Halloween History

1 What can you see in the picture below?

How do people make things from patchwork?

http://brbaracabrera.blogspot.com/2011/05/patchwork.html

2 Read the first sentence from a video about Halloween. What do you think the man means by ‘a patchwork holiday’?

‘From communion with the dead to pumpkins and pranks, Halloween is a patchwork holiday, stitched together with cultural, religious and occult traditions that span centuries.’

Now, watch the video to find out why he calls it ‘a patchwork holiday’.

3 Now, watch the video again, and match the different names that have been given to October 31st and November 1st.

October 31st November 1st



Samhain All Saints’ Day All Hallows’ Eve Hallowmas Halloween

4 What did each of these groups of people do regarding Halloween?
a) the Celts
b) the Catholic church
c) Irish immigrants to the USA

5 Which of the below are Halloween customs mentioned by the narrator?
* bubbing for apples
* baking pumpkin pies
* playing pranks
* asking for candies
* playing soccer
* having costume parties
* hanging jack-o-lanterns
* lighting bonfires


Halloween History - Document Transcript
From communion with the dead to pumpkins and pranks, Halloween is a patchwork holiday, stitched together with cultural, religious and occult traditions that span centuries. It all began with the Celts, a people whose culture had spread across Europe, more than 2,000 years ago. October 31st was the day they celebrated the end of the harvest season, in a festival called “Samhain”. That night also marked the Celtic new year, it was considered a time “between years”, a magical time when the ghosts of the dead watched the Earth. “It was the time when the veil between death and life was supposed to be at its thinnest”. On “Samhain”, the villagers gathered and lit huge bonfires to drive the dead back to the spirit world and keep them away from the living. But, as the Catholic Church’s influence grew in Europe, it frowned on the pagan rituals like “Samhain”. In the 7th Century, the Vatican began to merge it with the Church Sanctum holiday, so November 1st was designated “All Saints’ Day”, to honor martyrs and the deceased faithful. “Both of these holidays had to do with the afterlife, and about survival after death. It was a calculated move on the part of the Church, to bring more people into the fold. All Saints’ Day was known then as “Hallowmas”. “Hallow” means “holy” or “saintly”, so the translation is -roughly- “Mass of the Saints”. The night before October 31st was “All Hallows’ Eve”, which gradually morphed into “Halloween”. The holiday came to America with the wave of Irish immigrants during the potato famine of the 1840s. They brought several of their holiday customs with them, including “bubbing for apples”, and playing tricks on neighbors, like removing gates from the front of houses. The young pranksters were masked, so they wouldn’t be recognized. But over the years, the tradition of harmless tricks grew into outright vandalism. “Back in the 1930s, it really became a dangerous holiday, and there was such hooliganism and vandalism. “Trick-or-treating” was originally an extortion deal: “Give us candy or we’ll trash your house”. Store keepers and neighbours began giving treats or bribes to stop the tricks, and children were encouraged to travel door to door for treats, as an alternative to trouble-making. By the late thirties, “trick-or-treat” became a holiday greeting.

Big Ben becoming leaning tower of London

Surveyors have found that the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster has developed a tilt, which is getting worse every year. The top of the tower is now almost one-and-a-half feet off the perpendicular – so far off that experts say the tilt is visible to the naked eye.

If the movement was to continue uncorrected, the tower would one day topple. However, MPs can breathe easy: at its current speed it would take some 4,000 years to reach the angle of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and even longer to hit tipping-point.

In the unlikely event that the tower falls, it will land on MPs' offices over the road in Portcullis House – which may at least offer some compensation to architectural purists unimpressed by the modern building.

Civil engineers believe that the tower - known colloquially as Big Ben after the main bell it houses - is gradually "sinking" or settling into the land on which it is built. But the pattern is uneven, with the sinking occurring more quickly on the north side than the south.

The problem has been blamed on decades of building work that have gone on around the foot of the structure since it was completed in 1858, which have ranged from a sewer built in the 1860s to the District Line the following decade and an underground car park for MPs in the 1970s. When the Jubilee Line was extended through Westminster in the late 1990s, special techniques were used to create a concrete barrier under the tower, in a bid to secure it.

Yet a new survey, completed in 2009 but only just published by the parliamentary authorities for London Underground and the Parliamentary Estates Department, has found that the rate of movement has accelerated in recent years.
The engineers conclude that no single known factor can fully explain the "event". Since 2003, the monitoring instruments suggest the tilt has continued to increase by 0.04in (0.9mm) a year, compared to the long-term average rate of just 0.025in (0.65mm) a year.

Question 1. Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a) Special devices are needed to notice the inclination of the tower.
b) It is quite possible that the tower will fall in the future.
c) Some people would be glad if the tower fell.
d) There have always been uncontrolled construction works.

Question 2. Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) What are the possible reasons for the tilt of the tower?
b) What are the conclusions engineers have reached?

Question 3. Find a word or a phrase in the text that means the same as
a) to fall over (par.2) b) to vary (par. 5) c) speed (par. 6)

Question 4. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning
a) Civil engineers believe that the tower is sinking.
The tower...
b) Special techniques were used to create a concrete barrier under the tower.
Engineers...
c) The tower is tilting slowly. Yet a new survey has found that the movement has accelerated.
Although...

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

Do you think it is a good idea to build replicas to protect the originals ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onb09wiRtVA

Bear cub wanders in the veg section of a US supermarket

A little bear cub decided to go exploring and found itself in a supermarket.

Perhaps he was feeling peckish, but shoppers in Ketchikan, Alaska in the US were surprised to see the bear climbing across the fruit and veg.

The bear had wandered into the store through the automatic doors and hopped into the display.

It managed to disrupt the fruit display before a brave customer managed to catch the cub and let it free outside.

Black bears are common in this part of America and live happily in the wild but do occasionally head towards towns in search of food.

Vocabulary
decided / display / exploring / hopped / occasionally / wandered
chose something after thinking about it
searching in a place to discover things
walked slowly without any clear purpose
jumped quickly
place where things are put so that people can look at them
sometimes but not often

True or false?
1. Alaska is located in Ketchikan.
2. Black bears are often seen in Alaska.
3. The cub came into the supermarket through the doors.
4. The cub wandered out of the supermarket again.
5. The bear climbed under the fruit display.
6. The fruit display was damaged by the cub.
7. No one was brave enough to capture the bear.
8. Black bears never come into towns.

Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?
1. peckish
a) the same as confused
b) the same as tired
c) the same as hungry
2. common
a) the same as normal
b) the same as unusual
c) the same as scarce
3. managed
a) the same as tried
b) the same as told
c) the same as was able to
4. surprised
a) the same as alarmed
b) the same as confused
c) the same as astonished


KEY

Vocabulary

decided: chose something after thinking about it
exploring: searching in a place to discover things
wandered:walked slowly without any clear purpose
hopped: jumped quickly
display: place where things are put so that people can look at them
occasionally: sometimes but not often

True or false?

1. False
2. True
3. True
4. False
5. False
6. True
7. False
8. False

Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics
hungry
normal
was able to
astonished

Big Ben becoming leaning tower of London

KEY

Question 1

a) False “ so far off that experts say the tilt is visible to the naked eye”
b) False “In the unlikely event that the tower falls,”
c) True which may at least offer some compensation to architectural purists unimpressed by the modern building“
d) False in the late 1990s, special techniques were used to create a concrete barrier under the tower, in a bid to secure it.

Question 2

a) The possible reasons are the construction works which have been made around the tower, including the development of the underground system and a parking space for the Members of Parliament.
b) Engineers have reached the conclusion that there is more that one factor which can explain the leaning of the tower and that the speed at which the tower is tilting is increasing every year.

Question 3

a) topple / to topple
b) ranged / have ranged / to range
c) rate

Question 4

a) The tower is believed to be sinking.
b) Engineers used special techniques to create a barrier under the tower.
c) Although the tower is tilting slowly, a new survey has found that the movement has accelerated.

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So let's get started with the new stuff !!!!!!!!!

The man who founded Apple, Steve Jobs, dies

Steve Jobs, the man behind gadgets like the iPod and the iPhone, has died.

The 56-year-old had been receiving treatment for cancer and stepped down as the boss of Apple in August as he had been unwell for several years.

Apple, the company he co-founded, said in a statement that it had lost "a visionary and creative genius".

Steve was also interested in animation and founded Pixar which produced films like Toy Story and Monsters Inc.

President Obama called him one of the great American innovators.

He said he was "brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it".

Earlier this year, Stephen Fry, paid tribute to him, saying his legacy would never be forgotten.


True or false?

1. Steve Jobs had headed up Apple since August.
2. Steven Fry said that Jobs’ accomplishments would be remembered.
3. Jobs was one of the people who started Apple originally.
4. President Obama had no comment on Jobs’ death.
5. The iPod and iPhone are both made by Apple.
6. Toy Story was a film made by Pixar.
7. Monsters Inc. is an animated film.
8. Stephen Fry paid tribute after Jobs died.

Match the words and the definitions

animation / creative/ gadget/ genius/ talented / tribute / visionary

small device or machine
person who can imagine what the future will be like
having original or unusual ideas
someone who is very smart
making films using drawings, not real photographs
very skilled or capable
something you say to show you respect and admire someone


What is the missing word?

The 56-year-old had been ___________ treatment for cancer.
Steve was also interested in animation and ___________ Pixar.
He had been ____________ for several years.
He said he was ____________ enough to think differently.



KEY


False / True / True / False / True / True / True / False

gadget small device or machine
visionary person who can imagine what the future will be like
creative having original or unusual ideas
genius someone who is very smart
animation making films using drawings, not real photographs
talented very skilled or capable
tribute something you say to show you respect and admire someone

receiving
founded
unwell
brave

PS3 Network back up and running

Good news for PlayStation Network users - the system's back up and running in the UK after being turned off for four weeks.
The network was closed on 20 April after hackers broke into players' accounts, stealing personal info.
Gamers are being asked to reset their passwords.
Loads of people tried to log on after the restart at the weekend - which meant the network had to be turned off for 30 minutes to clear the queue.
The network is being started up region by region - and the US and Europe is back online now.
It's thought about 100 million users had their details taken after the hacking attack on the PlayStation Network and the Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) PC games network.
Sony is still looking into how the security breach was possible. The hacking is worrying because information from the accounts could allow someone else to buy an item using a credit card, even though it's not their own.
The games company says it has now put in "new and additional security measures" that would give users with better protection.

Match each word to its definition

breach / details / hackers / measures / protection / queue / region

people who break into other people’s computers without permission
line of people who are waiting for something
particular area or part of the world
information about someone or something
when someone breaks into something that is supposed to be guarded
ways of achieving something, or methods for dealing with a situation
method of keeping someone or something safe from injury, damage or loss

True or false?

1.The network breach was limited to the UK.
2.The hackers stole credit card information.
3.Sony knows how the hackers broke in.
4.Sony has not changed its security measures.
5.Two Sony networks were affected by the attack.
6.Few people tried to log into the network once it was restored.
7.People play games on the network.
8.Sony restarted the network all at once.

What is the missing word?

1.Gamers are being asked to __________ their passwords.
2.Sony is still looking into how the security breach was __________ .
3.It has now put in "new and __________ security measures".
4.Loads of people tried to log on after the __________ .



KEY

hackers people who break into other people’s computers without permission
queue line of people who are waiting for something
region particular area or part of the world
details information about someone or something
breach when someone breaks into something that is supposed to be guarded
measures ways of achieving something, or methods for dealing with a situation
protection method of keeping someone or something safe from injury, damage or loss

True or false?
1.False
2.True
3.False
4.False
5.True
6.False
7.True
8.False

What is the missing word?
1.reset
2.possible
3.additional
4.restart

Lost pyramids spotted from space

Lots of pyramids, tombs and ancient settlements, hidden under the ground in Egypt, have been spotted - from SPACE.

17 pyramids and over 3,000 ancient settlements were found using satellites more than 400 miles above the Earth. The satellites had powerful infra-red cameras that enabled them to see the underground buildings.

Archaeologist Dr Sarah Parcak and her team in the US made the discoveries. "I couldn't believe we could locate so many sites all over Egypt," she said. Sarah travelled to Egypt to see if excavations of the sites could be done to uncover what her photos were showing.

In the area of Saqqara in Egypt, the authorities weren't interested in Sarah's findings at first. But after making test excavations, they now believe it's one of the most important archaeological sites in the country.

Match the words below to their definitions

Archaeologist / authorities / excavations / findings / settlements / tombs

large stone buildings or underground rooms where people are buried
places where people live
someone who studies how people lived in the past
places where people dig to find things from the past
government officials who enforce rules
information which is discovered during a study

True or false?

1. This is the first time that pyramids have been discovered in Egypt.
2. You can see things from space that you can’t see when you are on the ground.
3. The team also discovered ancient sites in the US.
4. The authorities made test excavations at the sites Sarah found.
5. Authorities already knew about the sites and so weren’t interested.
6. Sarah could not get permission to travel to Egypt.
7. Some of the sites the team found were in Saqqara.
8. Many of the ancient sites that were found were buried.


What is the missing word?

1. The satellites had ___________ infra-red cameras.
2. I couldn't believe we could ___________ so many sites.
3. The authorities weren't ___________ in Sarah's findings at first.
4. It's one of the most ___________ archaeological sites in the country.





KEY

True or false?
1. False
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. False
7. True
8. True

Vocabulary

tombs large stone buildings or underground rooms where people are buried
settlements places where people live
archaeologist someone who studies how people lived in the past
excavations places where people dig to find things from the past
authorities government officials who enforce rules
findings information which is discovered during a study

What is the missing word?

1. powerful
2. locate
3. interested
4. important

Twelve giant panda cubs born in China

Twelve giant panda cubs born in China have been shown off to the public for the first time.

The furry friends were brought outside to enjoy a bit of sun at the research centre where they live.

The centre breeds the black and white bears to encourage their survival. Giant pandas are endangered animals because of forests being destroyed where they live.

The research centre was started in 1987 with just six pandas, but the new arrivals bring the total up to 108. The staff also breed red pandas and monkeys which are also threatened in the wild.

They may look small here but giant pandas can grow up to 1.8 metres in length!



Are these statements TRUE or FALSE?

1. No one has seen the panda cubs so far.
2. Pandas are endangered in the wild.
3. Giant panda cubs don’t have any fur.
4. The centre only breeds giant pandas.
5. The number of pandas at the centre has grown since 1987.
6. Giant pandas live in forests.
7. Giant panda cubs are small.
8. Giant pandas are the only type of panda.

Match the words to the definitions

arrivals survival endangered breed research

when someone or something continues to live or exist
detailed study of something
babies which have been born recently
describes animals or plants which may not exist in future because there are very few alive now
keep animals so you can produce young animals

Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?

forests
a) the same as forages
b) the same as fields
c) the same as woods

destroyed
a) the same as defamed
b) the same as protected
c)the same as wiped out

encourage
a) the same as discourage
b) the same as promote
c) the same as ensure

threatened
a) the same as protected
b) the same as at risk
c) the same as lost

KEY

FALSE / TRUE / FALSE / FALSE / TRUE / TRUE / TRUE / FALSE

survival when someone or something continues to live or exist
research detailed study of something
arrivals babies which have been born recently
endangered describes animals or plants which may not exist in future because there are very few alive now
breed keep animals so you can produce young animals

WOODS / WIPED OUT / PROMOTE / AT RISK