Decide upon the type of the predicates in the following sentences. Translate them into Ukrainian.

1. Your composition was poorly organized, you must do it over.

2. We have a great deal of confidence in our legal system.

3. Weather is one of the most popular topics in Great Britain.

4. In private everyday lives people in many countries are probably less inclined to follow their traditions and customs.

5. People may express a one-sided view on religion.

6. They are willing to respect the opinions of other people.

7. History has a great influence on the nation.

8. One of the characteristics that is attributed to the Ukrainians is their hospitality.

9. The Ukrainians are also considered as hard-working people.

10. People needn’t be indifferent to each other.

11. Ukrainians are very good at cooking and cleaning.

12. Ukrainians don’t like their authorities. They don’t trust them much.

13. The state mechanism of power should start functioning.

14. Mistrusting the state governing bodies should be eradicated.

15. Women began facing some discrimination in jobs promotion.

& 8. Read the text about customs and traditions in Ukraine. Be ready to speak on the following points:

1. What do we call “customs and traditions”? How are they formed?

2. How do traditions vary?

3. How do you understand the thought that some traditions are “compatible with your own ones” and some of them are “irrational”.

4. What are the life values in Ukrainian culture?

5. What characteristic traits of Ukrainians are mentioned in the text?

6. What do you know about Ukrainian cuisine?

7. Why is bread always regarded as one of the holiest foods?

8. What are the roots of Ukrainians’ superstitions?

Things you should be aware of to understand Ukrainian culture.

Ukrainian customs and traditions absorbed the experience of many generations of people who lived in the country during its long history. Every new generation brought its own vision of every day rules of life to follow, creating what we call today a national culture. To understand traditions of Ukrainian culture you should be aware of a few things:

· Traditions and customs vary regionally within Ukraine. There are significant cultural differences between city and village, western and eastern Ukraine.

· You will find that some Ukrainian customs are compatible with your own. Some of them you will consider irrational or incomprehensible. They are neither "good" nor "bad". They just belong to another culture.

· Unlike people of most western countries Ukrainians tend to express their emotions freely. No matter whether they are positive or negative. Don't be confused when you see that.

· People in the streets don't usually smile too much, but very soon you will realize that an ability to form warm informal relationships is the main feature of the Ukrainian national character.

Let me introduce some Ukrainian customs and traditions from a standpoint of the person who belongs to the Ukrainian culture by birth and life experience. I hope it will help you to recognize real gems in the culture, which from the first glance looks different than culture of your native country.

National traditions are like a heart of the national culture. They determine the way people live: their language, religious belief, life values, social relationships, material goods - food, clothing, buildings, tools, etc.

If traditions are a heart of the national culture, the life values are its foundation. What are those ideas, beliefs, and aspirations which formed the foundation of Ukrainian customs and traditions?

Ukrainians are traditionally family oriented people. Pretty often parents (or grandparents) live together with their children and help them to raise the kids. This tradition was a necessity when just a couple generations ago the majority of Ukrainians lived in the villages.

It is a Ukrainian custom that grandparents play a great role in raising children. They say: "Children are our future." Sometimes parents and grandparents sound overprotective. But without any doubt they try to do their best to bring their children up as decent people.

Music has always been an essential part of Ukrainian folk culture. Ukrainians have songs for every occasion and may break into song at the slightest opportunity. They say Ukrainians are born from songs and with songs. Ukrainian songs are very beautiful and mostly sad, and Ukrainian music has a well-established classic tradition. Since the 16^th century songs and ballads were accompanied by a lute-like instrument called a bandura. Bandura players were called the “travelling news” as they described the contemporary life in their songs.

Dancing has always been a vital element of Ukrainian culture. Ukrainian folk dancing dates back to the pre-Christian era. During the Middle Ages, ritual dancing slowly developed into folk dancing, became the most common and popular entertainment.

Today Ukrainian folk dancing is further popularized by numerous professional and amateur dance groups in Ukraine and abroad.

Folk handicraft arts are especially developed in Ukraine. Pysanky (the decoration of Easter eggs), woodcarving, ceramics, embroidery and weaving are well preserved and developed in many regions. Ukrainian women especially love to adorn pillow-cases, tablecloths, curtains and napkins. The patterns are usually geometric or floral, red, black and blue being the most popular colours.

Ukrainians usually wear western-style clothing. But on special occasions, they wear traditional folk costumes – white blouses and shirts decorated with colourful embroidery. Footwear includes high red boots for women and black boots for men.

Ukrainians are well known for their hospitality. They love to invite people to their homes or to visit their friends or relatives. Traditional Ukrainian customs are to put all the best food on the table and to feed the guest once he entered their home. Ukrainian parties are not about food only. It is a long process with plenty of eating, drinking, and conversation.

In Ukraine you will never meet such thing as militant feminism. A lady-policeman twisting arms of some criminal will seem an absurdity to Ukrainians. According to the Ukrainian customs it is typically for older generations when the wife does the cleaning and cooking, while the husband is responsible for all "technical jobs". Among younger generations to work around the home together is more typical.

Ukrainian customs and traditions determine the style of public behavior. Ukrainians are brought up to avoid attracting attention to themselves. They usually speak quietly in public. To sit or lay on the floor is inappropriate in public places.

The traditional Ukrainian cuisine is rich in natural ingredients. You will always remember taste of tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper, lettuce, onions, apples, grapes, peaches grown in the famous fertile Ukrainian soil.

The Ukrainian customs and traditions in cooking are based on a combination of fresh or pickled fruits and vegetables, meat, mushrooms, and herbs. Often they include a great number of ingredients and their unusual combinations.

In Ukraine people tend to eat fatty food, such as whole milk, sour cream, butter etc. Sometimes people even go to villages to get whole milk because it is considered to be beneficial for children. Ukrainian people like to cook. They practically don't eat junk food.

The description of Ukrainian cuisine would be incomplete without salo (pork fat). Sometimes Ukrainians joke: "Salo is our national pride". Placing a thin sliced salo on black bread with garlic and salt will make it especially delicious.

Some curious fact about salo. In the mountains at high altitude alpinists usually lose their appetite. Very often they can't even look at food without negative emotions. Salo is practically the only product, which doesn't cause food troubles at high altitude.

It is hard to name a nation, that would respect bread as much as Ukrainians do. During many centuries Ukrainians were strongly attached to their land and its fruits. Bread was regarded as one of the holiest foods. The cult of bread is well observed in Ukrainian customs and rituals.

Hosts often give their guests a loaf of bread with salt on the top. The ritual of offering a guest bread and salt is a ceremony of welcome which dates back many centuries. "The Bread and Salt" tradition is very symbolic in Slavic culture. It can symbolize many things. During wedding ceremonies in Ukraine instead of the customary wedding cake, traditional bread called Korovai, is served. It symbolizes a new-family birth and its future prosperity.

Ukrainians can be very superstitious.

There are a lot of superstitions which are well-known: black cats, lucky horseshoes, broken mirrors, scattered salt, Friday the 13^th etc. Sounds familiar, right?

Superstitions are the oldest beliefs in the world. They are rooted in the culture and touch every aspect of daily life: luck-fate, happy-sad, life-death, sanity-madness, good-bad and male-female. Everyone knows them and jokes about them. However, many who say that they don't believe them avoid breaking them because they "don't want to tempt fate". "Just in case."

As for Ukrainian customs, rituals and superstitions, we have to remember that for hundreds of years the Orthodox Church in Ukraine coexisted beautifully with ancient Pagan traditions. Superstitions are part of our cultural heritage. That's why elements of mysticism and irrationality are the noticeable part of Ukrainian mentality.

Here are some examples of wide-spread superstitions:

· Never shake hands, give keys or anything else in the doorway. It may bring misfortune to your guest.

· Never leave an empty bottle on the table, but if a bottle is opened, drink up.

· Try to sit between two people with the same name. It will bring you luck.

· Don't be alarmed when somebody spits three times over his left shoulder or sits on his luggage before going on a trip.

Most of those people love God, but try not to make the devil angry either. Just in case.

9. Explain the meaning of the following words and word combinations in English and use them in your own sentences:

1. own vision of everyday rules 9. culinary experimentation

2. aspirations 10. to be beneficial

3. to raise children 11. to be strongly attached

4. militant feminism 12. to be well observed

5. absurdity 13. future prosperity

6. to be inappropriate 14. to be the noticeable part

7. to break into song 15.to be accompanied

8. woodcarving 16.to preserve weaving

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