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Innovation in Learning

A A A A VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

Special days
Lesson code: XCEC-SMEB-FJ9K-J UPPER INTERMEDIATE +

1 Ways of celebrating
Label the pictures with the words below.

a bonfire a feast a parade

a wreath confectionery
fireworks

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

Look at the activities below. On which special occasions do you think they take place? Check your
answers on the next page.

1. On this day, couples express their love for each other by presenting flowers or offering confectionery.
2. On this day, families have a feast, which includes a large turkey.
3. This day is celebrated with fireworks displays at the stroke of midnight.
4. This day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, concerts
and baseball games.
5. During this time, the streets come alive with wild parties, festivals, parades and samba music.
6. This day is marked by people playing practical jokes on their friends and family.
7. On this day, people lay wreaths to commemorate soldiers who died in the war.
LE

You can review this worksheet online at www.linguahouse.com/ex 1/3

AB

Review your flashcards at least 3-5 times a week for 20 minutes to keep the material fresh in your memory.
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Linguahouse.com OC
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 lingua house
TM
Special days
Innovation in Learning

A A A A VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

1. Valentine's Day (February 14) 2. Thanksgiving Day, United States (November)

3. New Year's Day (January 1) 4. US Independence Day (July 4) 5. Rio Carnival, Brazil
6. April Fool's Day (April 1) 7. Remembrance Day (November 11)

2 Reading
Now read about the history and activities of Bonfire Night, an unusual special day held every year in
Britain on November 5. Complete the definitions on the next page with the words in bold.

Bonfire Night

It was the early hours of 5 November 1605. After receiving an anonymous letter, the English authorities
found Guido (also known as Guy) Fawkes with 36 barrels of gunpowder in the cellars of London's
parliament building. He had intended to blow it up and assassinate the Protestant King James. Fawkes
was working with a group of English Catholics who were tired of being oppressed by the Protestant
majority. As he put it: "A desperate disease requires a dangerous remedy."
Following his torture, Guy Fawkes revealed the names of the other plotters. In January 1606, 8 of
them were captured and found guilty of treason. They were sentenced to execution. Although he was
weakened by torture, Fawkes managed to jump and break his neck in the fall in order to avoid the agony
of the final part of his execution.
Bonfire Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November,
throughout Great Britain. The day is commemorated every year with fireworks displays and large fires,
several metres high. At the top of each bonfire is an effigy of Guy Fawkes (known as a `guy'), which is
made of straw and newspaper and often clothed in an old jacket, trousers, and a big black hat.
Originally a celebration of the failed revolution, Bonfire Night has become a time of fun and laughter. Even
more than 400 years after the terrible event, people still remember the 5th of November, and the infamous
name of Guy Fawkes.
LE

You can review this worksheet online at www.linguahouse.com/ex 2/3

AB

Review your flashcards at least 3-5 times a week for 20 minutes to keep the material fresh in your memory.
PI

O
c
Linguahouse.com OC
P H OT
 lingua house
TM
Special days
Innovation in Learning

A A A A VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

1. : an explosive powder used in guns

2. : of unknown name
3. : officially given a punishment of death by a court of law
4. : made known
5. : to murder an important person for political or religious reasons
6. : famous for a bad reason
7. : betraying your country
8. : extreme pain
9. : unfairly and cruelly treated by the authorities
10. : people who are planning a conspiracy
11. : a figure representing a hated person

3 Talking point
Discuss any of the questions below.

1. Do you have any unusual special days in your country? What happens on these days? Why?
2. What are your favourite celebrations? Why?
3. What are your least favourite celebrations or commemorations? Why?

4 Flashcard review
Don't forget what you learned in this lesson! Go to www.linguahouse.com, click `Learning English' and
enter Lesson code: XCEC-SMEB-FJ9K-J.

LE

You can review this worksheet online at www.linguahouse.com/ex 3/3

AB

Review your flashcards at least 3-5 times a week for 20 minutes to keep the material fresh in your memory.
PI

O
c
Linguahouse.com OC
P H OT