In this part, you will hear some short descriptions of festivals. You will be asked to compare the information that you hear with similar information that you read, and to underline the changes that have been made.
As you listen, read the text below and underline the three changes in the text.
Valentine's Day
On 14th February, St. Valentine's Day, a lot of people send a card to the one they love or someone whom they have fallen in love with. People usually do not sign these cards and a lot of time is spent trying to guess who has sent them.
As you listen, read the text below and underline the four changes in the text.
Easter Eggs
At Easter time, the British celebrate the idea of new birth by giving each other chocolate and Easter eggs which are eaten on Easter Sunday. On Good Friday bakers sell hot cross buns, which are toasted and eaten with butter. Easter Monday is a holiday and many people travel to the seaside for the day or go and watch one of the sporting events such as football or horse racing.
As you listen, (please) read the text below and underline the five changes in the text.
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is on the night of 31st December. Most people stay up until at least after midnight in order to see in the New Year. It's also the night of the year when most pubs and restaurants forget about their usual closing times and stay open until after midnight. In London, thousands of people go to Trafalgar Square to hear Big Ben chime midnight, and traditionally take a shower in the fountains in Trafalgar Square. The Christmas tree is an annual gift from Norway.
As you listen, read the text below and underline the six changes in the text.
Pancake Day
Ash Wednesday is the day in February when the Christian period of Lent begins. This refers to the time when Christ went into the desert and fasted for forty days. Although not many people give up eating during this period, on Pancake Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, they eat lots of pancakes. These are made from flour, milk and eggs, and fried in a hot pan. Some towns also hold pancake races on that day. People run through the streets holding a frying pan and throwing the pancakes in the air. Of course if they drop the pancake they lose the race.
As you listen, read the text below and underline the seven changes in the text.
Christmas
25th December is the most important festival of the year. It combines the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ with the traditional festivities of winter. On the Sunday before Christmas, many churches hold a carol service where special hymns are sung. Sometimes you can hear carol singers singing on the streets as they collect money for charity. Most families decorate their houses with coloured Christmas decorations and they usually have a Christmas tree in the corner of the front room, glittering with coloured lights and decorations. People put their gifts at the bottom of the Christmas tree.
As you listen, read the text below and underline eight changes in the text.
Halloween
On 31st October is Halloween. Halloween means holy evening. It's a more important festival in the United States than in Britain, although it's celebrated by many people in the UK. It's particularly connected with ghosts. At parties, people dress up in strange costumes and pretend they are witches. They cut horrible faces in pumpkins and other vegetables and put a candle inside which shines through the eyes. People play difficult games such as trying to eat an apple from a bucket of water without using their hands. In recent years, children dressed in white sheets knock on doors at Halloween and ask if you would like a "trick" or "treat". If you give them something nice, a "treat", they go away. If you don't, they play a "trick" on you, such as making a lot of noise or spilling flour on your front doorstep.