Traditions and Customs

Every nation and every country has its own customs and traditions. In Britain traditions play a more important role in the life of the people than in other countries.

Englishmen are proud of their traditions and carefully keep them up. Foreigners coming to England are struck at once by quite a number of customs and peculiarities in English life. Some ceremonies are rather formal, such as the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, Trooping the Colours (вынос знамени в день рождения королевы), the State opening of Parliament. Sometimes you will see a group of cavalrymen riding on black horses through the streets of London. They wear red uniforms, shining helmets, long black boots and long white gloves. These men are Life Guards. Their special duty is to guard the king or the queen of Great Britain and very important guests of the country.

To this day an English family prefers a house with a fireplace and a garden to a flat in a modern house with central heating. Most English love gardens. Sometimes the garden in front of the house is a little square covered with cement painted green plot in imitation of grass and a box of flowers. They love flowers very much.

The English people like animals very much, too. Pet dogs, cats, horses, ducks, chickens, canaries and other friends of man have a much better life in Britain than anywhere else. In Britain they have special dog shops selling food, clothes and other things for pets. In recent years the English began to show love for more “exotic” animals such as crocodiles, elephants, tigers, cobras and camels.

Holidays are especially rich in old traditions and are different in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Christmas is a great English national holiday and in Scotland it is not observed at all. But six day later, on New Year’s Eve the Scotts begin to enjoy themselves. All the shops and factories are closed on that day. People invite their friends to their houses. Greetings and presents are offered.

A new tradition has been born in Britain: every year a large number of ancient motorcars drive from London to Brighton. Some of these veteran cars look very funny. This run from London to Brighton is really a colourful demonstration. People are dressed in clothes of those times. It is not a race, and most of the cars come to Brighton, which is sixty miles from London, only late in the evening.

ВАРИАНТ 5

I. Напишите транскрипцию следующих слов:

language, part, people, cooperation, English, custom, tradition, Canada, America, Australia, world, culture, sport, mail, telex, business, technology, exercise, course.

II. Переведитеследующиесловосочетания:

people’s culture, language courses, mother tongue, world’s mail, patron saint, company background, state borders, country climate, world power, town population, country emblem

III. Переведите:

тест – тесты, класс – классы, королева – королевы, стул – стулья, платье – платья, культура – культуры, волк – волки, вещь – вещи, нога – ноги, идея – идеи, технология – технологии, ребенок – дети, традиция – традиции, знание – знания, фотография – фотографии, компания – компании, (иностранный) язык – языки, англичанин – англичане, немец – немцы, олень – олени, герой – герои, страна – страны, ключ – ключи, новость – новости, глаз – глаза, секретарь – секретари, отель – отели, выходной день – выходные дни, обычай – обычаи, свекровь – свекрови

IV. Образуйте множественное число от выделенных существительных

и произведите другие изменения в предложениях:

1. This hotel is very expensive.

2. I want to take a photograph.

3. There is a very good restaurant near here.

4. They work for an insurance company.

5. We have got an interview for a job tomorrow.

6. Can I ask you a question?

7. What a beautiful view!

8. That was a nice day.

9. The goose is fat.

10. My friend is an optimist.

11. Are you a good driver?

12. His child learns very quickly.

V. Замените существительные с предлогом of