1.
Read the text and translate it
Saint
Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day has always been the day dedicated to
lovers. There are many stories about how Valentine’s Day started. Here are some
of them.
There are several legends about St.Valentine’s Day. One
of the legends says that Valentine was Christian priest who lived in the third
century A.D. He was put into prison by roman authorities for his teachings and
was beheaded on February 14. According to the legend he performed a miracle –
he cured his jailer’s daughter of her blindness. Before the execution he wrote
her a letter signed “From Your Valentine”.
According to another legend, Valentine was an Italian
bishop who lived at about the same time. He was thrown into prison because he
secretly married couples, contrary to the laws of Roman Empire. The legend says
that he was burnt at the stake.
February 14 was also a Roman holiday. On this day young
men randomly chose the name of the girl to escort to the festival. The custom
of choosing a sweetheart on this day became very popular in the medieval Europe. Later this custom spread to American colonies.
Now, St.Valentine’s Day is the day of sweethearts. In Great Britain on the eve of St.Valentine’s Day, women used to pin four bay leaves to the
corner of their pillow and then eat boiled eggs with salt. They believed they
would dream of their future husbands. Another custom was to write the names of
eligible young men on pieces of paper and stick them to balls of clay. They
would then drop them into water and watch and wait. The first name to rise
first would, they believed be their future husband. These days it is more
customary to send your secret love an unsigned greetings card, in the hope that
he or she will know who sent it and send a card return.
Most people in the United States treat Valentine’s Day as
an opportunity to express their feeling towards their loved one or to offer the
hand of friendship to others. However, a popular trend these days is to send an
“anti-Valentine” card. These cards either contain an insulting message (to your
enemy) or to say goodbye (to your existing partner. If you receive a card with
the massage C-Ya! (See you!), it means your boyfriend or girlfriend wants to
end your relationship.
2.
Answer the following questions:
1. What do the legends
say about St.Valentine’s Day?
2. What did the Roman do
on this day?
3. What did women in Gr.
Britain do on the Eve of St.Valentine’s Day?
4. What is customary for
this day in Great Britain?
5. What is an
“anti-Valentine” card?
3.
Find the English equivalents:
Традиция;
приколоть лавровый лист; отправить анонимную открытку; возможность выразить
чувство; оскорбительное послание; разорвать отношения.
4. Unscramble
the words
Love,
heart, cake, Valentine,
Red,
February, kiss, card,
Party,
dear, pink
5. Write a Valentine card to your friend,
relatives, enemy
______________________________________________________________________________________.
6. Write the story
Use some of the words to write a Valentine
story
7. Insert prepositions
where necessary:
1. One … the legends
says that Valentine was Christian priest who lived … the 3d century A.D.
2. According … the
legend he performed a miracle.
3. He was put … prison
…roman authorities …his teachings and was beheaded … February 14.
4. The custom … choosing
a sweetheart … this day became very popular … the medieval Europe.
5. … Great Britain … the
eve … St.Valentine’s Day, women used to pin four bay leaves … the corner …
their pillow and then eat boiled eggs … salt.
6. If you receive a card
… the massage C-Ya! (See you!), it means your boyfriend or girlfriend wants to
end your relationship.
7. Another custom was to
write the names … eligible young men … pieces … paper and stick them … balls …
clay.
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