Match the highlighted words or word combinations in the text with their definitions. 1. is a language spoken by people in parts of Scotland and Ireland;

1. is a language spoken by people in parts of Scotland and Ireland;

2. a Welsh festival at which competitions are held in music, poetry, drama, and art;

3. a fir tree, or an artificial tree that looks like a fir tree, which people put in their houses at Christmas and decorate with coloured lights and ornaments;

4. the day or the evening before Christmas Day, December 24;

5. the Sunday nearest to the 11th of November, when people honour the memory of those who died in the two world wars;

6. slow to reveal emotion or opinions. These persons keep their feelings hidden;

7. women thought to have evil magic powers, popularly depicted as wearing a black cloak and pointed hat, and flying on a broomstick;

8. inside a building;

9. short, pithy, commonly known expressions which generally offer advice or wisdom;

10. a celebration held for a man shortly before his wedding, attended by his male friends only.

Exercise2.

Are the following statements true or false? Find some mistakes. Check yourself.

1. You play the bagpipes by blowing air through a pipe into a bag, and then tossing up the bag to force the air out through other pipes.

2. Although proposals of marriage were the responsibility of the men, women were traditionally allowed to propose to men once every 4 years on leap year, February, 29th.

3. «An Englishman's home is his castle» means that an English person's home is a place where they may do as they please and from which they may exclude anyone they choose.

4. In Wales the back door is opened to release the Old Year at the first stroke of midnight. It is then locked up to ‘keep the luck in’ and at the last stroke the New Year is let in at the front door.

5. Halloween lanterns are pumpkins hollowed out with a ghostly face cut into one side, which glows when a candle is placed inside.

6. There are many superstitions in Britain, but one of the most widely-held is that it is unlucky to walk under a ladder - even if it means stepping off the pavement into a busy street! If you must pass under a ladder you can avoid bad luck by crossing your fingers and keeping them crossed until you’ve seen a dog.

7. Black and white cats are generally considered lucky in Britain, even though they are associated with witchcraft - a witch’s animal-familiar is usually a black cat. It is especially lucky if a black cat crosses your path.

Exercise3.

Do the words and word combinations from the diagram have associations for you? Work in pairs and speak about different types of British holidays.

British customs

Exercise4.

Comment on the following statement:

· Traditional British cuisine (the style of cooking that is characteristic of Great Britain) is honored as one of the best in the world;

· As a rule, many customs and traditions are connected with nothing.