Wales – the Land of Song
A
Wales has many wonderful traditions. The Welsh are proud of their culture. One of the oldest cultural competitions, The Royal National Eisteddfod, takes place every year at the beginning of August. It is an eight-day festival of music and poetry to celebrate Welsh language, art and culture. It is the largest and most popular festival in Wales and attracts thousands of visitors.
Wales is a wonderful country. Its fascinating sights, rich cultural history and warm-hearted people make it unique.
B
English is the official language, but Welsh, one of the oldest languages in Europe, is still spoken in some parts of the country. In fact, a special committee was established in 1988 to protect the language and today Welsh schoolchildren are taught both languages. The Welsh have a beautiful song-like quality, which is perhaps one reason why singing is such a favourite pastime. Playing music, including traditional instruments such as the harp, is another popular hobby.
C
Wales is one of the most beautiful countries in the United Kingdom. Cymru, as it is known in Welsh, is surrounded by sea on three sides, whereas the eastern part of the country borders with England. The country is full of little towns, castles and picturesque seaside villages. Cardiff, the capital, is a bustling university town with an impressive castle, wonderful museums, galleries and lovely buildings.
D
Wales’
breathtaking beauty attracts
Pre-writing task 4
Read the dialogue about the famous place and write an essay based on it.
Mount Rushmore
– Mount Rushmore? They say that this mountain attracts many people. Do you know anything about it?
– Yes, I’ve read a book about it. It’s a really interesting place to visit.
– Where is it? Why does it attract people?
– It is a granite mountain in South Dakota, USA. Four faces are carved on the mountain. They are the faces of four famous presidents. The presidents are Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt. Their names are connected with the most important events in the history of the country.
– Could you tell me about them?
George Washington is called “the father of his country”. He was among those who wrote the US Constitution. He was a professional soldier and a wise politician whose deeds made him the first President of the USA.. Americans named their capital after G.Washington.
Thomas Jefferson was the third US President. He was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. During his term Louisiana Area was bought from France.
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th US President, led the country through the four terrible years of the Civil War and made all the slaves free.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the 32nd US President. He was the only President who served four terms. Americans remember Franklin Roosevelt whose New Deal changed the country. They honour the person who was the leader of the nation during World War II.
I see now why the Americans respect these people and remember their deeds. I wish I saw that mountain.
Pre-writing task 5
Imagine you visited a place in your country which you really like. Describe it using the paragraph plan below.
PLAN
Introduction
Where the place described is located and why you went there
Main body
Para 1: further details about the place
Para 2: what you saw and what you did there
Conclusion
How you feel about the place and whether you recommend it or not
Perform the following writing task:
Write a composition describing the places that are worth visiting based on the module and extra vocabulary. Remember the notes above how to write compositions describing places.