Unit 1
Lessons 5 and 6
SB pages 18 and 19
Reading
1 What’s your favourite kind of celebration? What do you enjoy about it? Discuss with a partner.
Answers
Students’ own answers
2 DW Read the words in the box. Which words are connected to special occasions? Check the meaning of any words you don’t know in the Activity Book glossary or in a dictionary.
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abundantly commemoration fair (n) festivities imported legend magnificent spectacle |
Answers
commemoration, fair, spectacle, festivities
3 The article below is about flower festivals in different places in the world. In your opinion, why do people celebrate flowers? Discuss with your partner, and then read the text to find out.
People have celebrated festivals from the earliest times in history, and many countries love to celebrate nature. Many countries around the world hold flower festivals. Most of these festivals celebrate the flower that represents either the whole country or a particular region. In each country, there are parties, entertainments, family get-togethers and a commemoration of traditions and culture.
In Henan Province in China, people celebrate the Luoyang Peony Festival from 15th to 25th April every year. The peony symbolises wealth and nobility in China, but the colourful flower also has a legend attached! It is said that Empress Wu of the Tang Dynasty banished the peony from her city to the city of Luoyang, where it has bloomed abundantly every year since. Certainly, if you go to Luoyang at this time of year, you will see millions of peony plants in Luoyang Peony Gardens. You can also take part in celebrations such as dance competitions and cultural fairs, as well as watch music and drama spectacles.
Jordan’s national flower is the beautiful black iris, a rare flowering plant that is remarkable because it grows among rocks. It is admired for its unique beauty and strength. It is found mainly in the district of Ajloun, north of Jordan, during February and March. Every year, Jordanians honour their national flower by putting on a day of festivities. There are classic car displays, local craft stalls, dance displays, comedians and entertainment designed for children too. All the money that is raised during the Black Iris Festival is donated to local charities.
In the 17th century, tulips were imported from the Middle East to the Netherlands. They are one of the most popular ways to ‘say it with flowers’, or to send messages of congratulations to loved ones. The Tulip Festival takes place every spring in the North East of Holland, an area that is famous for its colourful tulip fields. People come from all over the world to go on tulip tours, travelling by bike or by bus. A popular activity is watching people dance in traditional wooden shoes that are called clogs. They can also see photographic exhibitions, eat traditional food and, above all, visit the magnificent tulip gardens.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about festivals is how many there are around the world. You can be sure that someone, somewhere, is planning a festival right now, and wherever you live, you will find that there is soon going to be one near you!
Suggested answers
People love celebrating nature. / Flowers are a symbol of tradition and culture in a country. / Flowers symbolise spring, which is a happy time of year. / Countries often have a flower as a symbol of their country, so a festival celebrating this flower is an important occasion. / Flowers are associated with love and prosperity, and these are good things to celebrate.
Comprehension
4 Read the article again and answer the questions.
1 What do the underlined words refer to?
2 Why do many countries hold flower festivals? Find answers from the text as well as from your own.
3 Why do Chinese people celebrate the Luoyang Peony Festival?
4 How do Jordanians show respect to their national flower? Give as much detail as you can, in your own words.
5 If you were in charge of organising the Black Iris Festival, what events and entertainment would you arrange? Why?
6 Explain what ‘say it with flowers’ means, in your own words.
7 Are there any circumstances in which you would cancel a national festival like the Black Iris Festival? What are they?
Answers
1 her (line 17): Empress’; It (line 27): the plant; their (line 31): Jordanians’; They (line 39): tulips; They (line 49): people from all over the world
2 Many countries hold flower festivals because they enjoy celebrating nature and most of them celebrate the flower that represents either the whole country or a particular region.
3 Suggested answer: The Chinese people celebrate the Luoyang Peony Festival because the peony, which symbolises wealth and nobility, blooms in millions every year.
4 Suggested answer: They have a festival for one day per year, in which they celebrate the black iris by buying crafts, seeing classic car displays and watching entertainment shows.
5 Suggested answer: I would organise a fun fair for children because it would be entertaining for them, but it would have a Black Iris theme, and films and discussions for adults, who might want to do something intellectual.
6 Suggested answer: It means you send a bunch of flowers with a message to say ‘well done!’ or ‘congratulations!’.
7 Suggested answer: I might cancel the festival if something tragic happened. However, perhaps there would be more reason to hold the festival in this case, to cheer people up after a tragic event.
Research box
Where in the world could you go to a cheese-rolling festival? What could you do there?
Answers
Look up the answer on the Internet or in reference books.
Reading and vocabulary
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getting started look around take place |
5 Randa went to the Black Iris Festival and has written an article about it for the school newspaper. Complete her article with verb phrases from the box .
Saturday was a special day for my family, and for many other Jordanians! We (1)……………. early, packed the car and set off for Ajloun very early, so we would not miss any of the events. The mood was amazing – we were all very excited! An hour or so later, we arrived! The Black Iris Festival was just (2)…………….. , the gates were opening and the events were beginning to (3)……………… . My father and my brother went to the exhibition of classic cars – and they (4)…………… with us later and told us just how magnificent some of the cars were. My mother and I preferred to go and watch some traditional Jordanian dancers on a huge stage in the centre of the festival. They were so good! Later on, the whole family went to (5)………………. the traditional crafts stall, and then we (6)…………………… for our picnic lunch. Altogether, it was a fantastic day to celebrate our national flower, and the atmosphere was incredible.
Answers
1 woke up
2 getting started
3 take place
4 met up
5 look around
6 settled down
6 Fill in the gaps with the appropriate verb phrases in the correct form from exercise 5, and then ask and answer the questions with a partner.
1 What time did you this morning? I woke up this morning at 6.30.
2 Do you like to………………….. with a book to relax, or do you watch television?
3 What events and celebrations……………………. in summer in Jordan?
4 Do you often………………… museums? What interesting artefacts have you seen?
5 Where do you like………………………… to with your friends at the weekend?
6 What time do you normally……………………. on your homework?
1 wake up
2 settle down
3 take place
4 look around
5 meet up
6 get started
Writing strategies
Writing a descriptive article
• Write down ideas using a spider diagram.
• Organise your ideas into paragraphs.
• Include descriptions, such as what it looked like and how people felt.
Writing
7 Write a four-paragraph essay about a festival or celebration you have been to. Include the points in the box.
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the date and place the reason for the festival/celebration preparations for the event traditions, customs or beliefs |
Answers
Students’ own answers
Unit 1
Lessons 5 and 6
Activity Book pages 13 and 14
Reading
8 Read the following article that Ahmad has written for his school magazine. How is he going to celebrate Eid al-Adha?
Answers
Ahmad is going to celebrate Eid al-Adha with all the family members at Aqaba. They’re going to visit Aqaba Museum and Aqaba Castle.
My favourite time of year! Eid al-Adha is a celebration that begins on the 10th of Thu al-Hijjah, according to the Islamic calendar. Muslims celebrate this event for four days. They wear their best clothes for Eid prayer and then greet one another after prayer is over. Families visit each other, and children receive gifts. Family members usually gather together for a celebration of delicious Jordanian foods, such as the special dish called mansaf.
This year, I am spending Eid al-Adha with the whole family at Aqaba. We are going to visit Aqaba Museum and Aqaba Castle. All the family members of all ages will join in.
What’s most important about Eid al-Adha is its spiritual significance. Muslims slaughter lambs and give them to the poor and to relatives as an act of kindness. Eid al-Adha is a time when people remember the importance of sacrifice, prayer and obedience to Allah.
9 Read the article again and answer the questions.
1 Suggest a reason for wearing your best clothes for Eid prayer.
2 What does Ahmad think is most important in Eid al-Adha? Do you agree? Why / Why not?
3 What other acts of kindness might you do during Eid al-Adha? What do you think is the best way to remember the importance of sacrifice?
4 When will Eid al-Adha be celebrated this year?
5 How are you going to spend Eid al-Adha this year?
Answers
1 Students’ own answers
2 Ahmad thinks what’s most important about Eid al-Adha is its spiritual significance; Eid is a time when Muslims slaughter lambs for the poor and for their relatives and remember the importance of sacrifice and prayer.
3 Suggested answers: giving donations to the poor, buying gifts for young relatives, helping the elderly …
4 Students’ own answers
5 Students’ own answers
10 Answer the questions about you.
1 Where are you and your family going this summer?
2 What will you do there?
3 Where are you going to stay?
4 How long will you stay there?
Answers
10 Students’ own answers
Writing: A tourist brochure
11 Write a page for a tourist brochure about a celebration or festival in Jordan.
1 Decide on the kind of festival or celebration you want to write about. Is it a music, drama, literary or poetry festival, for example?
2 Where is the festival or celebration held? Indoors or outdoors? How long does it last?
3 What happens during the festival or celebration? What will tourists see if they come to the festival? Are there parades or processions? Is there music? Do people perform? Are there any special preparations for the ceremony?
4 Do people dress formally? Do people wear any special costumes or jewellery?
12 Now write your page for the tourist brochure.
Page 14, exercises 11–12 Students’ own answers
