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The early valentines were handmade, and young people spent hours composing their own poems. In 1784, the first 'Valentine Encyclopaedia' was published under the title of: “The New English Valentine Writer, or the High Road to Love, for both Sexes, Containing a Complete Set of Valentines, which the Young may read without Blushing, and those of Riper Years find Pleasant and Entertaining.”

As time passed, valentine cards became more and more popular. The Victorians decorated their cards with hearts and Cupids, wild flowers, silk, lace, feathers – you name it!

When the modern postal system was set up in the nineteenth century, a real Valentine's Day industry was found. Ready-made cards were massproduced, just as they were for Christmas and birthdays.

Today, many people send electronic valentines to their loved ones. But the person who gets an e-valentine will know who it's from! You can't sign it 'From your secret admirer'!

15. Here are some mobile phone text abbreviations used by young people in Britain. Try to guess what they mean and match with the answers on the right.

1)WUBMV?

2)ILUVU or ILU

3)LUWAK<3

4)KOTL

5)LOLV

6)Xoxoxoxoxo

7)12x@>--,--

1) A dozen roses

2) Will you be my Valentine

3) Hugs and kisses

4) I love you

5) Lots of love

6) Love you with all my heart

7) Kiss on the lips

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Now check your answers.

16. Read the text and try to make your own quiz.

Pic. 82

Nobody knows for sure if Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's romantic heroes, really existed but millions of people go to Verona, Italy, to see 'the

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house of Juliet'. This 13th-century house belonged to the Cappello family (sounds a bit like the Capulets, doesn't it?) who had a daughter called Juliet.

Juliet Cappello was born on the 16th of September, 1284. There were many legends and poems about her romance with a young man, and these legends probably inspired William Shakespeare to write his famous play in 1596.

Tourists like to be photographed standing on the balcony of 'the house of Juliet' because they believe that it's the balcony where Juliet Capulet and Romeo

Montague revealed their love to each other. And thousands of lovers from all over the world leave their love notes on the walls of the house. The town's cleaners have tried to remove them many times but they keep appearing again and again – and in greater numbers.

There is also an unusual volunteer organization in Verona – the Juliet Club. Every year, they receive about 5,000 letters from heartbroken men and women all over the world. And each letter is answered!

This tradition dates from 1937, when the guardian of Juliet Cappello's tomb found a letter at her grave. It had a very simple address – 'to Juliet, Verona' – and was written by an Englishman who was desperately in love with a girl. The guardian felt sorry for the Englishman and decided to write back pretending to be Juliet's secretary. This is how the Juliet Club started.

Giulio Tamassia, head of the Juliet Club, says that answering love letters isn't an easy job. Most of the letters are written in Italian and English, but some are written in Chinese, Japanese, Arabic and other difficult languages. Then the club has to find someone to translate them.

Some letters are from young people who just cannot find their Romeo or Juliet, others are from teenagers who find it difficult to talk to their parents. A lot of letters are from mixed-race couples whose parents oppose their love.

Here are just a few examples of such letters:

“I am 14 years old and I have never been in love. That’s because I have never met a Juliet. All the girls I know are either too bossy or stupid and boring. I want to meet a girl would be gentle, understanding and loving – just like Juliet.”

“I'm going out with a girl but my father I says she is not good enough for me – just because she is black.'

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'Some letters are very difficult to answer,' says Giulio Tamassia. 'If we feel we cannot answer a particularly difficult letter, we ask our psychologist friend for help.'

For Valentine's Day, the Club organizes a 'Dear Juliet' prize for the best love letter received. The winners are nearly always the Italians and French – they write the most passionate letters.

And on the 16th of September, there is a festival in Verona to celebrate Juliet's birthday.

K. Fox

17. Reorder the sentences to make a story about Juliet and Romeo.

1.Juliet killed herself with a knife.

2.Juliet was 14 years old.

3.Romeo and Juliet fell in love with each other at first sight.

4.Romeo and Juliet were secretly married by Friar Lawrence.

5.Romeo poisoned himself.

6.Shakespeare's play is set in 13th-century Verona.

7.The Montagues and the Capulets were bitter enemies.

8.When the Montagues and the Capulets saw the dead bodies of their children, they promised to live in peace.

Thanksgiving Day

October 14th

18. Match the words to make the names of Thanksgiving dishes. Pick out the foods from the kitchen table necessary to cook a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

Pic. 83

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19. Match the questions with the answers.

1)What was the name of the ship that brought the first European settlers to America?

2)When did it happen?

3)How many people arrived in America on the Mayflower?

4)What are the first settlers called?

5)Were most of the people over or under 40?

6)Where did they settle in America?

7)Why was it hard for them to survive the first winter?

8)Why is the holiday called Thanksgiving?

9)Why is corn a symbol of Thanksgiving?

10)What other symbols of Thanksgiving do you know?

11)What is the traditional stuffing for a turkey?

12)What do Americans do on Thanksgiving Day?

a.In 1620.

b.Pilgrims

c.In what is now the state of Massachusetts, on the east coast of North America.

d.Because the people survived through the first winter, collected bountiful crops in the fall and thanked God for that.

e.Stuffed turkey, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce.

f.They usually have a family reunion, thank God for everything good, have a traditional feast and watch professional football games.

g.The Mayflower.

h.102

i.Under forty

j.The first settlers arrived in December when it was too late to grow any crops, and without fresh food there was not much to eat and it was hard to resist disease.

k.It was a new food for the colonists. Indians taught them how to grow it and it helped the settlers to survive.

l.White bread.

1 __ 2 ___ 3 ___4 ___ 5 ___ 6 ___7 ___ 8 ___ 9 ___10 ___ 11 ___ 12 ___

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20. This text is a sample of speeches made by statesmen on important days such as national holidays. Read it and say how the speech is organized. Does it have any distinct parts?

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

By the President of the United States of America

Thanksgiving Day, 1996

(A)America's oldest tradition, Thanksgiving is also a reaffirmation of our most deeply held values; a public recognition that, in the words of Thomas Jefferson, "God who gave us life gave us liberty". In gratitude for God's gift of freedom and "for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us", George Washington made Thanksgiving his first proclamation for the new Nation, and it is one we are privileged to renew each year.

(B)Much has changed for America in the two centuries since that first Thanksgiving proclamation. Generations of hardworking men and women have cultivated our soil and worked the land, and today America's bounty helps feed the world. The promise of freedom that sustained our founders through the hardships of the Revolution and the first challenging days of nationhood has become a reality for millions of immigrants who left their homelands for a new life on these shores. And the light of that freedom now shines brightly in many nations that once lived in the shadows of tyranny and oppression.

(C)But across the years, we still share an unbroken bond with the men and women who first proclaimed Thanksgiving in our land. Americans today still cherish the fresh air of freedom, in which we can raise our families and worship God as we choose without fear of persecution. We still rejoice in this great land and in the civil and religious liberty it offers to all. And we still — and always — raise our voices in prayer to God, thanking Him in humility for the countless blessings He has bestowed on our Nation and our people.

(D)Let us now, this Thanksgiving Day, reawaken ourselves and our neighbors and our communities to the genius of our founders in daring to build the world's first constitutional democracy on the foundation of trust and thanks to God. Out of our right and proper rejoicing on Thanksgiving Day, let us give our own thanks to God and reaffirm our love of family, neighbor, and community. Each of us can be an instrument of blessing to those we touch this Thanksgiving Day — and every day of the year.

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(E)Now, therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 28, 1996, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all the people of the United States to assemble in their homes, places of worship, or community centers to share the spirit of goodwill and prayer to express heartfelt gratitude for the blessings of life; and to reach out in friendship to our brothers and sisters in the larger family of mankind.

(F)In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two-hundred and twenty-first.

William J. Clinton

21. Match the parts of the speech with these brief descriptions:

1)making an appeal to the nation to preserve the values and the spirit of Thanksgiving;

2)reminding of the origin of the holiday;

3)giving the date when the Proclamation was made;

4)naming the achievements made throughout 200 years;

5)announcing the Day of Thanksgiving and calling the nation to join in the celebration;

6)enumerating the values of the American society.

22.Though the speech is full of generalities because it is not designed to give information but rather to appeal to the nation, we can still learn something specific about the U.S. find at least eight bits of information and formulate them in your own words.

23.Try to read aloud a paragraph observing the rhythm, intonation and tone of the address.

24.Now make a speech of your own (it may be humorous). Decide who you are, where you are, to whom you speak and on what occasion. Try to use some expressions from Clinton's proclamation. Start by making an outline.

25.Read about Guy Fawkes Night. Do you have similar holidays in your country?

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Remember, remember

The fifth of November,

Gunpowder Treason and Plot.

I see no reason

Why Gunpowder Treason

Should ever be forgot.

Pic. 84

British people celebrate some festivals-like Christmas and Easter – with the rest of Europe. But some are just British. Here’s a very British Festival and a very noisy one. This is Guy Fawkes Night in Britain. On the 5th of November every year British people remember Guy Fawkes and his plot to blow up the king and the Houses of Parliament in 1605.

At first sight, Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night celebrations may look alike. They are both in late autumn and have a touch of mystery, probably because they take place at night. The stories behind these traditions are, however, quite different.

The central figure of November 5th is, of course, Guy Fawkes. Every November the fifth British people burn a model of Guy Fawkes. The models are called “guys”. Children make them out of old clothes. There are lots of fireworks too.

26. Look at the pictures which show how to make a jack-o- lantern. Are they placed in the right order? Write short instructions under each picture (E.g. Picture d. Cut off the cap.).

Pic. 85

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27. Let's make a pumpkin pie! Look at these actions and choose

28.Now think of the necessary ingredients and write a recipe and draw a picture of your pie. Don't forget to treat your classmates!

29.Look through the headings. Try to identify if these holidays are Russian, American or British ones. Some of them are obvious; one holiday doesn’t belong to any group.

Work in three groups (A – American, B – British, R - Russian). Use the information below to describe unusual, strange or interesting holidays of your country. Create a poster to decorate Did you know? board.

Did you know?

American British

Russian

A Week of Food and Fun

Shrovetide is an ancient holiday which dates back to the 9th century. It begins a week before Shrove Monday, which is the last Monday before the 40-day fasting period of Lent. Shrovetide is the most cheerful of all Russian holidays. Not to participate in this holiday means to live in poverty for the rest of the year.

Each day of Shrovetide has its own rituals. They are:

MONDAY – People set up stalls selling pancakes, toys and crafts. A Shrovetide dummy is dressed in a sarafan and seated on a sledge. The sledge goes along the streets, inviting people to join in and celebrate the festival.

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TUESDAY – People dress in their best clothes and go out for tobogganing and pancakes. Young men look for their future wives and people kiss, dance and flirt with each other.

WEDNESDAY – Mothers-in-law invite their sons-in-law to try delicious pancakes. The sons-in-law bring gifts and sweet honey cakes. THURSDAY – On this day there is more tobogganing along with plenty of fun. People play at fist fighting and capturing snow fortresses. They go theatre performances, eat pancakes, drink and dance.

FRIDAY – Sons-in-law invite their mothers-in-law to their homes for pancakes.

SATURDAY – Sisters-in-law receive guests.

SUNDAY – The Shrovetide straw dummy is solemnly burnt as a symbol of life’s victory over death. Ashes are scattered over the fields in order to have an excellent harvest in the autumn. In the evening, people forgive all offences so that everyone can meet the spring with a clear conscience.

Easter

A Sunday in March or April when Christians celebrate the time when Jesus Christ died then returned to life according to the Bible. In Great Britain and the USA Easter is the symbol of spring coming. Easter consists of Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Adults present to each other flowers and chocolates and children are presented Easter eggs. Women cook Easter cake and Easter Bunny in the USA and Great Britain. In Russia women also cook Easter cake and so-called paskha – rich mixture of sweetened curds, butter and raisins. People use the following phrases: Best wishes for Easter! Happy Easter! Happy Easter to you all! I wish you and all the family a very happy Easter! Also people exchange a triple kiss as Easter salutation. The week before Easter people colour eggs. In Great Britain and the USA on Easter Sunday children wake up to find the Easter Bunny has left them a basket of candy.

Quebec Winter Carnival

Since its beginning in 1954, the Quebec Winter Carnival has grown to become the world’s biggest winter festival. From 1st to 17th of February every year, visitors come from all over the world to enjoy the more than 300 events and activities on offer. One of the highlights is the famous canoe race on the St. Lawrence River. Thousands of people gather to watch and cheer as brave teams cross the river, battling their way through ice floes and powerful currents. Other popular events are the Grand Viree, a

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