19. Make up collocations matching the words 1-18 with the words in the box.

images shrines design objects to reenact to pursue noteworthy art afflicted veritable ivory to impregnate ubiquitous juxtaposition deity to put stamp on

1 evocative ____________ 2 wayside _____________ 3 secular ______________ 4 devotional ___________ 5 _____________ the birth of Christ 6 ________________daily activities 7 ________________Jewish folk art 8 votive _______________ 9 an ____________part of the body

10 a __________ crowd of papier-mâché figures 11 ____________________ plaques 12 _______________ with concepts 13 a _________________folk charm 14 in curious _________with Christian themes 15 a small, nude hermaphroditic___________ 16 _______________ the consciousness

20. Search the article in 10 to find words which mean the following things.

• A verb which means 'to prepare by bringing together information from different sources'.

• An adverb which is used to suggest that something may have happened. Possible synonyms are 'apparently' and 'allegedly'.

• A verb which is the opposite of 'to accept'.

• An adjective which means 'very large'.

• A noun which means 'an idea or understanding of something'.

• A noun which means 'the belief and practice of giving equal importance to each of the different cultures in a society'.

• A verb which means 'to emphasize'.

• A noun which means 'the belief that original religious laws should be followed very strictly'.

21. Read the text below and decide which word best fits each space. Circle the letter you chose. There is an example (0) that has been done for you. Midsummer night’s eye

In Europe, Midsummer Night’s Eve, also known as St John’s Eve, occurs on June 23d. It (0) …D…. from the pagan celebrations of the summer solstice which were held on June 21^st. On that night throughout Europe bonfires were lit along hillsides to (1) ______________ the shortest night of the year. It must have looked as if some kind of violent insurrection was taking (2) ______________ down the coast of Scotland and England, but these signal fires in fact had a very important purpose. Bones of farm animals (3) ___________ the previous autumn were burned and, when the fires had (4) ___________, the remaining ash was put to good use: it was spread on the fields to enrich the land and (5) _________ a good harvest. The word ‘bonfire’ is (6) __________ from ‘bone fire’.

In Brazil too St John’s Eve means bonfires and fireworks. Another quaint tradition involves the (7) ________ of small paper hot-air balloons, although they are (8) _____________ by law in the cities because of the fair (9) ___________ . Bonfires mark the beginning of spring rather than the summer in Sweden and are lit on the last night of April. In the Swedish Midsummer’s Eve (10) ___________ , held on June 24^th, a large pole, decorated with flowers and leaves, is placed in the ground.

Thistles also have a (11) _________ role in the celebration of Midsummer’s Night in Europe. In the past they were thought to (12) _____________ witches. The pretty, prickly plant was nailed over barn doors and used in wreaths, the circular shape being a (13) _________ of the turning of the seasons. Wheels laced with straw and soaked in pitch were lit from the bonfires and then rolled down hills.

There is less risk of fire in a tradition (14) _________ to many Slavic countries. Young women and girls float little baskets of flowers and lighted candles down streams. Local boys swim out to (15) ________ a basket, find the girl it belongs to and claim a dance at the town’s Midsummer’s Eve Party.

0	A terminates	B initiates	C conceives	D originates
1	A celebrate	B honour	C commemorate	D commiserate
2	A space	B place	C site	D location
3	A revived	B assassinated	C slaughtered	D sacrificed
4	A doused	B extinguished	C smothered	D gone out
5	A assure	B safeguard	C ensure	D endanger
6	A derived	B developed	C evolved	D decayed
7	A landing	B launching	C propelling	D ejecting
8	A barred	B outlawed	C sanctioned	D prohibited
9	A certainty	B peril	C jeopardy	D hazard
10	A tradition	B custom	C ceremony	D practice
11	A decisive	B serious	C trivial	D significant
12	A deflect	B ward off	C attract	D avert
13	A sign	B password	C logo	D symbol
14	A unique	B common	C mutual	D prevalent
15	A salvage	B rescue	C set free	D liberate

22. Read the following text and look carefully at each line. Some of the lines are correct, and some have an extra incorrect word which should not be there. If a line is correct, put a tick (V) at the end of the line. If a line has a word that should not be there, cross it out.

WHO IS FATHER CHRISTMAS?

0	Although it is not a very clear how contemporary Father Christmas’s ‘look’
00	came about, it is certain that it is the result of a continuous amalgamation V
1	of many old folk customs and beliefs from the varied sources. First and
2	foremost, there is the image of the three kings are bringing gifts to the baby
3	Jesus. A second source is the Roman custom of giving to children presents
4	for good luck during the pagan festival which celebrating the winter solstice.
5	Last but not least, there is Saint Nicholas, a 4th – century bishop and the patron saint
6	of children, sailors and the poor whose saint’s day it is December 6th. Traditionally,
7	Saint Nicholas was depicted as like a tall dignified figure riding a white horse, giving
8	sweets to children and helping for the poor. The family image of a good-humoured
9	round-bellied Santa Claus, is complete with sleigh, reindeers and sack of toys, seems
10	To have be a 19th – century American invention, Built up on the Dutch figure of
11	Saint Nicholas which settlers they brought with them to New York, contemporary
12	Santa Claus is as the result of the blending of religious and pagan traditions from
13	many European countries with newer American customs. Such elements as the
14	Reindeer, the stockings and the North Pole can round off the modernized legend.
15	Thus, nowadays because Joulupukki of Finland, Papa Noel of French-speaking
16	Countries, English Father Christmas and American Santa are very much alike.

SPEAKING

23. In pairs talk for four minutes on how folk art appeared and developed through centuries in different countries. You are encouraged to make a brief comment after your partner has spoken.

Student A, speak about the appearance and development of folk art. You have two minutes to do this.

Student B, join the conversation requesting additional information, adding missing details, expressing agreement or disagreement with what has been said. You have a minute to do this.

Student A and Student B, both make up conclusions (1 minute).

24. Share your thoughts on the following topics.

• What is the meaning of our being here on earth?

• For what purpose are we here?

• How do the ideologies of science, philosophy, and religion differ from one another in their concepts of the meaning of life?

25. In pairs brainstorm a list of different philosophies and religions that have diverse ideas of the meaning of life.

26. Divide into pairs. Choose one of the following projects below and then perform your plays in front of the entire class.

1. With a partner research two different religions or philosophies and write a 10-minute play or dialogue in which both sides discuss how they make sense of life based on the two different religions/philosophies. This performance should reflect how the religions or philosophies differ from one another, and how they are the same.

2. With a partner research one religion or philosophy and perform a 10-minute play in which they depict a world with a system of life based on that religion or philosophy. Be creative with the play, portraying some of the famous religious leaders or philosophers, or setting their production in the past, present, or future.

3. With a partner model a dialogue or production for the class after one of the famous Socratic dialogues, using a group of philosophers and their varying perspectives and views of philosophy.

4. One or more students may choose to develop a creative theatrical production of their own, in which they demonstrate their knowledge of the similarities and differences of at least two philosophies or religions.

27. Divide into pairs. Using all available resources, investigate how Judaism, Christianity and Islam have responded to the issue of modernity: social class and equality, women's legal rights, marriage and divorce, sexuality, and technology. Each group should address the following questions in their research.

• What is the general history of your topic in each of these faiths?

• How did some of the early followers of each faith (in history texts) view this topic?

• What references can you find in the religious texts of these faiths that address this topic?

• How do current religious authorities or leaders address this topic today, in modern times?

Once group research is complete, each group develops a creative class presentation that synthesizes their understanding of how the various religions researched have responded over time to their group's "issue of modernity." Presentations can take any form, as long as they address all of the research questions for each religion studied. Groups might perform television or radio talk show skits in which different members share their views on the modern issue, create a series of newspaper articles, develop a PowerPoint presentation, debate their modern issue as members of the different religions represented, etc.

Further Questions for Discussion:

• What basic tenets did the religions you researched have in common? Did they share any common messages? If so, what?

• How do different branches within a religion vary in their relationships with modernity? (For example, how might orthodox views vary from reform views?)

• Does geography play a role in the ways different faiths develop their practices and perspectives? If so, how? If not, why not?

• Do you think some "religious" traditions are more culturally, politically, economically, or socially motivated than "faith-based"? If so, what are some examples? If not, why not?

• Why do you think some religious followers adjust their beliefs over time, while others strictly adhere to doctrine?