SKILLS ROUND-UP
READING 1. Read the text and decide if the statements below are true (Т) or false (F). A visit to parts of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is like a trip back in time. People live in simple farm houses. Family members, including small children, all work in the fields. Crops are planted and harvested without modern farm technology. Most Amish are easy to recognize and they are known as the Plain People, who came to the United States from Germany and Switzerland in the 1700s-1800s. They were expelled or chose to leave because of religious oppression. Most of them settled in Pennsylvania, where they were promised religious freedom. The Amish permit few differences among their own people and live much like their ancestors did. They believe that hard work is important and enjoyable. They do not believe in depending on the world outside their community. Modern technology and things like electricity, central heating and indoor water pipes are not considered necessary; they heat their houses with wood stoves and get their water from wells. Instead of cars the Amish travel in buggies pulled by horses. Almost every Amish man can build a house, make furniture, and raise crops and animals. Almost every Amish woman can preserve food and make clothing or quilts. The Amish pay taxes, but they do not really vote in elections and don’t accept help from the federal government. They live by rules explained
in the Bible. They believe it is wrong to fight wars and such religious beliefs sometimes have brought the Amish into conflict with American law. Amish men refuse military service during war time. Instead, they are permitted to perform some other kind of public service. Most Amish families have seven or eight children, but refuse to send them to public schools, so they attend their own community schools and only for 8 years. When boys and girls reach the age of 16, they have two years of rumspringa. During this period of time they can live the “American” life; wear make-up and jewelry, go to parties and have a job with American people. They have to decide for themselves whether they want to stay Amish and return to the old-fashioned way of living or become American! A very difficult choice, which often leaves confused and depressed young people on their own. 1) Amish people were invited to Pennsylvania where they could enjoy religious freedom. 2) The Amish have no private access to electricity or technology. 3) Amish people are very skillful and hardworking. 4) The Amish are law-abiding citizens and reject violence. 5) Rumspringa is the term used about the time young Amish “come of age”.
2. Read the text and choose the most appropriate answer. Black Friday is an annual shopping day that falls after Thanksgiving in the United States of America. Every year people take advantage of the heavily discounted items that shops advertise for sale. For many people, Black Friday signals the beginning of the Christmas shopping period. Many employers even give their workers this day off work in addition to Thanksgiving Thursday. Since about 2005, Black Friday has always been the busiest shopping day of the year. Many retailers open their stores in the wee hours of the morning to entice customers in to get the best deals, some even open at midnight on Thanksgiving. Many people in the USA will camp outside shops to ensure they are the first customers into the store on Black Friday. They may line up for hours, hoping to get a low price on a TV or laptop, but not everyone who wants one will get one, as there are simply not enough low-priced items to go around. Because of the number of people trying to bag the bargains, Black Friday sometimes becomes violent and
people are injured. Fights break out over toys or people cutting in line. Since 2006 there have even been 7 deaths as a result of Black Friday hysteria. But most Black Friday events are safe and fun. So where does the name “Black Friday” come from? It was first used in Philadelphia in the 1950s. The police called this day Black Friday because of the heavy traffic it drew. In the 1960s, stores tried to rename the day “Big Friday” but it did not stick. The name “Black Friday” continued to spread across the country and it seems that it is here to stay. 1) Which title best expresses the author’s purpose in writing this text? a) Black Friday: Why You Should Go This Year b) Black Friday: The Stuff That You Should Know c) Black Friday: How to Save Money on the Big Day 2) Black Friday a) is always the day after Thanksgiving. b) a national holiday. с) the start of the holiday season.
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Round-up Lesson 1
UKRAINE
UNIT
6
