I. Reading. Read the text and do the exercises.
Halloween
Halloween is both a British and an American holiday. It is a festival that lakes place on October 31 According to old beliefs, Halloween is the time, when the veil between the living and the dead is partially lifted, and witches, ghosts and other supernatural beings are about.
In the evening of October 31 boys and girls «dress up» in different old clothes and wear masks. It is a festival of merry-making, fortune -telling, superstitious spells and traditional games A. favourite Halloween custom is to make a jack-o'-lantern. Children take out the middle of the pumpkin, cut holes for the eyes, nose and mouth in its side and finally, they put a candle inside the pumpkin to scare their friends Halloween ie sometimes called Beggars' Night or Trick or Treat night. American children dress up as ghosts and witches and go into the streets to beg. They go from house to house and say: «Trick or treat», meaning «Give me a treat or I'll play a trick on you». Some groups of «ghosts» chant Beggars' Night rhymes:
Trick or treat
Smell our feet
We want something
Good to eat.
They all hold bags open to catch the candy, fruit or coins. Children usually get the treat, so they do not often have to play tricks. In the evening people gather for parties. The guests wear every kind of costume. Some people dress up like supernatural creatures, others prefer historical or political figures. You can meet pirates, princesses, Draculas, Cinderellas or even Frankenstein's monsters at a Halloween festival. No Halloween party is complete without at least one scary story. It helps to create an air of mystery. Usually one person talks in a low voice while everyone else crowds together on the floor or around a fire But no one is really frightened. The stories only add to the fun.
Exercise 1. Comprehension. Decide if the statements below are true (T) or false (F).
1) Halloween is a public holiday celebrated in winter.
2) Halloween is a festival of merry-making, fortune -telling, superstitious spells and traditional games.
3) Halloween is the time when evil spirits are about.
4) The jack-o'-lantern is one of the most typical of Halloween symbols.
5) Halloween scary stories are no longer popular with children and teenagers.
Exercise 2. Comprehension. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence.
6) October 31 is the night when witches A) hide
and ghosts........ B) come out
C) make jack-o'-lantern
7) The practice of predicting future events A) ghost story-telling
is called....... B) trick or treat
C) fortune-telling
8) A typical jack-o'-lantern is a pumpkin A) some berries or grapes
with.....instead of eyes, mouth and nose. B) small stones
C) holes
9) This is a traditional belief which is not A) superstition
based on reason or fact but on old ideas, B) superstitious spell
sayings, legends about luck, magic, etc. C) fortune-telling
10) Halloween is sometimes called Trick A) to give them candy
or Treat night because children dress up B) to give them a lot of money
in costumes and go door to door saying C) to dance and sing some popular «Trick or treat». They expect people........ songs
П. English Usage. Fill in the gaps with the words in the box to complete the sentences.
| You should be very careful on the night of October 31. This is the night when witches and ghosts......(1)! Witches ride on......(2) through the midnight air to meet the Devil. Black cats, their best friends, usually........(3) them. Ghosts and witches are not the only ones who come out at......(4). From their hiding places come hundreds of demons, skeletons, goblins and other......(5) creatures. Black and orange are traditional Halloween......(6). Children go to the people's houses and ring at the door, shouting «Trick or......(7)!» The person who opens the door must give the children a treat - some...... (8) or cookies, if not, the children play a......(9) on them. For example, they can throw flour at the window or draw a funny......(10) on the door. Halloween parties are great fun. | accompany brooms carry colours come in come out Halloween picture spades supernatural sweets treat trick |
III. Writing. There are many superstitions in Russia, for example if you break a mirror, it brings seven years of bad luck. If you want something to happen, you find same wood and say «touch wood» as you touch it. Complete these sentences, describing superstitions and good luck charms.
1) If your ears feel hot, it means that.....
2) If you are lucky at cards, you will be unlucky.....
3) If you spill salt....
4) If a black cat crosses your path......
5) If you find a horse-shoe.....
Key: I. Ex.1: 1)F 2)T 3)T 4)T 5)F Ex.2: 6)b 7)c 8)c 9)a 10)a
II. 1) come out 2) brooms 3) accompany 4) Halloween 5) supernatural
6) colours 7) treat 8) sweets 9) trick 10) picture
III. 1)….someone is talking about you 2)….in love 3)…..you should pick a little up and throw it over your left shoulder 4)….you’ll be unlucky 5)….you’ll be lucky