Урок 06. Special days in the USA and Russia
Предмет: Английский язык, 9 класс

Урок 6

Special days in the USA and Russia

In this lesson:

you will learn some new information about ethnic festivals;
you will practise present tenses.

Ключевые слова: nations, arena, handicrafts, explode, American culture, Native Americans, refreshments, spectacular, festival, celebration

Речевой материал

Грамматика

Present Continuous

Present Continuous употребляется, когда речь идет о:

действиях, происходящих в момент речи.

We are walking now.

действиях, происходящих в настоящий период времени.

We are meeting the Smiths at the airport today.

запланированных действиях в будущем, особенно когда известно время и место действия.

I’m moving to this month.

временных ситуациях.

He is living with her parents at the moment.

меняющихся и развивающихся ситуациях.

It’s getting darker and darker.

с такими наречиями, как always, constantly, для выражения эмоционального раздражения по поводу часто повторяющихся действий.

He’s always telling others what to do.

!!! Глаголы, которые не употребляются в Present Continuous: have (= possess), like, love, hate, want, know, remember, forget, understand, think, believe, cost, etc.

I like pizza.

Past Simple

Past Simple употребляется, когда речь идет о:

действиях, произошедших в прошлом.

I visited Mike yesterday morning.

действиях, произошедших в прошлом, с указанием точного времени.

Louis went to the pool at 7 o’clock.

повторяющихся действиях в прошлом.

We often visited my parents in Paris when we were students.

последовательных действиях в прошлом.

She woke up, put some clothes on and ran out of the house.

Указатели времени, употребляемые с Past Simple: yesterday, yesterday morning/evening etc, last

night/week etc, two weeks/a month ago, in 1988, etc.

Основное содержание урока:

National ethnic festival in the USA

Some people believe that the war dance societies of the Ponca and other Southern Plain Tribes were

the origin of the Pow-Wow. Another belief is that when the Native American tribes were forced onto reservations, the government also forced them to dance for the public to come and see. Before each dance, they were lead through the town in a parade, which is the beginning of the Grand Entry. All the participants run group by group from all four entrances.

Today Pow-Wows are organized by committees that work for weeks before the event. The Pow-Wow begins with the Grand Entry. This is the entry of all the people entering the arena. This originally was a parade through the town the Pow-Wow was in. Even today in some Pow-Wows, these parades are still held. During the Grand Entry, everyone is asked to stand as the flags are brought into the arena. The flags generally include the USA Flag, Tribal Flags, the POW flag, and Eagle Staffs of various Native Nations. These are usually carried by veterans. Native Americans hold the USA Flag in an honored position despite the horrible treatment received from this country. The flag has a dual meaning. First, it is a way to remember all of the ancestors that fought against the USA. The flag here also reminds people of those people who have fought for this country.

At the end the best dancers win prizes.

Give definitions for the following:

Eagle Stuff
Tribe
POW Flag

Тренировочные упражнения

Read the text about some national festivals in Russia. Then put the words from the list under the headings: Pow Wow, Maslenitsa, Ivan Kupala.

Maslenitsa festivities take place all across Russia for seven days between February or March. It is a jolly and beautiful Russian holiday. One of its traditions is making and eating a lot of delicious bliny. They are eaten with lots of different fillings, like jam, honey, sour cream, or caviar.

Another fun tradition during this festival is to hold outdoor celebrations, even though it is still cold. Performers sing and dance to music on stage, and there are organised snowball fights! People also like to go sledding and enjoy sleigh rides, all while being kept warm by hot tea and bliny!

A straw doll called Maslenitsa is burned on a bonfire on the final day of the celebrations, to symbolise the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

Ivan Kupala, held on the saint’s birthday in July, is in fact a pagan holiday when bonfires are lit in cities, towns, and villages across the country. Girls wear flower or herb wreaths on their heads, and in the evening the wreaths are decorated with burning candles and set afloat. The girl whose wreath travels the farthest will have the happiest year ahead and the candle that burns the longest means a long life. People light bonfires and jump over them for good luck. Some seek a special flowering fern said to direct the finder towards treasure. There are fireworks, of course.

straw doll, eagle staff, tribe, drum, bonfire, sleigh ride, wreath, sledding, snowball fight, bonfire, grand entry, bliny, flowering fern, set afloat

2. Mark the sentences as True, False or Not stated.

1) The Pow Wow is the only event of its kind in the USA. True/False/Non stated

2) The Pow Wow begins with the Grand Entry. True/False/Non stated

3) The best dancers win prizes. True/False/Non stated

4) Everyone makes their own costumes. True/False/Non stated

5) Only Native Americans can attend the festival. True/False/Non stated

3. Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

has arrived

gifts

traditions

celebration

start

colours

Easter (Paskha) is the highest ____________ of the Orthodox Church. Easter celebrations ____________ the night before Easter Sunday. Churches are filled with lights and at dawn the bells ring out to announce that Easter ____________. There are several ____________ associated with Easter in Russia. Russians don’t give chocolate eggs, they paint boiled eggs in bright ____________, and give them as ____________. People also give colourful decorated wooden eggs.

It is also traditional to give an Easter cake (kulich). Some people also like to give small toy chicks, to represent the start of spring.

4. Match the parts of the sentences.

It is one of the most colourful and entertaining

with the Grand Entry of all the dancers.

At the end of the event there are prizes

from all four entrances.

The dancers enter the arena group by group

for best dancers and singers.

The event begins

events in the USA.

5. Put the verbs in brackets in Past Simple.

1) She _________ (go) to the park yesterday.

2) They _________ (play) chess a week ago.

3) He _________ (write) a letter to his friend last Christmas.

4) She _________ (dance) in a palace in her dreams.

5) She _________ (be) in Italy last year and _________ (make) a beautiful film about it.

6. Put the verbs in brackets in present tenses.

1)	Be quiet! I ___________ (listen) to the news.

2)	He ___________ (travel) around the world for 5 years.

3)	The working day ___________ (just begin).

4)	They ___________ (always argue)!

5)	The Volga ___________ (flow) into the Caspian Sea.

7. Match the questions with the replies.

1 – Could I have your pen for a moment?

2 – How are you doing?

3 – See you!

4 – How do you do?

5 – Here’s your coat.

6 – How are things?

a) - Thanks.

b) - Here you are.

c) - Fine, thanks.

d) - Not bad, thanks.

e) - How do you do?

f) - Bye!

8. Choose one word out in each sentence.

Becky is as cleverer/clever as Stella.
There was no/nobody people left at the party by 2 o’clock.
Let me give you an/some advice.
How much/many flour shall I buy?
I’ve got a lot of/much ideas!

Контрольные задания

Вариант 1

Задание 1

Choose the correct words to complete the text.

held

Welsh

fascinating

poetry reading

especially

throughout

performers

arts

The festivals in Wales make it absolutely clear why the country is known _________ the world as the Land of Song. A lot of wonderful music festivals are _________ across the country. The most famous Welsh festivals are the historic eisteddfodau – a _________ mixture of music and poetry. There are many eisteddfodau held during the year in towns and villages, but there are three that are _________ important.

The International Eisteddfod, every July, is always held in the attractive town of Llangollen and attracts _________ and visitors from all over the world.

The National Eisteddfod, however, is much more competitive. It is held mostly in _________ and simultaneously translated into English.

One of Europe’s largest _________ festivals for young people, Eisteddfod Yr Urdd, caters for those up to 24 years of age during a week each May. As well as singing, dancing and other competitions, there are categories for acting and _________.

Задание 2

Put the verbs in brackets in Present Continuous or Present Simple.

1)	You __________ (look) in this dress.

2)	We __________ (move) to London next week.

3)	I __________ (know) her very well.

4)	I __________ (wish) to make a complaint.

5)	She __________ (learn) Spanish for her trip to Madrid.

Задание 3

Put the verbs in brackets in present tenses.

1)	The train __________ (leave) at 11 pm.

2)	I __________ (drive) since I was 18.

3)	He __________ (always come) to work late.

4)	List three things you __________ (learn) today.

5)	Sam __________ (go) to the same school as my brother.

Вариант 2

Задание 1

Choose the correct words to complete the text.

chamber

exhibitions.

performed

dedicated

enjoy

held

events

music festivals

Bach Fest is one of Germany’s best known ___________. Lovers of classical music from all over the world come to Leipzig to ___________ open-air concerts, jazz interpretations, ___________ and organ concerts. The unique festival is ___________ to the works of composer Johann Sebastian Bachand is ___________ in Leipzig for two weeks during June, and has been since 1904. Previously known as Bachwochen (Bach Weeks) or Bachtage (Bach Days), today the festival takes on a different theme each year, and about 100 ___________ take place during the festival. Many museums take part in the festival by organising special Bach ___________. On the last day of the festival, Bach’s Mass in B minor is ___________ in St. Thomas Church.

Задание 2

Put the verbs in brackets in Present Continuous or Present Simple.

1)	She __________________ (constantly complain) about everything!

2)	The Browns __________________ (have) a party next weekend.

3)	This book __________________ (belong) to Suzy.

4)	I __________________ (want) some more biscuits.

5)	All children __________________ (learn) a foreign language at our school.

Задание 3

Put the verbs in brackets in present tenses.

1)	The weather __________________ (start) to improve.

2)	Her name is Victoria but she __________________ (prefer) to be called Tori.

3)	Jack __________________ (study) to become a lawyer.

4)	He __________________ (work) for the British Embassy for more than 5 years.

5)	We __________________ (know) each other for two years.