Read the text below and do the tasks.

How Do People in Japan Celebrate Boys’ Day?

On May 5, the Japanese celebrate Boys’ Day. Today they call it Children’s Day. People fly banners on their hoses. The banners are made of paper or cloth, and they look like fish. When the wind blows, the fish fill with air and seem to be swimming. Each family puts up one fish for each boy. The fish of the oldest boy is the largest, and it is on top. The youngest boy has the smallest fish at the bottom. These banners look like a type of fish called the carp. The carp swims up the river against great difficulties and doesn’t give up. People hope the boys will grow to be strong and brave like the carp.

Inside the house, in a place everyone can see, there Boys’ Day dolls. These dolls represent famous soldiers and heroes in history. The boys sometimes wear costumes of soldiers, too. Rich families may put out old family souvenirs. They may also put out swords. The iris is an important flower on Boys’ Day because its leaves look like a sword. They put iris leaves around the table with dolls. They also put iris leaves into a hot bath. They believe that when you take a bath with iris leaves, it will protect you from sickness.

Japanese children are very happy on Boys’ Day, and they love these celebrations for many reasons. But the biggest reason is because there is no school!

TASK 2 Choose the correct answer

Where is the banner of the fish for the oldest boy in the family?

a. Under other banners

b. Above other banners

c. It doesn’t matter

What do the Japanese think about the carp?

a. It swims fast.

b. It is delicious.

c. It is brave and strong.

Why do Japanese children like Children’s day most of all?

a. For presents

b. For staying at home

c. For wearing costumes

TASK 3 Read the text again and say if the statements are true, false or not stated.

Children’s Day is the same holiday as Boys’ Day.

a. true b. false   c. not stated

Before this holiday people made the banners by themselves.

a. true  b. false    c. not stated

The carp is a symbol of strength.

a. true    b. false   c. not stated

Inside the house one can see figures of soldiers and heroes, family souvenirs and even swords.

a. true    b. false   c. not stated

People take a bath with iris to be brave.

a. true     b. false    c. not stated

 TASK 4. Match the headings (A-F) to the texts (1-5). Use each heading only once. There is one extra heading you do not need to use.

A. Mountain trips

B. Sea travel

C. City trips

D. How to save money

E. Beach vacations

F. Adventure travel

1.  These trips take place in a big city, for example, Moscow, New York, London, or Paris. /the main point of these trips is do some sightseeing. You can visit a few museums or do a boat or bus tour. These trips are great because there are so many different cities out there that have so many different cultures and unique things to offer.

2. This is what a lot of people consider a real vacation. It may be the way to escape from cold weather and to get some sun. You can sit in the shade with cold drink in your hand, relax or do some activities. It’s a great opportunity to change a pace from the daily routine.

3.  For this you need some type of outdoor activity. Camping, hiking and whitewater rafting all fall under this category. But you don’t need to be terribly adventurous to enjoy the outdoors. Even those who like a warm comfortable bed and no dangerous activities can explore nature.

4. There is a whole subculture of people who love living aboard a big passenger cruise liner. It’s a huge part of the travel industry, and now you can take cruises all over the world. It ‘s a great way to see new places. Some cruise liners are known as being “party boats” for college kids. And others, like Disney Cruise Liners, are great for families.

5. Backpacking is really a from of budget travel (as opposed to luxury travel). Backpacking is also generally a longer- term type of travel than the typical vacation. Backpackers carry what they need with them and usually travel from place to place as cheaply as possible. 

 

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