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–Nothing. When I skate I forget all my problems and troubles, I air my head. It lets me be happy in my own way.

–What do you feel when you see a roller-girl doing excellent tricks on a high level?

–Oh, self-respect. Don’t let me leave it alone. I’ll try to do the same better then she.

–Do you prefer to wear the same clothes when you don’t skate?

–Yes, of course. My clothes are my distinctive feature. People see that I’m a roller even though I’m without roller skates. It’s cool.

–I heard that roller-skating divides into two directions – fitness and aggressive. What is the difference?

–Well, if you like to skate without any tricks and feel that it’s enough for you, this style is called fitness. But if you want adventures, you can choose aggressive one, which also has two directions, called “street” and “rumpa” Make it plain, “street” is skating on spring-board, and “rales” and “rumpa” is half-round area, where rollers show their skills. To put it in a nut shell, it’s your own choice.

I really didn’t regret that I visited this holiday. I convinced myself in reality that the world without drugs exists. You have to seek it yourself.

By Elena Arkhipova

52. Write an essay (about 300 words). You may choose the topic you like:

1.There are more and more pressures on young people to drink alcohol and they are worried that if they don't, people will think there is something wrong with them.

2.There is a blurring between illegal drugs such as cannabis and legal ones such as alcohol or tobacco in youth culture.

3.Youth crime is a huge problem.

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AMERICAN AND ENGLISH HOLIDAYS

1.Halloween

1.Read the text and answer the questions:

1.Who had the festival that was probably the start of our Halloween?

2.When did the Celts hold the festival?

3. Who was Samhain?

4. What did Celts do to scare all the ghosts? 5. What do people do nowadays on Halloween? 6. What are the colours of Halloween?

Thе Roots of Halloween

In the fall the nights get longer. The weather turns colder. Leaves fall from trees, and plants die. For these reasons, fall has long been thought of as a time of death.

Long ago, many people believed that on certain fall nights dead spirits came back to earth. This idea was held by the Celts, a European people who lived in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and France. Over 2,000 years ago, the Celts held a festival that was probably the start of our Halloween.

The Celts' festival was held on October 31. It was called Samhain, after the Celts' lord of the dead. Samhain was thought to send ghosts to earth on the night of October 31. When angry, Samhain could send many evil ghosts. The Cells built fires on hilltops to scare off the ghosts. They also scared the ghosts away by wearing costumes made of animal heads and skins.

Traces of the Samhain festival remain in our Halloween customs. Ghosts still roam about on October 31. Only today they are children under sheets. People still wear costumes on Halloween. Only now they are cloth and plastic instead of animal heads and skins.

Fortune-telling is still done, but just for fun. Even Halloween's colors

— orange and black — may have come from the Samhain festival, it was a time when orange flames lit up the black night.

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2. Read the text and say what jack-o’-lantern is. Jack-o'-lanterns

Each year, millions of people carve Halloween pumpkins. The carved pumpkins arc nicknamed "jack-o'-lanterns." The custom of carving Halloween jack-o'-lanterns began long ago in Ireland and Scotland. But when the custom began, people in those lands did not have pumpkins. (They are thought to have grown first in North America.) The people in Ireland and Scotland carves jack-o'-lanterns out of turnips.

An Irish story told how jack-o'-lanterns got their name. Long ago, the story began, a man named Jack met the devil on a road. Jack had been very selfish. He knew the devil would take his soul — unless he could fool him. As they passed an apple tree, Jack had an idea. He asked for an apple before going to hell.

The devil climbed the tree to get the apple. As he did so, Jack carved a cross on the tree with his knife. The devil was scared to come down past the cross, which is a symbol of Christianity's good power. Jack helped the devil down — but only after he promised to leave Jack's soul alone.

Jack soon died. He could not enter heaven because he had been so bad. Needing a place to go, Jack tried to enter hell. But the devil kept his promise and would not let him in. The devil said that Jack must return to earth. When Jack cried that he could not find his way in the dark, the devil threw him a hot coal. Jack carved a turnip and placed the glowing coal inside it.

Ever since, Jack has wandered the earth with his turnip lantern. Turnips with lighted candles inside them became known as “jack-o'-

lanterns” after Jack.

3. Match two columns:

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4. What is the witch using to make her spell?

5. Let’s play.

Halloween words

Разделиться на две команды. На двух листках бумаги написано слово Halloween. По сигналу за 5 минут каждая команда должна написать как можно больше слов, состоящих из букв, которые есть в слове Halloween. Учитывается правильность написания.

Tricks before treats

Все участники рассаживаются по кругу, в центр которого кладут пустую бутылку. Заранее заготовить небольшие листочки с заданиями (tricks). Бутылку вращают, и тот, на кого она укажет, должен выполнить задание на листке, который он возьмет.

2.St. Valentine’s Day

1.St. Valentine’s Day Quiz.

Roses are red, violets are blue, we know how Valentine's Day got its name, do you?

1.Where did St Valentine live?

a)in Greece

b)in Rome

c)in Great Britain

2.What date is Valentine's Day?

a)15th of February

b)14th of February

c)8th of March

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3.How do you spell 14th?

a)forteenth;

b)fourtienth;

c)fourteenth.

4.According to a popular belief, why was St Valentine beheaded?

a)because he secretly married young couples;

b)because he ran away with Emperor Claudius's daughter;

c)because he was always in love with someone.

5.When St Valentine was in prison, who did he fall in love with?

a)his prisoner's daughter;

b)his prisoner's wife;

c)his prisoner's sister.

6.The girl St Valentine fell in love with was

a)deaf;

b)blind;

c)blind and deaf.

7.What colour is associated with St Valentine's Day?

a)orange;

b)purple;

c)red.

8.Which Roman God is one of the symbols of St Valentine's

Day?

a)Eros;

b)Cupid;

c)Apollo.

9.Which are the most common flowers given on St Valentine's

Day?

a)roses;

b)sunflowers;

c)snowdrops.

10.What greeting is often said on this day?

a)Happy love life!

b)Good luck!

c)Happy Valentine's Day!

2. Do this puzzle and read the message.

1. Roses, tulips and other plants with colourful blossoms. Very pretty when arranged in a bouquet!

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10.Valentine's Day is celebrated during this month.

11.A man who is about to be married or just married.

12.A woman who is about to be married or just married.

13.This colour is a symbol of love.

14.Something that is given as a gift on Valentine's Day, like a box of chocolates.

3. What do you think of St. Valentine’s Day? Read what young people in Britain and the USA think of St. Valentine’s Day and then answer this question.

I love Valentine's Day. My boyfriend always sends me a huge card with a poem in it. And flowers and chocolates. And takes me out to dinner!

Jessica, 19

I HATE Valentine's Day. I always end up stressing about whether I'll get a card, and sometimes I only get one from my mum or my aunt from Australia!

Louise, 14

I love Valentine's Day. The best part is the excitement of sending a card to someone, even if you don't receive one yourself. And there are always the fun discos, etc to enjoy.

Anna, 16

I think Valentine's Day is OK, but it can be depressing when you don't get a card, especially if you were expecting one.

Catherine, 18

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4. Read the text and try to retell it to your neighbour. Write a Valentine card to your boy/girl friend.

Valentines over the Years

The first true Valentine card was probably written by a young Frenchman, Charles, Duke of Orleans. Charles was captured by the English and imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415. He felt very lonely, and to fight his loneliness he started writing love poems to his wife in France. His 'valentines' are now kept in the British Museum.

In 1537, King Henry VIII officially recognized St Valentine's Day, which is ironic because he wasn't the most romantic of men – he had six wives (and two of them were executed)!

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-valen-tine will know who it's from! You can't sign it 'From your secret admirer'!

Here are some mobile phone text abbreviations used by young people in Britain. Do you know what they mean?

1)WUBMV?

2)ILUVU or ILU

3)LUWAK<3

4)KOTL

5)LOLV

6)Xoxoxoxoxo

7)12x@>--,--

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5. Read the text and try to quiz.

Pic. 15

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 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!

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