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phenomena in Area 51. Some people believe that Area 51 is used to store crashed alien spacecraft to the government can study not only the aircraft, but also any aliens captured in the crash – dead or alive. There are rumours that meetings between high government officials and extraterrestrials are actually taking place in on the base. But there are other theories as to what actually goes on there.

Some people believe that weather control or time travel experiments are being conducted there. Some conspiracy theorists even think that a secret one world government, a New World Order, is conducting their activities within Area 51. In 2000, Fox Television broadcast a show that talked about the possibility that the Apollo moon landing was a hoax. People who think the moon landing was a big hoax believe that the footage seen of the moon landing was actually filmed in Area 51.

Bob Lazar

In 1989, Bob Lazar did an interview with reporter George Knapp from KLAS TV. He said that he worked with alien space craft in an area south of Area 51 known as S-4. As a physicist, he said it was his job to study the propulsion system of an alien spacecraft. In the interview, he went on to explain the system, but was somewhat vague about where the spacecraft came from, other than to say it was from the civilisation Zeta Retuculi 1 & 2 star systems and the race of beings was referred to as “Greys.”

Sceptics point out that Lazar claimed to have degrees from the California Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but his name didn’t appear on either school’s alumni rolls. Lazar countered with the fact that that was due to the government’s attempt to erase his past for secrecy. George Knapp did locate a W-2 tax form that showed that Bob was indeed employed by the Department of Naval Intelligence in 1989.

So did Bob Lazar really work on alien spacecraft and were his credentials removed to make him a “non-person” in the eyes of the government? Or was his whole story just a figment of his imagination about a place that is so secretly guarded, most people can only imagine what goes on in there? As long as the government continues to guard Area 51 as it does, there will no doubt continue to be rumours about UFOs, aliens, and secret governments.

http://www.spookystuff.co.uk

8. Explain the words in bold, then give the synonyms for the highlighted words.

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AMERICAN AND BRITISH HOLIDAYS

1. Match the festival to the date.

2. Match the festival to the activity.

Halloween

October 31st

3. Read the text and answer the questions:

1.Who had the festival that was probably the start of our Halloween?

2.When did they hold the festival?

3. Who was Samhain?

4. What did Celts do to scare all the ghosts? 5. What do people do nowadays on Halloween? 6. What are the colours of Halloween?

Thе Roots of Halloween

In the fall the nights get longer. The weather turns colder. Leaves fall from trees, and plants die. For these reasons, fall has long been thought of as a time of death.

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Long ago, many people believed that on certain fall nights dead spirits came back to earth. This idea was held by the Celts, a European people who lived in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and France. Over 2,000 years ago, the Celts held a festival that was probably the start of our Halloween.

The Celts' festival was held on October 31. It was called Samhain, after the Celts' lord of the dead. Samhain was thought to send ghosts to earth on the night of October 31. When angry, Samhain could send many evil ghosts. The Cells built fires on hilltops to scare off the ghosts. They also scared the ghosts away by wearing costumes made of animal heads and skins.

Traces of the Samhain festival remain in our Halloween customs. Ghosts still roam about on October 31. Only today they are children under sheets. People still wear costumes on Halloween. Only now they are cloth and plastic instead of animal heads and skins.

Fortune-telling is still done, but just for fun. Even Halloween's colors

— orange and black — may have come from the Samhain festival, it was a time when orange flames lit up the black night.

4. Read the text and say what jack-o’-lantern is. Jack-o'-lanterns

Each year, millions of people carve Halloween pumpkins. The carved pumpkins are nicknamed "jack-o'-lanterns." The custom of carving Halloween jack-o'-lanterns began long ago in Ireland and Scotland. But when the custom began, people in those lands did not have pumpkins. (They are thought to have grown first in North America.) The people in Ireland and Scotland carves jack-o'-lanterns out of turnips.

An Irish story told how jack-o'-lanterns got their name. Long ago, the story began, a man named Jack met the devil on a road. Jack had been very selfish. He knew the devil would take his soul — unless he could fool him. As they passed an apple tree, Jack had an idea. He asked for an apple before going to hell.

The devil climbed the tree to get the apple. As he did so, Jack carved a cross on the tree with his knife. The devil was scared to come down past the cross, which is a symbol of Christianity's good power. Jack helped the devil down — but only after he promised to leave Jack's soul alone.

Jack soon died. He could not enter heaven because he had been so bad. Needing a place to go, Jack tried to enter hell. But the devil kept his promise and would not let him in. The devil said that Jack must return to

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earth. When Jack cried that he could not find his way in the dark, the devil threw him a hot coal. Jack carved a turnip and placed the glowing coal inside it.

Ever since, Jack has wandered the earth with his turnip lantern. Turnips with lighted candles inside them became known as “jack-o'-

lanterns” after Jack.

5. Match two columns:

6. Find the things that witches use to make their spell?

Wiches’ Brew

Mark Burgess

Hubble-bubble on the stove. The witches gather round.

They all declare there's no compare, It's such a lovely sound.

“What is the formula?” cries one. “I think I have forgot.”

“A spoon for each of us,” they shout. “'Then one more for the pot!”

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7. Let’s play.

Halloween words

Разделиться на две команды. На двух листках бумаги написано слово Halloween. По сигналу за 5 минут каждая команда должна написать как можно больше слов, состоящих из букв, которые есть в слове Halloween. Учитывается правильность написания.

Tricks before treats

Все участники рассаживаются по кругу, в центр которого кладут пустую бутылку. Заранее заготовить небольшие листочки с заданиями (tricks). Бутылку вращают, и тот, на кого она укажет, должен выполнить задание на листке, который он возьмет.

St. Valentine’s Day 8. St. Valentine’s Day Quiz.

Roses are red, violets are blue, we know how Valentine's Day got its name, do you?

1.Where did St Valentine live?

a)in Russia;

b)in Rome;

c)in Spain.

2.What date is Valentine's Day?

a)17th of February;

b)14th of February;

c)8th of May.

3.How do you spell 14th?

a)froteenth;

b)fourtienth;

c)fourteenth.

4.According to a popular belief, why was St Valentine beheaded?

a)because he secretly married young couples;

b)because he was in love with a young girl;

c)because he was always in love with someone.

5.When St Valentine was in prison, who did he fall in love with?

a)his prisoner's daughter;

b)his prisoner's stepmother;

c)his prisoner's sister.

6.The girl St Valentine fell in love with was

a) deaf;

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b)blind;

c)dumb.

7.What colour is associated with St Valentine's Day?

a)green;

b)blue;

c)red.

8.Which Roman God is one of the symbols of St Valentine's Day?

a)Eros;

b)Cupid;

c)Apollo.

9.Which are the most common flowers given on St Valentine's Day?

a)roses;

b)sunflowers;

c)tulips.

10.What greeting is often said on this day?

a)Happy love life!

b)Merry Christmas!

c)Happy Valentine's Day!

9.Using the right answers of this quiz make a short story about this holiday.

10.Guess the word hidden in this puzzle and read the sentence.

1.Roses, tulips and other plants with colourful blossoms. Very pretty when arranged in a bouquet!

2.A special card sent on St Valentine's Day, usually anonymous.

3.A sweet brown treat that is made from cocoa powder, milk and sugar – very tasty!

4.An organ in your body that pumps blood. If you put your hand over this organ you can feel it beating!

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5.This verb means 'to make an offer of marriage'. A true man will always kneel in front of a woman before asking her to become his wife!

6.A jar or container that you use for displaying flowers. This is often filled with roses on St Valentine's Day!

7.A person who someone loves. This word is often used in Valentine poems:

Roses are red, Violets are blue, Honey's sweet And so are you.

I'll be your____________

If you'll be mine, All my life

I'll be your Valentine!

8.A very strong feeling of liking someone.

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9.If a boy is completely, uncontrollably in love with a girl, we say: 'He is head over _______in love with her!'

10.Valentine's Day is celebrated during this month.

11.A man who is about to be married or just married.

12.A woman who is about to be married or just married.

13.This colour is a symbol of love.

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14. Something that is given as a gift on Valentine's Day, like a box of chocolates.

12.In groups make your own crossword using this quiz.

13.What do you think of St. Valentine’s Day? Read what young people in Britain and the USA think of St. Valentine’s Day and write your personal opinion. Compare it with your partner’s.

I love Valentine's Day. My boyfriend always sends me a huge card with a poem in it. And flowers and chocolates. And takes me out to dinner!

Anfisa,20

I HATE Valentine's Day. I always end up stressing about whether I'll get a card, and sometimes I only get one from my mum or my aunt from Australia!

Orli,12

I love Valentine's Day. The best part is the excitement of sending a card to someone, even if you don't receive one yourself. And there are always the fun discos, etc to enjoy.

Anabell, 16

I think Valentine's Day is OK, but it can be depressing when you don't get a card, especially if you were expecting one.

Catherine, 18

Pic. 81

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I see Valentine's Day just as any other day. If I have a valentine, that's cool, if I don't then I don't stress about it!

Sasha, 17

I hate Valentine's Day. It's all commercial and it's just an excuse for shops to make loads of money! If you love someone, show it all year round, not on one day!

Nick, 26

I think it is wonderful to celebrate love!!! And it's exacting when you get a card and you don't know who it's from!

Nancy, 16

These days, things are very difficult. Men have sleepless nights, take days off work, get high blood pressure because there's that horrible thought nagging at the back of their minds saying 'Remember Valentine's Day, remember Valentine's Day.' They have to spend many hours lying there thinking of something that would make a difference. They know they've got to do something special, but what?

Mike, 18

Valentine's Day makes you feel lonely if you don't get a card, but embarrassed if you do.

Rose, 14

Valentine's Day is all very well, but I hate it when you have to go to school on the 14th of February, because if you get a card, people make fun of you, but if you don't they make fun of you even more!

Pete, 13

It's a great tradition! I think the only people who hate Valentine's Day are the people who don't get any cards!

Fibi, 15

14. Read the text and draw its plan. Then try to retell it to your neighbour. Write a Valentine card to your boy/girl friend.

Valentines over the Years

The first true Valentine card was probably written by a young Frenchman, Charles, Duke of Orleans. Charles was captured by the English and imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415. He felt very lonely, and to fight his loneliness he started writing love poems to his wife in France. His 'valentines' are now kept in the British Museum.

In 1537, King Henry VIII officially recognized St Valentine's Day, which is ironic because he wasn't the most romantic of men – he had six wives (and two of them were executed)!

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