hills were volcanoes. (How many?)

5. Four hundred of people from all over the world go to the party. (How many?)

C.

1. Transform all cardinal numerals into the ordinal.

e.g. one hundred – the hundredth; three – the third

1. one million

2. five hundred

3. two

4. forty five thousand

5. twenty nine

2. Ask 5 special questions about your city (How much…? How many…? When…? How old…?)

e.g. When was Minsk mentioned in chronicles? – In 1067.

How many people live there? – Over 2 million.

Module 9

Vocabulary: Weather

Grammar: Future Simple

Reading: Weather forecast

Warm-up

Read and translate these words.

weather [`weрә] Celsius [`selsiәs]

forecast [`fo:ka:st] thunder [`θΛndә]

temperature [`temprәt∫ә] gale [`geil]

degree [di`gri] sleet [`sli:t]

Find the translation of these proper nouns. Use a dictionary for unknown words pronunciation.

Europe Spain

France South

Greece Athens

Russia Scandinavia

Channel Turkey

Tyrrhenian Sea

A.

Match the words from these columns. Use a dictionary for unknown words and pronunciation.

The weather in Belarus is … hot, wet,

The weather in Britain is … cloudy

In autumn it is … rainy, sunny,

In winter it is … snowy, cool,

In spring it is … windy, cold,

In summer it is … warm, foggy,

B. Complete the phrase.

1. I like when it’s … in summer.

2. In North Pole it is usually … .

3. People don’t like when it’s … in autumn.

4. In deserts it’s often … .

5. My favourite weather is … .

6. My favourite season is … when it’s … .

7. Now the weather is … .

C. Answer the questions from the point B.

1. What is the British weather like?

2. What is the weather like today?

3. What was the weather like yesterday?

4. What weather is going to be today in the evening?

5. What weather is expected to be in your country tomorrow?

6. What kind of weather do you like?

7. What kind of weather don’t you like?

Reading

WEATHER FORECAST

Good evening!

This is Gale Goodkind with the weather forecast for tomorrow. It's Saturday, and a lot of people are going away on holiday. We're going to look at the European weather map for tomorrow morning at nine o'clock.

First, the bad news. It's raining in Spain at the moment. And the good news. It isn't going to rain tomorrow. It is going to be a hot, sunny day, with temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius.

The rain is going to move into France tonight. Tomorrow is going to be wet and windy in the South of France. In Italy it's going to be a dry day, but cloudy. The temperature there is going to be about 20 or 21 degrees Celsius.

What about Greece? Well, the sun's going to shine there. A very hot day, with temperatures about 30 degrees in Athens, 27 or 28 degrees in the islands.

And Britain? Sorry, but it's going to be a cold, wet day again. It's going to snow in Scotland, and there's going to be a thunder in the North of England.

Europe is going again to be windy with changeable skies. It is going to have

cloudy, rainy weather with strong winds to an area from France to Russia. Western Europe is going to have rain. Eastern Europe and Scandinavia are going to have sleet and snow. There are going to be strong southwesterly winds reaching nearly gale force with the possibility of gales in the Channel. Southern Spain and Turkey are going to be mostly sunny.

The interior of Italy is going also to be sunny, but the area bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea is going to be mostly cloudy with occasional showers.

Have a nice holiday!

Follow-up

Vocabulary and speaking

A.

1. Find in the text the expressions where these words are used.

forecast / weather / day / temperature / wind

2. Form derivatives of the following words.

Europe rain

sun wind

cloud fog

snow West

North East

South

B.

1. Explain in English when it is:

- cloudy - windy

- rainy - snowy

- foggy - sunny

2. Scan the text and tell in what countries the weather is going to be:

- wet - dry

- rainy - sunny

- hot - windy

- cloudy - cold

C.

1. Answer the questions.

1. With whom and where do you discuss weather?

2. Do fast changes in weather influence you and your health?

3. In what ways do they influence you?

4. Which season do you like most of all and why?

5. Is there any difference between weather in big cities and in the country?

6. What weather make you depressed and why?

2. Make a forecast you expect to have tomorrow.

3. You are going to England. Describe the weather you expect to have there.

Grammar

Future Simple (he, she, it)

A.

1. Make the sentences negative.

e.g.It is going to rain tomorrow. – It isn't going to rain tomorrow.

1. A lot of people are going to stay at home on holiday.

2. Western Europe is going to have snow.

3. The rain is going to move into Greece tonight.

4. Southern Spain and Turkey are going to be mostly cloudy.

5. There's going to be a thunder in the North of England.

2. Ask general questions to the sentences from part 1.

e.g.It is going to rain tomorrow. – Isitgoing to rain tomorrow?

3. Answer the questions From part 2 using the text.

e.g. Isitgoing to rain tomorrow? – No, it isn’t going to rain tomorrow.

B.

1. Answer the questions according to the text.

e.g.What is the weather going to be like in Spain? – It is going to be a hot, sunny day, with temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius.

1. What is the weather going to be like in Spain?

2. What is the weather going to be like in Britain?

3. What is the weather going to be like in Athens?

4. What is the weather going to be like in France?

5. What is the weather going to be like in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia?

2. Fill in the right auxiliary verb. Sometimes you need to make it negative.

1. It's Saturday, and many people … going away on holiday.

2. The sun … going to shine and there … going to be wet or cold.

3. Europe … going again to be windy with changeable skies.

4. Western Europe … going to have rain.

5. Eastern Europe and Scandinavia … going to have sleet and snow.

6. In Spain it … going to rain tomorrow. It … going to be a hot, sunny day, with temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius.

C.

1. Complete the sentences with to be going to. Sometimes you need to make it negative.

1. Tomorrow … be wet and windy in the South of France.

2. There … be strong southwesterly winds reaching nearly gale force

3. There … be a thunder in the North of England.

4. We … look at the European weather map for tomorrow morning at nine o'clock.

5. It … be a cold, wet day again. There … be sunny or warm.

6. the area bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea … be mostly cloudy with occasional showers.

2. Ask 5 questions which true or not to the text information.

e.g. Is it going to be sunny in Italy?

What is the weather going to be like in Russia?

Module 10

Vocabulary: Describing Character

Grammar: adverbs, adjectives and participles

Reading: Your stars

Warm-up

Read and translate these words.

Aquarius [ә`kweәriәs] Leo [`li:әu]

Pisces [`paısi:z] Virgo [`vә: gәu]

Aries [`әri:z] Libra [`li:brә]

Taurus [`torәs] Scorpio [`sko:piәυl]

Gemini [`dζemınai] Sagittarius [s?dζi`teәriәs]

Cancer [`k?nsә] Capricorn [`k?priko:n]

A.

Find Russian equivalents for the following expressions. Use a dictionary for unknown words and pronunciation.

practical realistic

intelligent a leader

impulsive loyal

sensitive serious

ambitious emotional

B.

Match the words with their synonyms or definitions. Use a dictionary for unknown words and pronunciation

absent-minded

reliable

stubborn

confident

quiet

extrovert

sure of oneself

inattentive

able to be trusted

calm, tranquil

sociable person

refusing to agree, comply

C. Answer the questions about yourself.

1. Is it difficult for you to make up your mind?

2. Do you like to dominate people?

3. Do you have a good sense of humour?

4. How often do you take anything to heart?

5. Are you a good listener?

6. Could you see things in black and white?

Reading

YOUR STARS