Шесть студентов и студенток из разных стран мира – что у них общего? Все они приехали в американский университет по обмену на один семестр. Они будут изучать английский язык, культуру США, будут специализироваться в своей области. Эта серия Ежедневных диалогов посвящена жизни студентов в течение семестра в американском вузе. Диалоги рассчитаны на владеющих английским языком на среднем или более высоком уровне.
Студент Питер рассказывает, как в его семье соблюдают праздничные традиции.
Peter: Lee, what are your plans for the winter break?
Lee: Ajay and I were invited to Alan’s house for the break. How about you? You’re going to volunteer at a school, right?
Peter: That’s right. But first I’m going to go home and spend Christmas with my family. It’s an important holiday for my family. We have lots of Christmas traditions.
Lee: Interesting. Like what?
Peter: Well, one of our traditions is also a tradition for some families in the U.S. — the Advent calendar.
Lee: What’s that?
Peter: It’s like a large card, with a picture on it. There’s also a small opening with a door for each day in December, up until Christmas. And each day, you open one of the doors. The best part is that behind the door is a piece of chocolate.
Lee: It’s a calendar with chocolate? That’s the best kind of calendar.
Peter: Some of them only have pictures, but my family gets the ones with chocolate. Another tradition is the Christmas market. In the local squares, there’s a market that sells food, drinks and local crafts.
Lee: That sounds great. I think there are some places in the U.S. that have Christmas markets too.
Peter: One different tradition is that we open presents on Christmas Eve. In the U.S., people usually open presents on Christmas.
Слова и выражения.
A winter break is a period of vacation between semesters of college or other schools that includes the winter holidays, such as New Year’s Day. [Зимние каникулы.]
To volunteer means to offer to do something without being paid to do it or without being asked. [Заниматься волонтерской работой.]
Christmas (also Christmas Day) is a holiday of Christian origin that is recognized by many people in the United States, as well as in other parts of the world. It is celebrated on December 25. Some traditions of Christmas include decorating a Christmas tree, giving and receiving gifts, and spending time with family and friends. [Рождество.]
A tradition is a belief, custom or way of doing something that has been used by a particular group of people for a long time. [Традиция.]
An Advent calendar is a large decorated card used to count down the days until Christmas. For each day in December, up until Christmas, there is a small opening with a door. Children open one door each day. Behind each door is a picture or piece of chocolate. [Рождественский календарь.]
A Christmas market is a street market where food, drink and products are bought and sold. These markets sell traditional food and drink for Christmas as well as local crafts. They are set up and open during the Christmas season. [Рождественский базар.]
In the conversation, a square means an open area in a town or city, often in the shape of a square (a shape with four equal sides). [Площадь.]
Local: belonging to or relating to a particular area or place. [Местный.]
Crafts are objects that are skillfully made by hand. [Ремесленные изделия.]
Christmas Eve is December 24, the day before Christmas Day. [Рождественский сочельник.]
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Вебсайт American English предлагает разнообразные бесплатные ресурсы для учащихся и преподавателей английского языка. Учебные материалы также можно найти на ежедневно обновляемой страницеAmerican English Facebook.
Ежедневные диалоги разработаны старшим сотрудником отдела программ английского языка Хейди Холланд (Бюро по делам образования и культуры Государственного департамента США).
