Festivals as a form of some performance or celebration have always been there. In ancient times they were connected with some mystical or religious traditions. Gradually new festivals had appeared. They could be connected with some national, family or personal celebrations.
Праздники, как форма какого-то представления или празднования, всегда существовали. В древние времена они были связаны с некоторыми мистическими или религиозными традициями. Постепенно появились новые праздники. Они уже могли быть связаны с национальными, семейными или личными торжествами.
Festivals can be religious. It means that they are connected with some religious events, for example, Saint Patrick’s Day which is held on the 17th of March. It is the death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many countries all over the world. One more religious festival is Holi, a Hindu spring festival also known as “festival of colours”.
Праздники могут быть религиозными. Это означает, что они связаны с некоторыми религиозными событиями, например, День Святого Патрика, который празднуется 17 марта. Это дата смерти святого Патрика, главного святого покровителя Ирландии. День Святого Патрика отмечается во многих странах по всему миру. Еще один религиозный праздник – Холи, праздник весны в индуизме, также известный как «фестиваль красок».
Some festivals are national. They are national days. National day is a designated date on which celebrations mark some events which are of high importance for a nation. It can also be connected with the independence of a country or other important state events.
Некоторые праздники являются национальными. Это национальные дни. Национальный праздник – это установленная дата, когда отмечаются события, имеющие большое значение для нации. Это также может быть связано с независимостью страны или другими важными государственными событиями.
There are festivals which are celebrated in one country but attract people from all over the world. One of such festivals is Rio Carnival. People put on festive dresses, dance samba and make holiday. Many tourists visit Rio Carnival. All Brazilian samba schools take part in this carnival.
Существуют праздники, которые отмечаются в одной стране, но привлекают людей со всего мира. Одним из таких праздников является Карнавал в Рио-де-Жанейро. Люди надевают праздничные костюмы, танцуют самбу и веселятся. Многие туристы посещают Карнавал в Рио-де-Жанейро. Все бразильские школы самбы принимают участие в этом карнавале.
Festivals are an important part of everyday life. Some festivals have long history and some festivals have just appeared. Festivals can be celebrated in many parts of the world and some festivals are celebrated only by one family.
Праздники – важная часть повседневной жизни. Некоторые праздники имеют давнюю историю, а некоторые образовались совсем недавно. Праздники могут отмечаться во многих частях мира, а некоторые праздники отмечает только одна семья.
There are hundreds of festivals taking place every month all over the world. They are often connected with celebrations of certain holidays, for example, New Year Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Shrove Tuesday, Mother’s Day, May Day, Children’s Day, Halloween, etc. There are also some festivals, which are not connected with common holidays, but are cheerfully celebrated in certain countries. For example, Songkran – Thai New Year, La Tomatina, Oktoberfest, Glastonbury Festival, Guy Fawkes Night, Notting Hill Carnival, Holi. I think that everyone enjoys participating in such festivals. As for me, I would love to see the Notting Hill Carnival and Holi. These two festivals are so different from the ones we celebrate each year. The Notting Hill Carnival is a street carnival, which takes place in England in late August. It is named after the London district, where it’s held. This festival has been celebrated since 1966 and it is considered to be the inspiration of black immigrants. The Notting Hill Carnival lasts for several days and is attended by more than two million people every year. The participants wear shimmering costumes, sing Calipso songs, play drum music, and present group dancing. Perhaps, the most inviting part during the festival is the tasting of exotic food. Holi is another festival I’d like to visit. It’s a spring festival, which marks the abundance of wheat harvest. It has originated in India and is celebrated for a couple of days. The main idea of the festival is to show the triumph of virtue over evil through bright colors. The participants are seen singing and dancing in small groups. They also throw colors at each other. On this day people stop any quarrels, forgive each other and with good luck.
Каждый месяц по всему миру празднуют сотни фестивалей. Они часто связаны с празднованием определенных праздников, например, Нового года, Дня Святого Патрика, Масленицы, Дня матери, Первомая, Дня защиты детей, Хэллоуина и т.д. Есть также некоторые фестивали, которые не связаны с общими праздниками, но весело празднуются в некоторых странах. Например, Сонгкран — тайский Новый год, Ла Томатина, Октоберфест, Фестиваль Гластонбери, Ночь Гая Фокса, Ноттинг-Хиллский карнавал, Холи. Я думаю, что любой человек будет рад поучаствовать в таких фестивалях. Что касается меня, я хотел бы побывать на Ноттинг-Хиллском карнавале и Холи. Эти два фестиваля настолько отличаются от тех, которые мы празднуем каждый год. Ноттинг-Хиллский карнавал – это уличный карнавал, который проходит в Англии в конце августа. Он назван в честь лондонского района, где его и проводят. Этот фестиваль отмечается с 1966 года и был вдохновлен африканскими иммигрантами. Ноттинг Хиллский карнавал длится несколько дней, и в нем принимают участие более двух миллионов человек ежегодно. Участники одеты в блестящие костюмы, поют песни Калипсо, играют на барабанах и танцуют группами. Пожалуй, самой заманчивой частью фестиваля является дегустация экзотических блюд. Еще один праздник, который я хотел бы посетить – это Холи. Это праздник весны, который знаменует обилие урожая пшеницы. Он возник в Индии и празднуется в течение нескольких дней. Основной идеей фестиваля является показать торжество добродетели над злом через яркие цвета. Участников можно заметить поющими и танцующими в малых группах. Они также бросаются друг в друга красками. В этот день люди прекращают любые ссоры, прощают друг друга и желают удачи.
Поиск других ответов
The World’s Bizarre Festivals
People of all
nationalities celebrate festivals to mark a religious event, to
commemorate some significant occasions in their history, to
preserve their traditions and just for merry-making. Festivals
are organized to unite people and to provide entertainment.
Every country has its own unique customs and events. There are
many famous festivals around the world such as the Carnivals in
Rio de Janeiro and Venice. They are very large and colourful
events which draw huge crowds of local people and tourists. But
there are a lot of smaller festivals going on in different
countries every day of the year. Some of them are quite usual.
Others are bizarre and crazy.
La Tomatina is a
food fight festival held on the last Wednesday of August each
year in the town of Bunol in the Valencia region of Spain. Tens
of thousands of participants come from all over the world to
fight in a brutal battle and to get a memorable experience. The
tomato fight has been a tradition in Bunol since 1944 or 1945.
No one is completely certain how this event originated. There is
a theory that a simple tomato fight between a group of friends
in the town’s main square – Plaza del Pueblo – has turned into
the world’s largest food fight. Shopkeepers along the Plaza use
huge plastic covers in order to protect their storefronts. At
around 10 a.m. many trucks haul 90, 000 pounds of tomatoes into
the center of the town. The festival does not begin until one
brave person has climbed to the top of a two-story high,
greased-up wooden pole and reached the ham at the top. But this
process is very hard and takes a long time and the festival
starts despite no one reaching the meat. During the fight the
participants must squish the tomatoes before throwing for safety
reasons. The fighting begins and ends within the space of an
hour. Then the cleaning process begins: dirty combatants take
showers and fire trucks spray water down the streets.
The Cooper’s Hill
Cheese Rolling is an annual event held on the second May Bank
Holiday at Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire, England.
Competitors race down the hill after a Double Gloucester cheese,
and the first person over the line wins the cheese. Competitors
are trying to catch the cheese, but it is almost impossible as
it can reach speeds up to 70 mph. The festival has been going
for over 100 years. The master of ceremonies wearing a top hat
and a white coat releases the 7 pound cheese and allows the
competitors to throw themselves down the hill. Such a risky
adventure often results in minor and serious injuries and some
people have to be carted off by ambulance. Children aren’t
allowed to race, but there are a few uphill races for boys and
girls.
There are
eccentric and fun-loving people among Americans as well. If you
want to remember your childhood and get muddy, the annual World
Pillow Fighting Championships are for you. Anyone over the age
of 14 can take part in the fight. Competitors have to stand on a
slippery wet pole suspended over a pit of mud holding a wet
feather pillow in one hand. The first contestant to topple his
opponent into the mud wins the fall. On the whole the fight is
rather entertaining and funny. ‘ The Finnish are fond of
organizing odd festivals. One of them is the Wife Carrying
Championships in Sonkajarvi. If a man wants to take part in the
championships, he must bring a wife but not necessarily his.
Carrying their wives contestants must negotiate a 253.5 metre
course covering sand, grass and asphalt. It is rather difficult
but the winner gets his wife’s weight in beer.
There are a lot
of other bizarre festivals in the world such as Great American
Bathtub Race in Alaska, the USA, the World Sauna Championships
in Heinola, Finland, the World’s Biggest Liar Competition in
Wasdale, England, Camel Wrestling in the Aegean region, Turkey
and many other festivals in different parts of the world. Maybe
some of them are silly and crazy but they remind us that life is
not boring at all and we should derive as much pleasure as we
can from it. Besides laughter makes us healthier and lengthens
our lives.
1. Read the following sentences and circle TRUE or FALSE: 1) La Tomatina is a food fight festival during which its
participants throw apples at each other.
– T F
2) The fight takes place in the town’s main square – Plaza del
Pueblo.
– T F
3) The Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling takes place in
Gloucestershire, England three times a year.
– T F
4) It is very easy to catch the 7 pound cheese.
– T F
5) Children are allowed to race down the hill with adults.
– T F
6) Anyone over the age of 14 can take part in the World Pillow
Fighting Championships.
– T F
7) If a man wants to take part in the Wife Carrying
Championships, he must bring his wife.
– T F 2. Complete each sentence (A-H) with one of the endings
(1-8): A. People of all nationalities celebrate festivals to
B. La Tomatina is a food fight festival held on the last
Wednesday of August each year
C. Shopkeepers along the Plaza use huge plastic covers in order
to
D. The festival does not begin until one brave person
E. Competitors race down the hill after a Double Gloucester
cheese, and the first person over the line
F. Such a risky adventure often results in
G. If you want to remember your childhood and get muddy
H. Carrying their wives contestants must negotiate
1. wins the cheese.
2. the annual World Pillow Fighting Championships are for you.
3. has climbed to the top of a two-story high, greased-up wooden
pole and reached the ham at the top.
4. a 253.5 metre course covering sand, grass and asphalt.
5. in the town of Bunol in the Valencia region of Spain.
6. mark a religious event, to commemorate some significant
occasions in their history, to preserve their traditions and
just for merry-making.
7. protect their storefronts.
8. minor and serious injuries. 3. Say a few words about the rules of each festival
4. Answer the questions 1) Why do people organize festivals?
2) What do you think about La Tomatina? What adjectives would
you choose to characterize this festival (crazy, silly,
entertaining, hazardous, funny, etc)?
3) Why must the participants squish the tomatoes before
throwing?
4) Why is the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling a risky adventure?
5) What is your attitude to the World Pillow Fighting
Championships?
6) What do you think about the Wife Carrying Championships? Do
you agree that they may symbolize the hardships of marriage?
7) Which festival would you like to take part in? Why?
8) What other bizarre festivals do you know?
5. Fill in the table The name of the festival
FOR AGAINST
la Tomatina
the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling
the World Pillow Fighting Championships
the Wife Carrying Championships
6. Look at the pictures below and say which of the activities
are the most bizarre to your mind. Use the words and word
combinations from the table
1. elephant riding;
2. swamp soccer;
3. bull riding;
4. bathtub race;
5. extreme ironing;
6. hamburger eating contest
to provide entertainment, merry-making, to draw crowds of
spectators, to watch with amusement, risky and hazardous, to get
muddy, to behave like a kid, to get a portion of adrenaline,
foolhardy, to result in injuries, to overcome fear,
participants’ adventurous nature, memorable experience, a huge
animal, to lose one’s head, to derive pleasure, to leave other
contestants far behind, to contend for a prize, to outsmart the
infuriated animal Find some extra information on the topic ‘The World’s Bizarre
Festivals’ and prepare a report.
A.
Give the definition of the word ‘festival’.
B. Are you a fun-loving person? Read the text ‘The World’s
Bizarre Festivals’ and say what you think about them.
Из учебного пособия
“Открывая
мир с английским языком. Современные темы для обсуждения.
Готовимся к ЕГЭ” Юнёва С.А. 2012г.
There are many national holidays in Russia, when people all over the country do not work and have special celebrations. The major holidays are: New Year’s Day, Women’s Day, May Day, Victory Day, and Independence Day.
The first holiday of the year is New Year’s Day. People see the new year in at midnight on the 31st of December. They greet the new year with champagne and listen to the Kremlin chimes beating 12 o’clock.
There are lots of New Year traditions in Russia. In every home there is a New Year tree glittering with coloured lights and decorations. Children always wait for Father Frost to come and give them a present. Many people consider New Year’s Day to be a family holiday. But the young prefer to have New Year parties of their own.
A renewed holiday in our country is Christmas. It is celebrated on the 7th of January. It’s a religious holiday and a lot of people go to church services on that day.
Non-official “Men’s Day” is the 23d of February, it is a public holiday called “The Homeland Defenders Day”. All men in Russia are liable for call-up (including reservists), so they all are celebrities. On this day women usually give men small gifts.
On the 8th of March we celebrate Women’s Day when men are supposed to do everything about the house and cook all the meals. This is pretty nice — at least once a year women can take a break and forget about all those dishes, cooking, kids, take a magazine and relax on a coach.
The 1st of May is the Day of Labour. During Soviet time there were huge demonstrations on this day, as everybody was obliged to show his loyalty to the state; now only communists organize meetings on this date.
The greatest national holiday in our country is Victory Day. On the 9th of May, 1945, the Soviet Army and its allies completely defeated the German fascists and the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War ended. A magnificent memorial on Poklonnaya Gora has been built to commemorate the Victory. Many veterans take part in the military parade and lay wreaths on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Radio and television broadcast popular war songs. A lot of guests from different countries of the . world come to Moscow to participate in the celebrations.
Independence Day is anew holiday in our country. On the 12th of June, 1992, the first President of Russia was elected.
The 1st of September is the Day of Knowledge — it’s the beginning of a school year. Children go to schools with flowers for teachers, there are meetings before the classes start.
The 12th of December — the Constitution Day. This day the first Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted in 1993 (previous Constitutions were all Soviet Unions).
Russians love to celebrate. We adopted the Western holidays such as St. Valentine, and Halloween. We also appreciate Chinese New Year, Muslim and Jewish holidays, as Russians are very tolerant to other religions.
We also celebrate Easter and lots of professional holidays which are not public holidays and banks, offices and schools do not close.
Festival
Праздник
Festivals as a form of some performance or celebration have always been there. In ancient times they were connected with some mystical or religious traditions. Gradually new festivals had appeared. They could be connected with some national, family or personal celebrations.
Праздники, как форма какого-то представления или празднования, всегда существовали. В древние времена они были связаны с некоторыми мистическими или религиозными традициями. Постепенно появились новые праздники. Они уже могли быть связаны с национальными, семейными или личными торжествами.
Festivals can be religious. It means that they are connected with some religious events, for example, Saint Patrick’s Day which is held on the 17th of March. It is the death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many countries all over the world. One more religious festival is Holi, a Hindu spring festival also known as “festival of colours”.
Праздники могут быть религиозными. Это означает, что они связаны с некоторыми религиозными событиями, например, День Святого Патрика, который празднуется 17 марта. Это дата смерти святого Патрика, главного святого покровителя Ирландии. День Святого Патрика отмечается во многих странах по всему миру. Еще один религиозный праздник – Холи, праздник весны в индуизме, также известный как «фестиваль красок».
Some festivals are national. They are national days. National day is a designated date on which celebrations mark some events which are of high importance for a nation. It can also be connected with the independence of a country or other important state events.
Некоторые праздники являются национальными. Это национальные дни. Национальный праздник – это установленная дата, когда отмечаются события, имеющие большое значение для нации. Это также может быть связано с независимостью страны или другими важными государственными событиями.
There are festivals which are celebrated in one country but attract people from all over the world. One of such festivals is Rio Carnival. People put on festive dresses, dance samba and make holiday. Many tourists visit Rio Carnival. All Brazilian samba schools take part in this carnival.
Существуют праздники, которые отмечаются в одной стране, но привлекают людей со всего мира. Одним из таких праздников является Карнавал в Рио-де-Жанейро. Люди надевают праздничные костюмы, танцуют самбу и веселятся. Многие туристы посещают Карнавал в Рио-де-Жанейро. Все бразильские школы самбы принимают участие в этом карнавале.
Festivals are an important part of everyday life. Some festivals have long history and some festivals have just appeared. Festivals can be celebrated in many parts of the world and some festivals are celebrated only by one family.
Праздники – важная часть повседневной жизни. Некоторые праздники имеют давнюю историю, а некоторые образовались совсем недавно. Праздники могут отмечаться во многих частях мира, а некоторые праздники отмечает только одна семья.
There are hundreds of festivals taking place every month all over the world. They are often connected with celebrations of certain holidays, for example, New Year Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Shrove Tuesday, Mother’s Day, May Day, Children’s Day, Halloween, etc. There are also some festivals, which are not connected with common holidays, but are cheerfully celebrated in certain countries. For example, Songkran – Thai New Year, La Tomatina, Oktoberfest, Glastonbury Festival, Guy Fawkes Night, Notting Hill Carnival, Holi. I think that everyone enjoys participating in such festivals. As for me, I would love to see the Notting Hill Carnival and Holi. These two festivals are so different from the ones we celebrate each year. The Notting Hill Carnival is a street carnival, which takes place in England in late August. It is named after the London district, where it’s held. This festival has been celebrated since 1966 and it is considered to be the inspiration of black immigrants. The Notting Hill Carnival lasts for several days and is attended by more than two million people every year. The participants wear shimmering costumes, sing Calipso songs, play drum music, and present group dancing. Perhaps, the most inviting part during the festival is the tasting of exotic food. Holi is another festival I’d like to visit. It’s a spring festival, which marks the abundance of wheat harvest. It has originated in India and is celebrated for a couple of days. The main idea of the festival is to show the triumph of virtue over evil through bright colors. The participants are seen singing and dancing in small groups. They also throw colors at each other. On this day people stop any quarrels, forgive each other and with good luck.
Каждый месяц по всему миру празднуют сотни фестивалей. Они часто связаны с празднованием определенных праздников, например, Нового года, Дня Святого Патрика, Масленицы, Дня матери, Первомая, Дня защиты детей, Хэллоуина и т.д. Есть также некоторые фестивали, которые не связаны с общими праздниками, но весело празднуются в некоторых странах. Например, Сонгкран — тайский Новый год, Ла Томатина, Октоберфест, Фестиваль Гластонбери, Ночь Гая Фокса, Ноттинг-Хиллский карнавал, Холи. Я думаю, что любой человек будет рад поучаствовать в таких фестивалях. Что касается меня, я хотел бы побывать на Ноттинг-Хиллском карнавале и Холи. Эти два фестиваля настолько отличаются от тех, которые мы празднуем каждый год. Ноттинг-Хиллский карнавал – это уличный карнавал, который проходит в Англии в конце августа. Он назван в честь лондонского района, где его и проводят. Этот фестиваль отмечается с 1966 года и был вдохновлен африканскими иммигрантами. Ноттинг Хиллский карнавал длится несколько дней, и в нем принимают участие более двух миллионов человек ежегодно. Участники одеты в блестящие костюмы, поют песни Калипсо, играют на барабанах и танцуют группами. Пожалуй, самой заманчивой частью фестиваля является дегустация экзотических блюд. Еще один праздник, который я хотел бы посетить – это Холи. Это праздник весны, который знаменует обилие урожая пшеницы. Он возник в Индии и празднуется в течение нескольких дней. Основной идеей фестиваля является показать торжество добродетели над злом через яркие цвета. Участников можно заметить поющими и танцующими в малых группах. Они также бросаются друг в друга красками. В этот день люди прекращают любые ссоры, прощают друг друга и желают удачи.
Поиск других ответов
The World’s Bizarre Festivals
People of all
nationalities celebrate festivals to mark a religious event, to
commemorate some significant occasions in their history, to
preserve their traditions and just for merry-making. Festivals
are organized to unite people and to provide entertainment.
Every country has its own unique customs and events. There are
many famous festivals around the world such as the Carnivals in
Rio de Janeiro and Venice. They are very large and colourful
events which draw huge crowds of local people and tourists. But
there are a lot of smaller festivals going on in different
countries every day of the year. Some of them are quite usual.
Others are bizarre and crazy.
La Tomatina is a
food fight festival held on the last Wednesday of August each
year in the town of Bunol in the Valencia region of Spain. Tens
of thousands of participants come from all over the world to
fight in a brutal battle and to get a memorable experience. The
tomato fight has been a tradition in Bunol since 1944 or 1945.
No one is completely certain how this event originated. There is
a theory that a simple tomato fight between a group of friends
in the town’s main square – Plaza del Pueblo – has turned into
the world’s largest food fight. Shopkeepers along the Plaza use
huge plastic covers in order to protect their storefronts. At
around 10 a.m. many trucks haul 90, 000 pounds of tomatoes into
the center of the town. The festival does not begin until one
brave person has climbed to the top of a two-story high,
greased-up wooden pole and reached the ham at the top. But this
process is very hard and takes a long time and the festival
starts despite no one reaching the meat. During the fight the
participants must squish the tomatoes before throwing for safety
reasons. The fighting begins and ends within the space of an
hour. Then the cleaning process begins: dirty combatants take
showers and fire trucks spray water down the streets.
The Cooper’s Hill
Cheese Rolling is an annual event held on the second May Bank
Holiday at Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire, England.
Competitors race down the hill after a Double Gloucester cheese,
and the first person over the line wins the cheese. Competitors
are trying to catch the cheese, but it is almost impossible as
it can reach speeds up to 70 mph. The festival has been going
for over 100 years. The master of ceremonies wearing a top hat
and a white coat releases the 7 pound cheese and allows the
competitors to throw themselves down the hill. Such a risky
adventure often results in minor and serious injuries and some
people have to be carted off by ambulance. Children aren’t
allowed to race, but there are a few uphill races for boys and
girls.
There are
eccentric and fun-loving people among Americans as well. If you
want to remember your childhood and get muddy, the annual World
Pillow Fighting Championships are for you. Anyone over the age
of 14 can take part in the fight. Competitors have to stand on a
slippery wet pole suspended over a pit of mud holding a wet
feather pillow in one hand. The first contestant to topple his
opponent into the mud wins the fall. On the whole the fight is
rather entertaining and funny. ‘ The Finnish are fond of
organizing odd festivals. One of them is the Wife Carrying
Championships in Sonkajarvi. If a man wants to take part in the
championships, he must bring a wife but not necessarily his.
Carrying their wives contestants must negotiate a 253.5 metre
course covering sand, grass and asphalt. It is rather difficult
but the winner gets his wife’s weight in beer.
There are a lot
of other bizarre festivals in the world such as Great American
Bathtub Race in Alaska, the USA, the World Sauna Championships
in Heinola, Finland, the World’s Biggest Liar Competition in
Wasdale, England, Camel Wrestling in the Aegean region, Turkey
and many other festivals in different parts of the world. Maybe
some of them are silly and crazy but they remind us that life is
not boring at all and we should derive as much pleasure as we
can from it. Besides laughter makes us healthier and lengthens
our lives.
1. Read the following sentences and circle TRUE or FALSE:
1) La Tomatina is a food fight festival during which its
participants throw apples at each other.
– T F
2) The fight takes place in the town’s main square – Plaza del
Pueblo.
– T F
3) The Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling takes place in
Gloucestershire, England three times a year.
– T F
4) It is very easy to catch the 7 pound cheese.
– T F
5) Children are allowed to race down the hill with adults.
– T F
6) Anyone over the age of 14 can take part in the World Pillow
Fighting Championships.
– T F
7) If a man wants to take part in the Wife Carrying
Championships, he must bring his wife.
– T F
2. Complete each sentence (A-H) with one of the endings
(1-8):
A. People of all nationalities celebrate festivals to
B. La Tomatina is a food fight festival held on the last
Wednesday of August each year
C. Shopkeepers along the Plaza use huge plastic covers in order
to
D. The festival does not begin until one brave person
E. Competitors race down the hill after a Double Gloucester
cheese, and the first person over the line
F. Such a risky adventure often results in
G. If you want to remember your childhood and get muddy
H. Carrying their wives contestants must negotiate
1. wins the cheese.
2. the annual World Pillow Fighting Championships are for you.
3. has climbed to the top of a two-story high, greased-up wooden
pole and reached the ham at the top.
4. a 253.5 metre course covering sand, grass and asphalt.
5. in the town of Bunol in the Valencia region of Spain.
6. mark a religious event, to commemorate some significant
occasions in their history, to preserve their traditions and
just for merry-making.
7. protect their storefronts.
8. minor and serious injuries.
3. Say a few words about the rules of each festival
4. Answer the questions
1) Why do people organize festivals?
2) What do you think about La Tomatina? What adjectives would
you choose to characterize this festival (crazy, silly,
entertaining, hazardous, funny, etc)?
3) Why must the participants squish the tomatoes before
throwing?
4) Why is the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling a risky adventure?
5) What is your attitude to the World Pillow Fighting
Championships?
6) What do you think about the Wife Carrying Championships? Do
you agree that they may symbolize the hardships of marriage?
7) Which festival would you like to take part in? Why?
8) What other bizarre festivals do you know?
5. Fill in the table
The name of the festival
FOR AGAINST
la Tomatina
the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling
the World Pillow Fighting Championships
the Wife Carrying Championships
6. Look at the pictures below and say which of the activities
are the most bizarre to your mind. Use the words and word
combinations from the table
1. elephant riding;
2. swamp soccer;
3. bull riding;
4. bathtub race;
5. extreme ironing;
6. hamburger eating contest
to provide entertainment, merry-making, to draw crowds of
spectators, to watch with amusement, risky and hazardous, to get
muddy, to behave like a kid, to get a portion of adrenaline,
foolhardy, to result in injuries, to overcome fear,
participants’ adventurous nature, memorable experience, a huge
animal, to lose one’s head, to derive pleasure, to leave other
contestants far behind, to contend for a prize, to outsmart the
infuriated animal
Find some extra information on the topic ‘The World’s Bizarre
Festivals’ and prepare a report.
A.
Give the definition of the word ‘festival’.
B. Are you a fun-loving person? Read the text ‘The World’s
Bizarre Festivals’ and say what you think about them.
Из учебного пособия
“Открывая
мир с английским языком. Современные темы для обсуждения.
Готовимся к ЕГЭ” Юнёва С.А. 2012г.
There are many national holidays in Russia, when people all over the country do not work and have special celebrations. The major holidays are: New Year’s Day, Women’s Day, May Day, Victory Day, and Independence Day.
The first holiday of the year is New Year’s Day. People see the new year in at midnight on the 31st of December. They greet the new year with champagne and listen to the Kremlin chimes beating 12 o’clock.
There are lots of New Year traditions in Russia. In every home there is a New Year tree glittering with coloured lights and decorations. Children always wait for Father Frost to come and give them a present. Many people consider New Year’s Day to be a family holiday. But the young prefer to have New Year parties of their own.
A renewed holiday in our country is Christmas. It is celebrated on the 7th of January. It’s a religious holiday and a lot of people go to church services on that day.
Non-official “Men’s Day” is the 23d of February, it is a public holiday called “The Homeland Defenders Day”. All men in Russia are liable for call-up (including reservists), so they all are celebrities. On this day women usually give men small gifts.
On the 8th of March we celebrate Women’s Day when men are supposed to do everything about the house and cook all the meals. This is pretty nice — at least once a year women can take a break and forget about all those dishes, cooking, kids, take a magazine and relax on a coach.
The 1st of May is the Day of Labour. During Soviet time there were huge demonstrations on this day, as everybody was obliged to show his loyalty to the state; now only communists organize meetings on this date.
The greatest national holiday in our country is Victory Day. On the 9th of May, 1945, the Soviet Army and its allies completely defeated the German fascists and the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War ended. A magnificent memorial on Poklonnaya Gora has been built to commemorate the Victory. Many veterans take part in the military parade and lay wreaths on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Radio and television broadcast popular war songs. A lot of guests from different countries of the . world come to Moscow to participate in the celebrations.
Independence Day is anew holiday in our country. On the 12th of June, 1992, the first President of Russia was elected.
The 1st of September is the Day of Knowledge — it’s the beginning of a school year. Children go to schools with flowers for teachers, there are meetings before the classes start.
The 12th of December — the Constitution Day. This day the first Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted in 1993 (previous Constitutions were all Soviet Unions).
Russians love to celebrate. We adopted the Western holidays such as St. Valentine, and Halloween. We also appreciate Chinese New Year, Muslim and Jewish holidays, as Russians are very tolerant to other religions.
We also celebrate Easter and lots of professional holidays which are not public holidays and banks, offices and schools do not close.