Read and listen to the following text about soap operas and do the comprehension exercises below. Watching TV is a very popular pastime in the UK. But what kind of programmes do British people like to watch? Well, the most-watched TV programmes every week are very popular dramas that are usually on at least four times every week. They are dramas based in one neighbourhood that try to depict ordinary life in the UK - we call these dramas ‘soap operas’ or ‘soaps’. In the early days of TV, there were often dramas on during the day. Back in those days, it was traditional for the husband to go out to work and for the wife to stay at home and look after the house and the children. Most of these daytime dramas were aimed at entertaining the housewives who would traditionally be at home, probably doing the washing. Companies selling washing powder would advertise their products at times when these dramas were on, and sometimes those companies would even sponsor the drama. Hence the word ‘soap’. So what about the word opera? Well, that’s because these dramas are often an exaggeration of real life. They are supposed to represent ordinary lives but, to make them entertaining, lots of dramatic events, like murders, divorces, affairs etc., all happen probably much more regularly than they would in a normal neighbourhood. Most soap operas these days are shown in the evening. Each show will have several different storylines happening at once that continue over several shows. The same cast members will appear in every show, too. There are lots of different soaps on in the UK on different channels but there are three main popular ones. ‘Coronation Street’ has been on since 1960. It is set in a suburb of Manchester and it’s supposed to represent working class life in the north of England. Then there’s ‘Eastenders’ which started in 1985, set in the East End of London, and ‘Emmerdale’, which is set on a farm in Yorkshire, in the north of England.
1. TRUE or FALSE. Circle the correct answer True / False
1.People don’t like to watch TV in the UK. True / False
2.The word ‘soap’ in ‘soap opera’ refers to washing powder used by housewives to do the washing. True / False
3.The word ‘opera’ in ‘soap opera’ refers to the classical singing you hear in the dramas. True / False
4.Soap operas have lots of continuing storylines happening over a few shows. True / False
5.Coronation Street has been on British TV since 1985.
2. Answer the following questions using your own words?
a. What type of programmes do British people prefer to watch?
b. Why did sponsors advertise soap on TV during the mornings?
c. To what extent are soap operas different from normal life?
d. What are the 3 most popular soap operas in British television?
• Do you know any celebrations from other countries?
Activity 2.Happy Thanksgiving Day!
. Thanksgiving History Facts.
Thanksgiving History Facts
A ship, called “Mayflower”, took off at September 6th 1620, with 102 people (the pilgrim) and 30 crew members on board to the new world of America, later called “New England”. The pilgrim had been traveling for 65 days until they reached the new world on November 11th in 1620. While the men were building houses for the small village of Plimoth, the women and children had to stay on board of the Mayflower for another 2 months. In this winter more than 50 people died because of illness and coldness. In January 1621, the pilgrim had the first contact to the “Wampanoag”, a tribe of Native Americans. They taught the pilgrim how to hunt and how to plant or grow up corn and other plants. In autumn 1621, when the pilgrim had enough food, they wanted to thank the Wampanoag for their help and celebrated the first American Thanksgiving, the “Harvest Feast”. They celebrated it for almost 3 days and nights.
After you watch the video, answer the next questions:
What did you like about the story of Thanksgiving Day?
Activity 3. Scrambled sentences
Put the words back into the correct order.
1. American is very holiday Thanksgiving a.
2. a be to used It holiday religious.
3. of origins the of Versions holiday this.
4. The given Native thanks to Americans.
5. to How corn grow and eels catch.
6. traditional baked turkey is have roasted It to or.
7. potatoes mashed with accompanied usually is This.
8. the most Pumpkin commonly pie eaten is dessert.
9. get off three or Government four workers days.
10. Stores goods Christmas with shelves their fill.
Activity 4. Thanksgiving words
Activity 5. We say Thank you
Ej “I want to say Thank you to my father because he listens to me every day”
You have to say thanks for something you want.
You have to think more things why you would like to say THANKS, as in this video:
