Holidays and festivals in the USA.

· Thanksgiving

The date of Thanksgiving Day in the USA has changed three times, but it is now the fourth Thursday in November. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621. In September 1620, a group of English people called the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from England across the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Cod in North America. They went away from England because they wanted land for their families. When they arrived, they were not the first people to live there. The Indians were there first. The Indians showed them how to grow and cook new kinds of fruit and vegetables. The first winter was difficult. Many of the Pilgrims died because it was very cold and they had little food. In the spring they started to grow food, helped by some friendly Indians, and in the autumn of 1621 they celebrated their first harvest. The pilgrims wanted to give thanks, not only for the harvest, but for their new home, new life and new friends. Nowadays most American families have a special dinner with turkey, autumn vegetables and pumpkin pie in that day.

· Veteran’s Day

Veteran’s Day is on November 11. It is to honour of Americans who fought in wars. In Washington D. C. there is a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Soldiers and veterans march in a parade. Everyone wears a red poppy. At 11:00 a.m. there are a few moments of silence. The President puts a wreath on the war memorial. On the wreaths are written such words as “Lest We Forget”. A song called “Taps” is played on a bugle. On Veteran’s Day Americans remember the sacrifice veterans have made for their country.

· Martin Luther King’s Birthday

Martin Luther King’s life is celebrated as a national holiday on the third Monday in January. Martin Luther dreamed that some day people of every color would be equal. At that time African-American people had a lot of trouble voting in the South. They couldn’t play sports or eat in restaurants with whites. They couldn’t get good jobs. They had to sit at the back of buses. African-American children and white children had to go to different schools. Martin wanted these things to change. Martin Luther King won the Noble Peace Prize in 1964. On April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King was shot and killed on the balcony of his hotel.

· Independence Day

This day has been celebrated since July 4, 1776 when the thirteen colonies of America declared independence from England. Usually on this day parades and outdoor picnics with friends and family take place.

explode – взрывать thistle – чертополох hang – вешать adorn - украшать dummy – чучело festooned - украшенный bonfire – костер fabulous - сказочный lent – великий пост harvest - урожай patron – покровитель, заступник pumpkin - тыква slavery – рабство tomb - могила shamrock – трилистник poppy - мак monk – монах wreath - венок daffodil – нарцисс bugle - горн leek – лук-порей sacrifice - жертва

Vocabulary

In this unit you will… o Read strategies for successful interviewing o Talk about jobs and act out a job interview o Write a resume o Learn how to ask questions.  

1. Which of the jobs in the pictures are normal for both

men and women in your country? Give your reasons (24).

2. Study the words from the table. Can you enlarge the list of professions?Compare it with other students’ lists. Learn the words.

Professions: a worker, a builder, a general practitioner, a mechanic, a software developer, a sales manager, a fisherman, a tailor, a waiter, a firefighter, an accountant, a teacher, a bartender, a traffic warden, an architect, a carpenter, a plumber, a sailor, a nurse, an electrician, unemployed. Useful expressions: (to) be promoted to chairperson, (to) apply for a position of…, (to) look for a job, (to)be in charge of, a fair salary, get along with smb, (to) get fixed up in a job, (to) be dismissed, write a resume, (to) be on leave, mental work, a temporary job, regular/permanent work, part-time job, combine jobs, work in shifts, conditions of work.

3. Write a list of your relatives, friends, neighbours who have jobs. What does each person do?

e.g. My mother is a doctor. Her brother is a lawyer.

5. Crossword (16, 17).

Down: 1) a doctor who treats people with general problems. Across: 1) Someone who enjoys growing plants and flowers.

2) A short written account of your education and your privious jobs that you send to an employer. 3) A person who is responsible for sales or personel staff. 4) A person who builds walls with bricks. 5) Activity that you do regulary to earn money. 6) A person who controls the finantional situation of people and companies. 7) To give something to someone in exchange for money. 8) A person whose job is to make sure that people obey the law and protect their propety. 9) A person who works for an organization, business etc and are below of a level of a menager. 10) A person who designs buildings. 11) A person who repairs cars. 12) A person who gives lessons at school, college etc. 13) A person who makes things using wood. 14) A person who operates the controls of an aercraft. 15) A person who works on a ship. 16) A person who gives medical help, medicines and looks after patients. 17) A person who installs and repairs electrical things.18) A person who installs and reparis water pipes.

6. Work in paires.

Write a brief job description, including working hours, conditions of work and duties, but do not mention the name of the job. Let the other students guess the job.

7. Work in groups.

You are going to set up in business. Think about the company name, goods or services you are going to produce. Make a list of employees you may need and think about their duties. Present your ‘business plan’ to the class. Vote for the best project. (Make use of exercises 1-5 and your own experience).

Дата добавления: 2015-10-23