CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Traditions, Manners

Аудирование

1. Прослушайте текст.

Tea in Britain

Tea, that most important of English drinks, is a relative latecomer to British shores. Although the custom of drinking tea dates back to the third millennium BC in China, it was not until the mid 17th century that the drink first appeared in England.
The use of tea spread slowly from its Asian homeland, reaching Europe through Venice around 1560, although Portuguese trading ships may have made contact with the Chinese as early as 1515.
It was the Portuguese and Dutch traders who first imported tea to Europe, with regular shipments by 1610.
Curiously, it was the London coffee houses that were responsible for introducing tea to England. Tea gained popularity quickly in the coffee houses, and by 1700 over 500 coffee houses sold it. By 1750 tea had become the favoured drink of Britain’s lower classes.
Afternoon tea is said to have originated with one person; Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford. In the early 1800’s she launched the idea of having tea in the late afternoon to bridge the gap between luncheon and dinner, which in fashionable circles might not be served until 8 o’clock at night. This fashionable custom soon evolved into high tea among the working classes, where this late afternoon repast became the main meal of the day.
In 1864 the woman manager of the Aerated Bread Company began the custom of serving food and drink to her customers. Her best customers were favoured with tea. Soon everyone was asking for the same treatment. That’s how the tea shops appeared.

evolve - развиваться
repast - еда, трапеза

2. Запишите недостающую информацию.

1. Although the custom of drinking tea ________ _________ to the third millennium BC in _______________, in England it became popular in the 17th century.
2. Tea reached Europe through ___________, Italy around 1560.
3. The _____________ and Dutch traders first imported tea to Europe.
4. Tea was introduced first to England in London ____ houses.
5. By 1750 tea had become the favoured drink of Britain’s
______________ classes.
6. In the early 1800’s Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford, ________ the idea of having tea in the late afternoon.
7. This fashionable custom soon evolved into ______________among the working classes.
8. In 1864 the woman manager of the Aerated Bread Company began the custom of _________ __________ and drink to her customers.
9. Her best _______________ were favoured with tea.
10. Soon everyone was asking for the same _______________.

Чтение

Подберите к каждому абзацу подходящее по смыслу выражение.

A. “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”
B. “It’s raining cats and dogs.”
C. “saved by the bell”
D. “peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old”
E. “upper crust”

1. England is an ancient, but small country, and has always been well populated. In the 1500’s they started running out of places to bury people. So, they would dig up coffins and would take the deceased’s bones back home and re-use the grave. On reopening these coffins, one out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realised that some didn’t awaken at the wake and they had been burying people alive. To prevent this reoccurring, the undertaker would tie a string on the body’s wrist and lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would be employed to sit out in the graveyard all night to listen for the bell. Hence on the “graveyard shift” they would know that someone was ______________ and would become known as a “dead ringer”.

2. Baths in the 1500s were rare but when they were taken it was in a big tub filled with hot water. There was, naturally, a pecking order. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water (and he was probably the dirtiest), then came all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all were the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying _________________.

3. Those lucky enough to have houses, had houses with thatched roofs made from thick straw, piled high, with no wood underneath. This was the only place for animals to get warm,
so all the pets: dogs, cats and other small animals like mice and rats, lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall from the roof. Hence… ________________________.

4. Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the__________________.

5. In the kitchen they cooked in a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They mostly ate vegetables and didn’t get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been in there for a month. Hence the rhyme: ____________________________.

dig up - откапывать, разыскивать
coffin - гроб
scratch - царапина
undertaker - владелец похоронного бюро
tub - кадка, бадья
pecking order - неофициальная иерархия
thatched - крытый соломой
stew - блюдо из тушёного мяса или рыбы

Лексика и грамматика

1. Заполните пропуски подходящими по смыслу словами из рамки.

Good Manners

Some people think that good manners have become (1)_______ and we can (2)________ them. But I think that if we want to be known as well-mannered people we should (3)________them. For example it is considered impolite to (4)_____ into other people in the street and not to apologize. If you talk to someone you should (5)__________. It is considered to be improper
(6)_________ to put your (7)__________ on the table when you eat, to (8)___________ for the salt, to (9)__________ or to (10)_________ fork or knife in the air. It is also rude to (11)__________
other people and to call them by (12)________. I think that these manners help us to live in a pleasant society without offending other people and their feelings.

2. Прочитайте текст, преобразуйте слова, напечатанные заглавными буквами так, чтобы они грамматически и лексически соответствовали содержанию текста. Заполните пропуски полученными словами.

Table Manners

Proper posture at the table is very important. Sit up straight, with (1)_________ YOU arms held near your body. You should neither lean on the back of the chair nor bend forward to place your (2)_________ ELBOW on the table. It is (3)___________ PERMISION to lean forward slightly every now and then and press the elbows very (4)___________ LIGHT against the edge of the table if it is obvious that you are not (5)___________ USE them for support.

Food you can eat with your fingers

Chips, French fries, fried chicken and hamburgers (6)__________ SIMPLE will not be served in a formal setting. Most (7)__________ INTEND to be eaten with the hands, although a (8)_____________ PARTICULAR messy hamburger could be approached with fork and knife.

3. Прочитайте текст с пропущенными словами. Под текстом даны возможные варианты ответов. Обведите номер выбранного вами варианта ответа.

Christmas in Different Parts of the United Kingdom

In the North of England up to the middle of the 20th century, it (1)_____________ common to find a dish of “Mugga” on the Christmas Eve table. This (2)____________ a kind of wheat porridge, sweetened with honey, which (3)______________ before the main meal, and also throughout Advent,
which is the month leading up to Christmas. It
(4)___________ a remnant left over from Viking times. But it (5)__________ up in similar forms all over Europe. In Poland for example they (6)_______ “Kutia” which is a cereal dish made from wheat, fermented overnight in milk, sweetened with honey and spiced. In Scotland they (7)__________ “Athol Brose” which is made from oats. It also has whisky in it and (8)____________ as a drink!

1. A. is B. are C. was D. had been
2. A. is B. are C. was D. had been
3. A. ate B. eat C. eats D. was eaten
4. A. has been B. was C. is D. are
5. A. turned B. was turned C. turn D. turns
6. A. has B. have C. had D. have had
7. A. have B. has C. had D. have had
8. A. is served B. was served C. serves D. served

4. Переведите предложения на английский язык.

1. В Британии Новый год не так популярен, как Рождество, не так ли?
2. Во всех странах люди украшают ёлки блестками, шарами и гирляндами, не так ли?
3. День Гая Фокса отмечают в ноябре, не так ли?
4. Британцы обычно не дарят друг другу дорогих подарков, не так ли?
5. Раньше было больше разных праздников, не так ли?
6. За столом вы должны вести себя правильно, не так ли?
7. За столом люди должны пользоваться ножом и вилкой, не так ли?
8. Получая подарок, вы должны сразу его открыть, не так ли?

Говорение

Составьте диалог.

Your friend has invited you to his/her birthday party. You and your other friend are going to buy a birthday present for him/her. Discuss what present you would buy him/her according to his/her hobbies/tastes.

Используйте выражения:
– I absolutely agree with…
– No doubt…
– In my opinion…
– I am sorry but I can’t agree with…
– To my mind…
– That’s why…

Письмо

You have received a book as a birthday present from your British friend. Thank him/her for his/her gift.

Keys:
Аудирование
1. dates back; China; 2. Venice; 3. Portuguese;
4. coffee; 5. lower; 6. launched; 7. high tea;
8. serving food; 9. customers; treatment

Чтение
1. C; 2. A; 3. B; 4. E; 5. D

Лексика и грамматика
1. 1. old-fashioned; 2. do without; 3. observe, keep; 4. bump; 5. keep a distance; 6. behaviour; 7. elbows; 8. reach; 9. sneeze; 10. wave; 11. mock at; 12. nicknames
2. 1. your; 2. elbows; 3. permissible; 4. lightly;
5. using; 6. simply; 7. are intended; 8. particularly
3. 1. C; 2. A; 3. D; 4. B; 5. D; 6. B; 7. A; 8. A
4.
1. In Great Britain New Year is not as popular as Christmas, is it?
2. In all countries people decorate their fir-trees with tinsels, balls and lights, don’t they?
3. Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated in November, isn’t it?
4. The British usually don’t give each other expensive presents, do they?
5. There were more different holidays in the past, weren’t there?
6. At the table you should behave properly, shouldn’t you?
7. At the table people should use a fork and knife, shouldn’t they?
8. Receiving a gift, you should open it at once, shouldn’t you?

By Natalya Plyugina,
School No. 44, Kaliningrad