english-lapickaja-8kl-rus

Grammar aid: Dates

Dates can be written in a different order.

UK version: day / month / year, e.g. 5th June, 2010 / 5 June, 2010 / 5 June 2010.

given? ♦ parades watched? ♦ houses, streets, towns and cities

[r´lIdВZ´s]ыfestivals were celebrated as holidays, but in 1834 only four were left: 1 May, 1 November, Good Friday and Christmas Day. The name “bank holidays” first appeared in 1871 in the Bank« Holidays Act, which was introduced by a politician [«pÅl´ tIS(´)n] and banker Sir John Lubbock. Sir John was a great fan of cricket and strongly believed that bankers should have the opportunity to take part in or watch matches when they were

1 law [lç:] закон; 2 saints’ days – дни святых

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played. So the first bank holidays included the dates when cricket games were traditionally played between the villages where Sir John lived as a young boy.

The 1871 Act introduced four bank holidays in England, Wales and Ireland (then wholly part of the UK): Easter Monday, Whit Monday (the first Monday in May), the first Monday in August, and Boxing Day (26th December). As banks were closed, all people had a day off. English people were so thankful that they called the first Bank Holidays “St. Lubbock’s Days”. The Act also included Good Friday and Christmas Day as common

endar of different UK countries in differentш years from 1903 to 2007. But whether holidays are called bank or public, is written

2c. Change the sentences with words in italics to Passive Voice sentences.

3a. Discover the holidays of the UK countries. On a sheet of paper write the holidays introduced in different UK countries in 1871. Read the text below and write out all the changes.

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In 1903 St Patrick’s Day (17 March) was made a bank holiday for Ireland only.

In 1971 Whit Monday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was replaced by a late spring bank holiday on the last Monday in May. The last Monday in August was made a summer bank holiday in place of the first Monday.

In 1974 New Year’s Day was added as a bank holiday in Eng-

In 1978 the first Monday in May in England,лWales and Northern Ireland (May day), and the last Monday in May in Scot-

land, Wales and Northern Ireland, and Boxing Day was named

an additional bank holiday in Scotland.

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2. Evergreen is a symbol of life.

4. Carol singing is singing carols in the street, churches and public places.

6.During the weeks before Christmas, they send cards, watch nativity1 plays and go carol singing. They put up Christmas decorations inside and outside homes, churches, shops. They decorate Christmas trees, too.

8.This holiday is celebrated together with family,аrelatives and friends who share the much loved customs and traditions which have been around for centuriesл.

10.They are evergreens, such as holly (острооист), mistletoe (омела) and ivy (плющ).

12.Most people put up their decorationsкabout a fortnight (two weeks) to a week before Christmas Day. People may blow up balloons and put up Christmasш« cards on the walls.

14.Christmas Day is«when Christians [ krIstS´nz] celebrate the birth of Jesus [ dZi:z´s],яso many people go to local church services.

16.Father Christmas, theаBritish version of Santa Claus.

18.Christmas is celebrated« on the 25th December.

20.A pantomime [ pшQnt´maIm] is a traditional British Christmas play.

22.Children openйtheir presents on Christmas morning, then there’s a Christmasэdinner at midday for the whole family. People talk, exchange presents, eat and drink, watch television andшlisten to the Queen’s Christmas Message (pождественское послание королевы) in the afternoon.

24.A typical Christmas meal is roast turkey, or chicken or goose,ыroast potatoes, Brussels sprouts or other vegetables and gravy.

26.ВIt is unlucky if you don’t take your decorations down before the end of the 12th day of Christmas, on the 5th January.

be around = to exist (существовать)

a century = 100 years

1 Nativity – пьеса о Рождестве в исполнении детей

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put up = hang, take down – ant. put up

«

an evergreen [ ev´gri:n] – a tree or plant that does not lose its leaves in winter

3a. Guess the riddles. What customs are they?

1.It is one of the oldest customs going back to theаMiddle Ages (средние века) when poor people used to walkлin the streets and sing holiday songs for food, money or drink. Today people still go from house to house singing and collectingо money for charity. Traditionally it is from St Thomas’sкDay (21 December) until the morning of Christmas Day.

2.People believe that this evergreen protects their homes

from evil spirits (от злых духов) «by its prickly ( олючие) leaves and also by its reputation [«repjU teIS(´)n] for holiness.

4.This evergreen« эйplantшmustаnotяbe used alone, or even predominate [prI dÅmIneIt].

5.They areшan important part of British Christmas festivities and great family amusement.

They contain (=include) a number of ingredients: сross dressing –ыwhen men roles are played by women and vice versa; fun – because well-known plays and fairy-tales are changed to be modernВ and amusing; music – there is a lot of music and singing; celebrities’ (знаменитости)« participation – well-known pop stars, comedians [k´ mi:di´nz], sports and TV people take part in them. They are performed in theatres, village halls and community centres.

6.On this day small gifts or a little money are given to such people as milkmen, cleaners, newspaper boys, etc. Schools across

the country gather gifts which are put in Christmas Boxes and sent to poorer countries. dedicatedш

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