Happy New Year!
Ильина Елена Сергеевна
Санкт-Петербург
Школа №493
New Year’s day is celebrated all over the world, but not always at
the same time. Our New Year starts on 1 January but the Chinese New
Year takes place any time between 21 January and 19 February, depending
on the year. In Germany, a few centuries ago, people celebrated the New
Year in November, because this was the time when they had finished
bringing in the harvest. They looked forward to this part of the year
because after the harvest they would have a period of rest when they could
relax and have fun.
Nowadays, New Year is regarded as a time for celebrating and for
making a new start in life. People wish each other “Happy New Year” and
often send special greeting cards. In recent years, these cards have been
replaced by colourful e-mail messages. In many European countries, people
make New Year’s resolutions. This involves people promising themselves
that they will improve their behaviour in some way, by giving up bad
habits. People might decide to give up smoking, for example, or to go on
diet. These promises are often broken in the first few days of the New Year,
however!
Read the words and their definitions:
• to depend on – change according to;
• to bring in – produce;
• to look forward to – to be glad or hope that you are
going to do;
• a harvest – the gathering of something you have grown;
• to regard – consider;
• a greeting – a friendly message;
• resolution – a planned change of a habit;
• to involve – cause someone;
• to improve – make or become better;
• behave well or badly – have good or bad manners;
• behaviour – a way of behaving;
• to give up – stop (doing something).
Activities
Choose the correct answers A, B, C or D:
1. New Year in China falls
A on 1 February.
B on the same day every year.
C on the same day in February.
D later than in Europe.
2. In Germany the New Year was originally
A a celebration to mark the end of winter.
B a celebration at the end of the harvest.
C celebrated by holding a big party.
D a time when people were on holiday.
3. The promises people make for the New Year
A don’t last long.
B make them healthier.
C change their lives.
D are written on special cards
Answer the questions:
•
•
•
In what country did people celebrate the New Year after
gathering harvest?
Do you send greeting cards or e-mail messages for the
New Year?
Are New Year’s resolutions often broken? Check2.doc
Match the words and their definitions:
1. neighbours
2. to stay up
3. to see the New Year in
4. can’t resist
5. especially
6. to strike
7. to cheer
8. accurate
9. crowd
10. fountain
a) бить, ударять;
б) фонтан;
в) особенно;
г) толпа;
д) встречать Новый год;
е) соседи;
ж) не ложиться спать
допоздна (дожидаться
чего-либо);
з) не могут сдержать
себя;
и) кричать «Ура»;
к) точно. Check3.doc
On New Year’s Eve many people go to parties or get together with their families,
neighbours or friends and they stay up until midnight to see the New Year in. Some
people cannot resist drinking a little bit more than they should on this night. In Britain
and especially in Scotland, they sing a special song called “Auld Lang Syne”. In London,
people gather to celebrate in Trafalgar Square, waiting for Big Ben begins to strike they
all start cheering. People greet each other with “Happy New Year” and some even kiss the
police who are there to control the crowd. It would be more accurate to say that the police
try to control the crowd but in such an atmosphere it is very difficult, and a lot of people
end up in the fountain in the Square with all their clothes on.
In China, days before New Year’s Day, every family is busy giving its house a
thorough cleaning. They hope to sweep away all the ill-fortune there may have been in the
family to make way for good luck in the coming year.
People also paint their doors and windows red. The New Year’s Eve supper is an
important family event. All members all the family like to have their dinner together.
When it is over, the whole family stays up late playing cards or board games. At midnight
the whole sky lights up with fireworks. Very early next morning, children greet their
parents and receive their present: money wrapped in red paper.
Read the words
and their
definitions:
• thorough – complete;
• sweep away (swept) –
clean up;
• ill-fortune – bad luck;
• an event – anything
that happens
(something important);
• to wrap (wrapped) – to
cover by paper, cloth
round something.
Finish the sentences using the words:
thorough, swept away, ill-fortune, event, wrapped
1. To see a black cat crossing the road before you is the …
.
2. The present was … in bright paper.
3. She … all the dead leaves from the garden.
4. I gave my house a … cleaning.
5. New Year’s Day is a very important … in our family.
Check4.doc
True or false?
1. In China people hope to sweep away all the good luck
before the New Year’s Day.
2. They paint their doors and windows yellow.
3. The New Year’s Eve supper is an important family
event.
4. After dinner the whole family plays cards or board
games.
5. Children receive their money wrapped in black
paper.Check5.doc
Some music for fun
• 1. “ABBA”. The song
“Happy New Year”
• 2. Stevie Wonder. The
song “I Just Called To
Say I Love You””
- Listen to the songs;
- What holidays are
mentioned in the songs?
- Read and do the activities
Check6.doc
Test
•
Everybody buys and makes … .
•
Family and friends discuss the … .
•
… ordered to celebrate New Year’s Day on the first of January.
•
The holiday begins with putting up the New Year … .
•
Fir-trees are usually decorated with …
•
The presents are brought by … .
•
The family sits in front of their … .
•
and … .
… makes his traditional speech.
•
Everybody drinks … .
•
10.We explode …
and make … .check7.doc
The CONTENTS
1. Vocabulary
2. Topic
3. Activities after Reading
4. Listening Activities
5. Test
Your Favourite Homework
Write a composition: “How I spent my last
New Year’s Day”