4. Work in pairs. Make 2-3 questions to every paragraph and answer them.

5. Do the translation into English.

1. Королевские традиции и церемонии являются важнейшей частью жизни Великобритании. Они соблюдаются неуклонно (steadily) уже на протяжении многих веков.

2. Когда гражданину Великобритании исполняется сто лет, он получает телеграмму с поздравлением лично от королевы.

3. Королева – это единственный человек в Великобритании, который имеет два дня рождения. Ее настоящий день рождения приходится на 21 апреля, а официальный – на вторую субботу июня, когда можно увидеть очень красивый и торжественный (solemn) парад королевских войск, несущих знамя.

4. В Великобритании существует множество титулов, которые носят высокопоставленные люди. Самыми известными титулами являются: рыцарь или сэр, пэр, дама, баронесса.

6. Write an essay expressing you ideas on any of the following statements:

1. Customs and traditions form the national character of the country (on the example of the British nation).

2. The most interesting (frightening, amazing, necessary, silly) customs, traditions, festivals of the British.

Part V Holidays in the usa

1. Read the following text about the most popular holidays in the usa. Before reading, study the following words and word combinations:

to sign	подписывать
harvest	урожай
nearest and dearest	самые близкие люди
racial discrimination	расовая дискриминация
inhabitant	житель, обитатель
fragile	хрупкий
recognition	признание
grave	могила
cemetery	кладбище
civil	гражданский

In the USA different states celebrate different holidays (the number of holidays is different in different states – from 8 in the District of Columbia to 20 in Oklahoma), but everyone remembers the 4th of July, Independence Day. On this day in 1776 America signed the Declaration of Independence. Today on this day people take part in parades.

The second big American festival is Thanksgiving Day. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. American families meet for a special dinner, usually with turkey, pumpkin and pies. They give thanks to God for the past year; remember the first harvest of European Americans in 1621. Thanksgiving Day is a four-day holiday for most Americans. This is a family holiday. Families come together from near and far. In some places special religious services are held in the morning. Then comes the traditional feast. Turkey with stuffing is the main dish. It is served with sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Apple cider is the drink of the day. Football is the most popular game on this day. There is Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Children always have fun at Halloween on October 31. They dress up as ghosts and witches. They go from house and say "Trick or Treat". If they get a "treat", they go away happy. But if they don't, they play a "trick". They may put soap on the windows or throw something in the garden.

February the 14th is Saint Valentine's Day. People send valentine cards to their sweethearts with the words of love.

Christmas is celebrated at the end of December. It's a religious holiday. By this day people decorate fir-trees with toys and lights. But Christmas isn't so important in the USA as the New Year's Day.

New Year is a very busy time. People hurry to shops to buy presents for their nearest and dearest. On the New Year's Day most people stay up all night, even children. At midnight they go outside and shout "Happy New Year!"

On the 15th of January people in the United States celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a great civil rights leader who fought against racial discrimination. Martin Luther King is remembered in church memorial services, marches, and public ceremonies.

On the 17th of March Americans celebrate an Irish religious holiday, St Patrick's Day⁴. It is a day to remember the Irish people in the United States and Ireland. People often wear green clothes⁵ on St Patrick's Day. There are parades in many cities with large Irish population, but the largest parade is in New York. Many people go to parties. They sing, dance, and eat Irish food. Some drink green beer.

April 22 is a special day around the world. On that day inhabitants of Earth celebrate Earth Day. Earth Day is a time when many people show that they care for our fragile planet.

Easter is a Christian religious holiday in the memory of Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon between March, 22, and April, 25.

In the United States Americans honor their mothers and grandmothers on the second Sunday in May. This day is set aside to show love and respect for a mother. On Mother's Day children give thanks for the support, love and care. Giving cards and gifts is also tradition. Children often make Mother's Day gifts at school.

The last Monday in May is Memorial Day. This is a national holiday to remember the dead. The first Memorial Day was many years ago after the Civil War (1861–1865). On the Memorial Day, Americans put up the flags on the graves of the army, navy and airmen. They hold memorial services in churches, halls, parks and cemeteries.

Labor Day is a legal holiday. It is celebrated each year on the first Monday of September. Labor Day is traditionally celebrated with parades, speeches and recognition of the labor unions. Labor Day sales are a popular event held on this holiday. Barbecues and picnics are popular on Labor Day.

The American continent was discovered in 1492 by the Spanish seaman Christopher Columbus. Columbus is said to be the first European man, stepping on the American land, and that day, when it happened, the 12th of October, became the holiday, which is called Columbus Day. This holiday is celebrated in 34 States of the USA and Puerto Rico. There are parades and parties in San Francisco and New York. One of the squares of New York is called Columbus Circle with the monument of Columbus in the middle of it.