Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Festivals and celebrations. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Festivals and celebrations. Mostrar todas las entradas

lunes, 15 de mayo de 2017

Listening test: Mohter's Day

Listen to a report on Mohter's Day. Match each extract with the corresponding heading A-I. There are two headings you do not need to use.


source: 5perc Angol

A - A capitalist celebration
B - A day to celebrate some other existing traditions
C - A day to honour all mothers
D - Attempts to create a day for all mothers
E - Changing date
F - It took many years to become popular
G - Men against Mother’s Day
H - Origins
I - Prohibition of the celebration



Extract 1
Mother’s Day has been celebrated around the world since ancient times, sometimes as part of a religious event, more and more as a commercial holiday, but always to honour motherhood and mothers, their roles in our families and society.
Extract 2
However, the celebration of this holiday falls on various dates in many parts of the world. In most cultures it is held sometime in spring, mostly on the second Sunday in the month of May. In Hungary Mother’s Day falls on the first Sunday of May. It has been a holiday since 1925 when it was first celebrated by the Hungarian Red Cross Youth in connection with the Catholic traditions honoring the Virgin Mary. Three years later it was made an official school holiday.
Extract 3
Some say the tradition of Mother’s Day can be traced back to Ancient Greece, the spring festivals dedicated to Cybele, mother goddess of fertility and Rhea, mother of gods, and later to the Romans’ Hilaria festival. The Hindu religion also preceded the Western-type holiday by a couple of centuries with its “Mother Pilgrimage fortnight” celebration. It has also been present as the religious Mothering Sunday celebration in the United Kingdom since the 17th century. However, its modern-day, capitalist version originated from America.
Extract 4
There could be some debate about who actually started the Mother’s Day tradition in the US. In 1872 Julia Ward Howe created a special day for mothers through a protest for peace in Boston, remembering all mothers who were left without sons and husbands following the Franco-Prussian War. However, Anna M. Jarvis’ attempts to establish a nationally and internationally acknowledged public Mother’s Day holiday were far more effective. She chose the second Sunday of May for the day to commemorate her own and all the other mothers of the world. She dedicated seven years of energy and time campaigning to reach her goal.
Extract 5
In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson officially recognized Mother’s Day as a holiday. To Jarvis’s great sorrow and disappointment, it soon became commercialized by florists, greeting card companies, candy and gift shop merchants. It is through their propaganda that Mother’s Day soon appeared on the European continent as well and spread throughout the world in its modern form. Anna Jarvis, however, spent the rest of her life fighting against the holiday she had established.
Extract 6
The reason why the ‘original’ date of Mother’s Day was changed in some countries and cultures was because people wanted to fit it into already existing religious, historical, legendary or even political celebrations dedicated to motherhood. For example, Mother’s Day in Bolivia is also the date of a battle in which women participated and in some ex-communist countries people honor mothers on the socialist International Women’s Day.
Extract 7
Father’s Day, which is celebrated around the world on the third Sunday of June and on other dates, also originates from America. It was founded not long after Jarvis’s Mother’s Day in 1910 in Washington by Sonora Smart Dodd who felt her father, a Civil War veteran raising six children as a single parent, deserved to be honored as any mother, together with other fathers of the world. Although at first it did not become as successful as its counterpart, soon it was also discovered by manufacturers of ties, tobacco, pipes and other typically father-presents who helped Sonora spread the holiday with commercial promotion. Eventually, decades after its creation, it only became truly accepted and popular in the mid 1980’s.

KEY: 
1C 2E 3H 4D 5A 6B 7F

miércoles, 20 de abril de 2016

Talking point: Celebrations

This week's talking point is celebrations. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas come to mind more easily the day you get together with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.

How often do you attend celebrations?
What are the reasons for the celebrations you usually attend?
When did you last attend a celebration?
Do you prefer formal or informal celebrations? Why?
Have you ever been the protagonist of a celebration?
Describe how people with bad manners behaved in a celebration you attended.
Talk about how to behave at a wedding in your country. Think about the following points:
-what to wear
-what topics to avoid in polite conversation
-how to greet people
-table manners

To illustrate the topic you can watch this video on table taboos.



Hello, I'm Nancy Mitchell, the owner at the Etiquette Advocate and today we're talking about dining etiquette. We will now talk about what are some of the things you do not want to do when you are seated at a dining room table.
First and foremost, when you arrive at the table and you have found your place, it is extremely rude
to change place cards. The host/hostess has worked very, very hard on finding an arrangement at the table that will facilitate conversation. There is mixing and mingling of people and corporations and agendas. Don't make the mistake of moving a place card. Find your place and sit where you are assigned.
Other things not to do at the table are taking medications. It makes other people very uncomfortable to see you taking a medication even if you need to do that before a meal. It should be very, very unobtrusive. It should be something that you do not do when other people are watching.
Hygiene. Don't assume that after a meal you can apply lipstick. You cannot use a toothpick at the table. You cannot use your finger to get something out of your teeth at the table. All of those things are very offensive and will disturb the other diners.
Using your cell phone. The cell phone should be under the table. It can be in a briefcase, it can be in a handbag. If it rings, reach down, turn it off, saying to your dining companions, I'm so sorry, I thought I had turned that off. Don't look at the display, don't answer the call to say, I'm sorry I can't talk right now, I'll call you back. You are saying to your dining companions that whoever is calling you is more important than they are. This should be out at the picture.
Other things to remember are… it's your responsibility to talk to your guest on your left and your right. If you’ve come to the event with someone from your business, from your family, it's your responsibility to talk to other people at the table and not just to the person with whom you've come.
Other things to avoid are taking away doggie bags. If you're at a business event or any event where you care about your image, don't ask for doggie bags, don't share bites of your food with other people of the table. Don't ask for a taste of someone else's. These things reflect very poorly on you.
Next we're going to be talking about how to navigate a place setting.
To watch the other segments in this video series or for how-to videos on almost any other topic, visit monkeysee.com.

sábado, 16 de enero de 2016

Reading test: 8 Tips to enjoy and survive La Tomatina

In this week's reading test we are going to practise the heading matching kind of task. Here are some tips to 'enjoy and survive' La Tomatina, taken from Hostel World.

Match one of the headings A-J with the corresponding tip. There are two headings you do not need to use.

8 Tips to enjoy and survive La Tomatina

A - Better in groups
B - Capture it… sensibly
C - Doesn’t go on for ever
D - Don’t bring your Sunday best
E - Don’t forget your goggles
F - Find out about the origins
G - Hardware is best
H - If something goes wrong
I - Not everything goes
J - The early bird catches the worm

Are you an adrenaline junky? We might have just the festival for you! Here’s a hint: August, Buñol and thousands of tomatoes. Of course it’s one of the craziest and juiciest festivals (truth be told) in the world: La Tomatina in Buñol. This year's festival takes place on August 26 and for us it’s unmissable! Here are our top 8 tips to help you make the most of the world famous tomato battle.

Tip 1
If you’re a first timer, then you need to know what the festival is all about! The event is held every year as part of the festivities of Buñol (Valencia) and it dates back to around the year 1945, when some local youths went down to the town square to see the parade Giants and Big-Heads figures. Apparently, one of them inadvertently stumbled and dropped a participant, thus giving rise to a fight between neighbours, who started throwing tomatoes at each other. The following year the group of kids staged a fight back and the rest is history. Today the Tomatina attracts young people from around the world, who gather in the streets of Buñol and hurl the fruit at each other.

Tip 2 
Remember that in August the province of Valencia is not exactly chilly, so we recommend that you take shorts to beat the heat. Of course, choose old clothes that you will not use afterwards! The tomato washes off easily from skin, but clothes are a little more stubborn...

Tip 3
If possible make sure that your shoes are old. Although at first glance it may seem that the sandals are more comfortable and cool, just think of the amount of stomping you will be exposed to throughout the day!

Tip 4  
Considering ripe tomato is the star of the party, who wouldn’t want to protect their eyes? The perfect solution is a snorkel mask. Yes Yes; you read that right. Get ready to show off your authentic look of La Tomatina 2015 (don’t worry, you won’t be the only one).

Tip 5  
It is very important that you make sure the tomatoes you throw at other participants are ripe. While the city council usually distributes ripe tomatoes, it never hurts to check them to avoid harming anyone. Safety first!

Tip 6 
La Tomatina festival is very popular so it is advisable to book your accommodation early. Since Buñol is a fairly small town, it is common for travellers to stay in Valencia, just a half hour from the site of the battle. The good news is that Valencia is full of hostels in which you can continue the party after the event! Some hostels offer special packages that include accommodation, transport, clothing and tickets for the festival After Party.

Tip 7  
A waterproof camera is a necessity if you want to treasure memories of the event in years to come. Alternatively, the disposable camera could work but leave your nice expensive cameras at home to avoid any tears.

Tip 8  
Of course we all wish it could go on all night but, but sadly all good things come to an end. So you'll have to watch out the announcement of the final release of tomatoes. In any case, by then you’ll have probably launched and received your fair share of fruit.


 

Key:
1F 2D 3G 4E 5I 6J 7B 8C

sábado, 19 de julio de 2014

Reading test: Europe's Top 10 Most Unique Festivals

In this week's reading test the activity we are going to practise is heading matching. Read the headings below and match them with the corresponding festival 1-10 that you will find on the goabroad.com/ entry Europe’s Top 10 Most Unique Festivals. There is one heading you do not need to use, and A is an example.

A - All over the country - 9 (Festas)
B - Bending your elbow all day long
C - Don’t go if you are a bit sensitive
D - It is over in a flash
E - It took ages to get it over with
F - It was started as a way to kill time
G - Music everywhere
H - Not for lovers of peace and quiet
I - They had their own way in the end
J - You might regret it if you participate
K - People from all over the world

Busojaras (Mohacs, Hungary)

Key:
A - All over the country – 9
B - Bending your elbow all day long – 4
C - Don’t go if you are a bit sensitive – 8
D - It is over in a flash – 7
E - It took ages to get it over - 10
F - It was started as a way to kill time – 5
G - Music everywhere – 6
H - Not for lovers of peace and quiet – 3
I - They had their own way in the end – 1
J - You might regret it if you participate – 2

miércoles, 14 de mayo de 2014

Talking point: Golden moments

This week's talking point is golden moments, which refers to the way we celebrate big events in our life. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas come to mind more easily the day you get together with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.
  • How often do you get together with family and friends to celebrate events?
  • What are the reasons for the celebration? (Think about the following, but you can add your own ideas: birthdays; moving to a new home; getting engaged/married; anniversaries; getting a new job or being promoted; graduating from university; the birth of a child; retirement)
  • How do you prefer to celebrate big occasions?
  • Do you usually exchange presents?
  • Have you ever been the protagonist of a celebration?
  • Choose one of the following: A moment in your life when you won something; or a day you will never forget; or an embarrasing moment; or the best day in your life. What happened?
To illustrate the point you can watch the video a birthday party taken from the MacMillan Inside Out web page  from our Anecdotes series.


1 Whose birthday party was it?
2 How old did he turn?
3 What was special about the party?
4 What kind of party was it?
5 What was the theme of the party?
6 Why?
7 What fancy dress did she wear?
8 Where was the party held?
9 How many people turned up at the party?
10 Did she know everybody?
11 What did they eat?
12 What did they do all night?
13 Who did she dance with at the end of the night?

Key:
1 Her brother’s 2 Nineteen 3 It was a surprise party 4 A fancy dress party 5 The letter G 6 Her brother’s name is Ges 7 Lady Gaga 8 At her sister’s house 9 Forty-five 10 No, just a handful. All of her brother’s friends were there 11 Pizza, burgers and chicken wings because they had a barbecue 12 They played music and danced 13 A twenty-one-year-old 

lunes, 12 de mayo de 2014

Diwali or the Festival of Lights

This is a National Geographic video on Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, in India. It's a five-day celebration that includes food, fireworks, colored sand, and special candles and lamps.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions about it.

The activity is suitable for intermediate students.



1 When is Diwali held?
2 What does Diwali commemorate?
3 What is the best moment of the day to experience Diwali?
4 What's the problem if you visit the temples late in the day?
5  What does the lotus blossom represent?
6 What do families usually do on this day?
7 What do you find in Indian cities to celebrate Diwali?

You can check your answers by reading the transcript below.

At any time of year, a visitor to India can be overwhelmed by its beauty and color. But a visitor in late fall is especially fortunate. The temperature will have cooled down, the monsoons will have not yet begun, and Diwali – the festival of lights –is at hand.
Diwali is to many Indians what Christmas is to Christians. In essence, it commemorates the victory of the forces of light over the forces of darkness.
To experience it fully, get up before dawn and head for the flower markets.
Here, flower vendors work feverishly to create garlands of fragrant jasmine that Indians will use to adorn their homes. By dawn they’ll be sold out.
Next head for one of the temples, but go early…later on in the day, they’ll be packed.
On your way over, you may see a curious sight: People hunched in front of their doorways, pouring colored sand on the ground. The sand takes the shape of a lotus blossom, a symbol of welcome. And today, millions of symbols of welcome will grace the nation’s doorways.
Indeed, Diwali is all about sharing. If you’re staying in a private home, don’t be surprised if the neighbours show up with plates of delicious holiday treats.
It’s also customary for families to go to the temples together on this day. They often dress in fine new outfits purchased especially for Diwali.
And if their outfits inspire you, head for a Sari shop. Shops are open on Diwali, and Indian silks are justifiably famous for their beauty. They’re just one of the ways India spruces up and gets into the holiday spirit.
This is an occasion for all of us to rejoice and be with the family and enjoy all the good things in life. So we buy good clothes and make good food.
And everywhere, there are lights! If you head to major commercial districts throughout India, you’ll find colorful displays, comparable to Christmas lights in western cities.
Some cities also put on spectacular public displays of fireworks, like this one in Delhi.
But no matter where you are, there are smaller, more intimate fireworks displays.
A long day of celebrations is coming to an end.
And it’s going out with a bang!

miércoles, 26 de febrero de 2014

Talking point: Celebrations and festivals

This week's talking point deals with celebrations and festivals. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that idea flow more easily when you meet up with your partners and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.
  • Have you celebrated anything recently? 
  • What was it? What did you do?
  • What official celebrations and festivals exist in your country? 
  • What dates are they linked to?
  • What types of things happen on these dates? 
  • Do you know anything about the origin of this celebration?
  • Do you think maintaining traditional celebrations or festivals is important?
  • Can you think of a festival that is unique to your part of the world? 
  • In what ways is it unique?
  • What types of celebration can you think of in the area of sports? 
  • Do you think it's good to celebrate victories? 
  • How do you celebrate sporting victories? 
  • Can you remember a celebration from the past that was particularly important for you? 
  • What happened?
To illustrate the topic, you can listen to a journalist give a detailed description of Las Fallas, a festival held in Valencia (Spain) in an Aula Fácil lesson.