L Reading. Read the text about New Year's Day in Britain and do the exercises.
New Year's Eve in Great Britain
The 1st of January, New Year's Day, is a big holiday in Scotland. People do not work on that day, and children do not go to school. Scottish people celebrate New Year's Eve in every family. Friends usually come on that day. They have a good dinner. After dinner there are apples, other fruit, and different sweets to eat.
Before 12 o'clock at night many people go out into the streets to dance and to sing Scottish songs. When the town clocks begin to strike twelve, the people cross their arms, join their hands and sing the famous Scottish song Auld Lang Syne. It is about the old days and friendship between people. Robert Burns, Scotland's great poet wrote the words of the song. The music of the song is also Scottish. Then people wish a Happy New Year to all and go home to meet the first-footer. A first-footer is a person who comes first on the 1st of January. Long ago people thought that the man who comes first to a house on New Year's Day will bring good luck to the family, if he is a friend. Today the first-footer must be a man with dark hair and he must bring a little piece of coal to wish warmth, a little coin to wish wealth and a little piece of bread to wish food all year round.
In England New Year's Day is less popular than in Scotland. Only some families celebrate this holiday. When the clock begins to strike 12, the head of the family goes to the door, opens it and let the Old Year out and the New Year in. At 12 o'clock the young people go out into the streets and the squares. In London they go to Trafalgar Square. In this square they see a great tree brightly decorated with lamps. This great New Year Tree comes from Norway. The people of Norway send a tree every year to the people of England. When Big Ben begins to strike 12, people begin to sing Auld Lang Syne.
Exercise 1. Find the information you need to complete the sentences.
New Year's Day is less popular in.....(1) than in......(2). When the largest clock of London......(3) begins to strike twelve, the people sing the most popular song......(4). The people wish......(5) to all and go home to continue their celebrations.
Exercise 2. You are interviewing some people about customs and traditions of Britain. Make questions for the following answers.
6)....................... 6) Scottish people celebrate New Year's Eve in every family. They have a good dinner party.
7)........................ 7) A first-footer is a man who comes first to a house on the first of January.
8)....................... 8) The first-footer brings a little piece of coal, a little coin and a little piece of bread.
9)....................... 9) The head of the family goes to the door and opens it because he wants to let the Old Year out and the New Year in.
10)........................ 10) Yes, this great New Year Tree comes from Norway.
IL English Usage,
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Part 1. Vocabulary. Fill in the gaps with the words in the box to complete the sentences
| In Britain, New Year's Day is a public holiday, but there is no special celebration. That......(I) the night before. It is common for people to......(2) a 'new year's resolution', a promise that they......(3) something for the year ahead like eating less chocolate or working harder. The song Auld Lang Syne is a Scottish song which looks back on the past with affection. In Scotland, New Year's Eve is called Hogmanay. Edinburgh has a giant street celebration each New Year's Eve. It is traditional to 'first foot' people after.......(4); in other words to be the First person to visit someone's house that year. It is said that if the person is a.........(5) man, it brings good luck. | dark-hair dark-hairs dark-haired do make midnight takes part lakes place |
Part 2. Grammar. Choose the correct answer.
New Year's Eve in Scotland
New Year is very important time for the Scots and they have many customs connected with it. Centuries ago, it was the custom to put an ivy leaf in water on New Year's Eve and leave it there until Twelfth Night (the 6th of January) If the leaf......(6- will remain / remained) fresh and green, it foretold a good healthy year; if, however, black spots appeared on it, this meant illness and death in the family. All holly and ivy was taken down on Twelfth Night, as it was feared that it would attract goblins. It's still considered unlucky in Britain to leave Christmas decorations up after Twelfth Night. One New Year's Eve my friend Molly, who is......(7- an / -) English, and her husband Jim, who is Scottish, were staying with me. We sat round the fire........(8- talking and drinking/ talked and drank). Jim was wearing his kilt, as it was Hogmanay. We turned......(9- off/ on) the radio to find out the exact time, and when Big Ben......(10- stroke / struck) midnight, Jim said «Lang may your lum reek,» and gave me a little packet. I didn't understand what he said, but when 1 opened the little parcel 1 found it was a piece of coal! Molly explained that he was saying «We hope your chimney will smoke for a long time.» This is an old Scottish custom, and I suppose it really means «We hope you will have all you need this year - enough food and clothes, and that you will be warm enough»
III. Writing. You‘ve just received a post card with New Year greetings. Read it and then use the model to write a similar post card to your friend Jane (80-100 words).
POST CARD
| Dear Vera, Hi! It was good to get your letter all about how you celebrated New Year in St Petersburg. I send you and your family my best wishes for a Happy and successful New Year. We hope that the coming year will bring you peace, good health, good cheer and prosperity. I had a great lime too. We decided to go to Trafalgar Square to see the New Year in. There were thousands of people jammed into the Square. They were wearing funny hats, throwing streamers, popping balloons and generally having a good time. Yours Tom | Vera Matveyeva flat 52 27, Kazanskaya street St.Petersburgl95000 Russia |
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Key: I. Ex.1: 1) England 2) Scotland 3) Big ben 4) Auld Lang Syne 5) A Happy New Year
Ex.2: 6) How do Scottish people celebrate New Year’s Eve? 7) Who’s a first footer? 8)What does the first footer bring? 9) Why does the head of the family go and open it?10) Does this great New Year Tree on Trafalgar Square come from Norway?
II. Part 1: 1) takes place 2) make 3) do 4) midnight 5) dark-haired
Part 2: 6) remained 7)- 8) talking and drinking 9) on 10) struck