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2. Read dialogue “American Holidays" and answer the questions.
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2. Read dialogue “American Holidays" and answer the questions.
1. What American holidays do you know?
2. What holidays are there in Russia?
3. How do you celebrate them?
American Holidays
David: Mathew, what are the biggest holidays in the USA?
Mathew: I think, there are, probably, two holidays, that are often considered the two most special family holidays. Thanksgiving is one of our biggest holidays. It occurs on the last Thursday of the month of November. And oftentimes families then will meet on that Thursday, and they will have a big dinner, turkey dinner, and a very, very special course of food that is prepared for Thanksgiving in commemoration of the Pilgrims, who came to America in 1620, and the first meal they had with the Indians after a very difficult winter, when many people starved. So, Thanksgiving was to give thanks to God for all that they had, and all the blessings they had.
David: How long does Thanksgiving weekend last?
Mathew: So, Thanksgiving weekend – it's Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, - all those days people are off. That becomes a big holiday period.
David: Mathew, what is the second biggest holiday?
Mathew: The second largest holiday, I think, maybe, even bigger, is Christmas. Christmas is considered one of the biggest holidays. And, of course, we give gifts to family members, friends and loved ones on Christmas.
David: Do families get together on New Year's Day too?
Mathew: New Year's very different. It is, normally, not a family gathering. New Year's... is probably, it's not nearly as big a holiday as it is over here, in Russia. So, for New Year's families don't often get together.
David: How do they celebrate this day then?
Mathew: Many times what happens is a husband and wife will go to a restaurant, perhaps, to a show, to the theatre to see 'The Nutcracker' for example. And so some people will go to the theatre, or they will go to a special restaurant. And they will pay a lot of money to ring in the New Year at a restaurant or place like that. Families don't often gather together.
David: Can you tell us about other holidays? For example, do people have the days off on other holidays?
Mathew: Well, not everybody gets those days off, for example, Veterans' Day, Columbus Day. The only ones, who get those days off are usually people, who work for the government and postal office workers. So, we always laugh and we say, 'Oh! There's a new holiday! ' it means the post office workers get another day off. Most of us still go to work or go to school. For example, Columbus day is never a day off. Veterans' Day is not a day off. The Presidents' day, which is what we have a holiday now, we used to have a holiday for George Washington's birthday and Abraham Lincoln's birthday. But they were both in February, and someone said, 'We can't give postal workers two days off, let's combine them on one day and call it Presidents' Day'. So, now we have Presidents' Day. But most people don't have those days off. So, it's only special government workers, who get those special days off.
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Many times what happens зачастую происходит так
'The Nutcracker' «Щелкунчик»
3. Read the text “The New England Yankee “and answer the questions.
· What states are included in New England?
· What does “Yankee” mean?
· What are “Yankees” known for?
· What can explain Yankee character?
The New England Yankee
New England is highly industrial, but it also has many fields, woods, and small towns. New England is the part of the United States that is most like ‘old ‘ England. It is also the most well - defined region of the United States: Americans might disagree over exactly which states are part of the South, but for everyone New England includes six states – Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
To people from the south of the United States, Yankee may mean a Northerner. To people from the other countries, Yankee means an American. But, properly used, Yankee has a more specific meanings: It refers to people who live in New England.
The New England Yankee has a distinct character, shaped in part by the history and geography of the region. New England was settled in the 1600s by Puritans from England. The Puritans were a religious group who objected to the rituals of the Church of England. The Puritans wanted to ‘purify’ the religion, making it stricter and simpler. They were also very strict about the way people lived. For example, when a sea captain back from a three-year voyage kissed his wife on their doorstep, he was publicly punished.
The land was even harsher than the people. Its soil was thin and poor for farming. And before any land could be farmed, large stones had to be cleared away. The stones were used for walls, many of which still exist.
What, then, is the Yankee character? Yankees are known for being honest but shrewd; realistic and to-the-point; practical rather than romantic; untalkative, thrifty, principled, and independent.
Calvin Coolidge, the thirtieth President of the United States, was Yankee. Once he and his friend took a ride from Boston to a town 30 miles inland. “It’s cooler here”, Coolidge said as they returned to Boston. These were the only words he spoke during the entire trip. (When he was president, Americans called him “Silent Cal”)
Yankee thrift is well expressed by a New England saying: Eat it up, wear it out, make it do, do without.
The Yankee character may partly explain the specific role that New England has played in United States history. In the 18th century, the American Revolution began in New England. Yankees were among the strongest supporters of independence. In the 19th century, many New Englanders said slavery did not fit with their beliefs and principles. New England Yankees led the movement to end slavery in America.
Useful words:
| Distinct harsh honest object punish purify shrewd slavery strict thrifty | особый суровый честный возражать, протестовать наказывать очищать проницательный, хитрый рабство строгий бережливый, экономный |
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