Unit 4

Download as docx, pdf, or txt
Download as docx, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 7

UNIT 4: OUR CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

A. PHONETICS
I. Underline the words having clusters /spr/ or /str/.
1. They opened some pedestrian streets in the urban districts on the festival days.
2. The frustrated instructor tells the student to bring her guide books back.
3. Interrupting other people can’t be strictly avoided in common communication.
4. They discuss the industrial production process of newsprint from dried sugar cane.
5. These fruit’s offspring only spread a limited distance from the original tree.
6. Astronauts want to bring espresso coffee onto the spaceship in a marketing campaign.
7. Her pronunciation is not good, and sometimes she mispronounces ‘stripe’ as ‘strike’.
8. In Sweden, strawberries are a traditional dessert served on St John’s Day.
II. Fill in the blanks with clusters /spr/ or /str/.
1. Villagers built waterwheels to move water from the ________ eam to the fields.
2. Camilla wasn’t drinking but blowing bubbles in her milk with a ________ aw.
3. ________ ing is coming - it is bringing warm temperatures and blooming flowers.
4. Audiences are entering the theatre and the orche ________ a is preparing for the concert.
5. Arrange the cooked fish on a plate and ________ inkle the mixed herbs over the top.
6. Molly was always afraid of eye contacting - she would never look ________ aight at me.
7. It takes about five days or a week for the watermelon seeds to ________ out.
8. Have you ever seen a whale blowing a jet of ________ ay high in the air?

B. VOCABULARY
I. Match the words with their definition.
1. tray a. an accepted way of behaving or doing things in a community
2. tradition b. all the people who were born at about the same time
3. cutlery c. a flat piece of wood, metal or plastic with raised edges, used for carrying or
holding things, especially food
4. host/ hostess d. to have a very good opinion of somebody or something
5. generation e. a belief, principle, or way of acting that people in a particular society have
continued to follow for a long time
f. a small piece of thick carpet or strong material used to cover part of a floor
6. worship
g. knives, forks and spoons, used for eating and serving food
7. custom
h. to show a strong feeling of respect and admiration for God or a god
8. prong
i. a person who invites guests to a meal, a party, etc.
9. mat
j. each of the two or more long pointed parts of a fork
10. respect
II. Fill in each blank with a word in part I.
1. At Tet, people put traditional dishes on the altar to ________ their ancestors.
2. This fork set has a three ________ fork with wider tips for easily picking up oysters.
3. The major items of ________ in Western culture are the knife, fork and spoon.
4. They still follow the ________ of eating moon cake at Mid-Autumn Festival.
5. All guests felt very glad because the ________ greeted them warmly at the door.

1
6. Wherever we visit, we should ________ the local culture, environment and people.
7. It is a long and old ________ that the young look after the old in their family.
8. Is there a ________ gap between parents and their children in your country?
9. When they were talking about the meal, Susan came in with a ________ of drinks.
10. At their meals, they don’t sit around a table but on a ________ on the ground.
III. Choose the best answer to complete the sentences.
1. Parents usually want their ________ to follow the family traditions.
A. ancestors B. offspring C. relatives D. generations
2. My table ________ aren’t as good at home as when I’m at a restaurant.
A. gestures B. behaviours C. manners D. postures
3. We should ________ our customs and traditions wherever we live.
A. respect B. break C. allow D. take
4. Honouring teachers is a ________ that dates back at least a thousand years.
A. custom B. tradition C. regulation D. necessity
5. Do you always use a ________ at your meals? - No, sometimes we sit on chairs.
A. tray B. cutlery C. mat D. pair of
chopsticks
6. The most important place in their home is a shrine they used to ________ their ancestors.
A. accept B. pass down C. worship D. follow
7. ________ naming girls after flowers is becoming less common in my place.
A. It’s the custom that B. According to tradition,
C. There is a tradition that D. The custom of
8. It’s necessary to ________ the plates in newspaper to stop them from breaking.
A. wrap B. place C. fold D. get
9. We ________ tradition by travelling abroad instead of celebrating Tet at home.
A. looked to B. passed down C. followed up D. broke with
10. Do you know that people must use ________ when they eat beefsteak?
A. knife and fork B. forks and chopsticks
C. spoons and knife D. knives and chopsticks
IV. Write the correct form of the word in brackets.
1. The custom of ________ ancestors is popular among Vietnamese people. (worship)
2. We have a long tradition of giving ________ money to children during Tet. (luck)
3. The children in their village are always ________ to their elders. (respect)
4. An extended family may consist of three ________ living under one roof. (generation)
5. Dad handed me a big box ________ in gold paper and tied with a red ribbon. (wrap)
6. The ________ smiled and said hello to the guests before starting her speech. (host)
7. When his teacher told his parents about his ________, he felt great shame. (behave)
8. Is bowing an ________ way of greeting in most countries in the world? (accept)
9. When Frank visited his friend’s family, he had a ________ different manner. (polite)
10. There are ________ rules and etiquette around the British tradition of drinking tea. (society)

C. GRAMMAR

2
I. Fill in the blanks with SHOULD or SHOULDN’T.
1. You ________ take your shoes off before entering a house in Japan.
2. You ________ touch someone on the head because it’s disrespectful.
3. You ________ say thank you and use both hands when receiving a gift.
4. You ________ point at someone with your finger.
5. You ________ enter a room without knocking on the door first.
6. You ________ help the old to carry their heavy bags.
7. You ________ wear shorts at temples and pagodas.
8. You ________ respect other cultures and religions.
9. You ________ dress in black on New Year’s Day.
10. You ________ bow your head when greeting an adult.
II. Match the sentences.
1. You shouldn’t tell a lie a. students wear a uniform at school on weekdays.
2. Mrs. Colin can’t go out to work b. but they have to look well-dressed.
3. You mustn’t break the regulation that c. I will have to clean the dishes after having food.
4. If I have a meal at home, d. you should visit famous pagodas in Bangkok
5. You must be on time for the exam, capital.
6. Guests don’t have to wear suits at the e. because she has to stay at home to care for her
ceremony, elderly mother.
7. You shouldn’t call old people’s name solely, f. the new wife has to live in her husband’s family.
g. but you should address their title first, such as
‘Mister’ or ‘Miss’.
8. According to the wedding tradition in their
community, h. they don’t have to wear formal clothes.
9. When they are not working, i. because telling a lie brings you a lot of trouble.
10. If you go to Thailand, j. so you should set an alarm now.

III. Choose the best answer to complete the sentences.


1. We _______ finish the house decoration before the last day of the year.
A. have to B. shouldn’t C. mustn’t D. don’t have to
2. Foreigners who visit Vietnam _______ comply with Vietnamese law.
A. can B. could C. may D. must
3. I _______ receive some lucky money from my grandparents at Tet.
A. should B. must C. might D. have to
4. _______ I have some coffee after dinner, Mum? - No, you can’t.
A. Do B. May C. Will D. Should
5. Bailey _______ wear glasses all the time - she just wears them for reading.
A. has to B. doesn’t have to C. should D. shouldn’t
6. You _______ interrupt other people while they are talking, especially the elderly.
A. mustn’t B. mightn’t C. don’t have to D. couldn’t
7. Huong is a Thai ethnic girl, so she _______ perform the xoe dance easily.
A. has to B. must C. should D. can
8. Robert _______ use chopsticks last time, but now he uses them very well.

3
A. couldn’t B. shouldn’t C. mustn’t D. didn’t have to
9. We _______ say bad things or think negatively on the New Year’s day.
A. mustn’t B. don’t have to C. shouldn’t D. can’t
10. When Celia first came to live in Vietnam, she _______ learn Vietnamese customs.
A. should B. had to C. must D. could
IV. Choose the underlined word or phrase that needs correcting.
1. I was the first customer when I went into checkout counter, so I mustn’t wait to be served.
A B C D
2. Don’t you understand that you shouldn’t make noise in a place like this? - Sorry, Sir!
A B C D
I didn’t see the prohibition sign.
3. There are several things you should know to understand some of the nuances of Viet
A B C D
Nam culture.
4. She couldn’t decide whether he was telling the truth or not, so she stopped to ask him.
A B C D
5. Foreigners should book the tickets in advance if they travelled in Viet Nam during
A B C D
Tet holiday.
6. The maths teacher gave the student some hints for the questions she could answer.
A B C D
7. When you’re with the elderly people, you shouldn’t bring up inappropriate topics
A B C
such as diseases or death.
D
8. I wondered if Julia mightn’t take a bow when she met my new neighbours, but she might.
A B C D
9. One should give people presents symbolised good lucks to enhance the relationship
A B C
between themselves and others.
D
10. In the public you should avoid doing anything that may embarrass or diminish a person.
A B C D

D. SPEAKING
I. Match the sentences.
1. Do you always use chopsticks and spoons to take food? a. Yes, you should always do that.
2. We have a custom of having a big family meal on b. Do they also visit their friends?
Sundays. c. A different gift on every birthday?
3. Are there differences between customs and traditions? d. We pray for good health and luck.
4.I don’t know Vietnamese etiquette. What should I do? e. Yes. But you can only do that at Tet.

4
5. What do you usually do at a pagoda? f. Don’t worry! Just follow my
6. They have a tradition of visiting relatives at Tet. directions.
7. How long have you followed that tradition? g. No. Sometimes we use forks.
8. My parents always buy me a gift on my birthday. h. Which meal is it, lunch or dinner?
9. Should I take off my shoes before entering the house? i. Yes, there are some. I think so.
10. The custom of giving lucky money at Tet is great. j. We have followed it for generations.

II. Put the sentences into the correct order to make a conversation.
Really? What have you learned about them so far?
You can see men wearing their ao dai in some festivals, ceremonies, art shows, weddings...
That’s really interesting to know! I should read more about this.
No, I can’t. What is it?
1 Hi, Abigail. What are you doing?
The ao dai is a Vietnamese national costume. Vietnamese women usually wear ao dai on special
occasions. They also wear it at many work places. Girls wear white ao dai in high schools.
What is interesting? I’d like to know if you can tell some facts about it.
That’s true. But there’s one more thing. Can you guess?
In the past, Vietnamese men had to wear men’s ao dai, which is similar to women’s ao dai.
Today they don’t have to wear it in daily activities.
Hi, Duong. I’m reading about Vietnamese customs and traditions.
Well, I’ve just started reading, but I know something interesting about ao dai.
Oh! That’s why I’ve never seen Vietnamese men wearing ao dai. Where and when can I see it?

E. READING
I. Read the passage and do the task.
When mentioning Tet, the children normally think of “Li xi”. Giving each other best wishes and
giving the children “Li xi” have become indispensable parts of Tet. Children are extremely happy and
excited when receiving “Li xi” from adults. “Li xi” or lucky money is a small amount of money put in
a red envelope which is given to children as a token of luck and best wishes. The old also get “Li xi”
from their children with a bless for a new year of health, peace and happiness. It is a common belief
that the money can bring good fortune to the upcoming year.
Traditionally, in the morning of the first day of Lunar New Year, children will visit their
grandparents’ home and give them wishes for good health and long life. It is the chance for the kids
show their respect and gratitude toward previous generations. After that, grandparents will give the
children “Li xi” to welcome their new age. They also wish their grandchildren health, progress in
study...
This traditional ritual still remains preserved until today; and “Li xi” tradition has been an
indispensable part of many generations’ childhood. Although the amount of the money is small, the
meaning that lucky money brings is very great. It not only presents the best wishes of the adults for the
kids, but it also demonstrates a succession of generations.
A. Match the words with their definitions.
1. indispensable a. to show or prove something clearly
2. token b. something that represents a feeling, fact, event, etc.
3. ritual c. a number of similar people that exist after each other

5
4. demonstrate d. too important not to have
5. succession e. something that is done regularly and always in the same way
B. Answer the questions.
1. How do the children feel when receiving “Li xi” from adults?
2. What does “Li xi” given to children at Tet represent?
3. Is it the custom that only children receive lucky money on the first day of Lunar New Year?
4. What will the children wish their grandparents?
5. What does the tradition of giving “Li xi” to children in families prove?
II. Choose the best answer to fill in the blanks.
Table manners are very different in every country. For example, when you are in England you
must not lift your soup plate to your mouth. This is very impolite. But when you are in Japan this is
completely (1) ________. Lifting your plate to your mouth in Japan
is a traditional way of drinking your soup. And also in Japan you don’t have to worry about
making noise when you drink it. It just shows that you really like the food! But it is not the same in
Britain so you (2) ________ make noise when eating there.
In Britain people don’t put their hands or elbows on the table during the meal. But in Mexico,
guests keep their hands on the table all the time. In fact, you should watch what your hands do very
carefully. In Arab countries it is (3) ________ when you eat with your left hand so don’t do it!
In all the cultures it is impolite to speak when you are eating. Also you should leave some food on
your plate because it is considered impolite if you eat everything.
In Ukraine you should not start eating first, you should wait for all the others to start eating with
you. You also have to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ every time you ask and (4) ________ something. If
you don’t like some food, don’t make (5) ________ and sounds that show this and don’t say: “Yuk! I
hate that!”
The best way to avoid making mistakes in other countries is to watch the host and try to follow
them.
1. A. usual B. normal C. simple D. regular
2. A. must B. should C. shouldn’t D. don’t have to
3. A. impolite B. important C. unpleasant D. unpopular
4. A. give B. offer C. answer D. get
5. A. noises B. mistakes C. comments D. faces

F. WRITING
I. Write complete sentences using the correct form of SHOULD and HAVE TO.
1. You/ always/ wash your hands/ before meals

2. We/ obey/ regulation of/ place/ we visit

3. You/ take/ things/ adults/ with one hand

4. We/ go to school/ public holidays

5. She/ wait/ airport/ because/ flight was delayed

6
6. We/ be/ honest/ other people,/ especially/ the elderly

7. you/ wear/ glasses/ when/ have/ food and drinks?


?
8. You/ start/ eat/ before/ host/ start/ eat
II. Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first one.
1. It’s not necessary for customers to tip for poor services.
Customers don’t_______________________________________________________________
2. My family traditionally cooks banh chung at Tet holiday.
My family follows a tradition____________________________________________________
3. Speaking loudly inside a temple or pagoda is impolite.
You shouldn’t_________________________________________________________________
4. It’s mandatory for him to learn to use chopsticks for eating rice.
He must_____________________________________________________________________
5. A British friend has invited me to a Western buffet party.
I___________________________________________________________________________
6. They will probably travel to Japan to experience Japanese lifestyle.
They might___________________________________________________________________
7. Our custom is to take off hats before going into the house.
We have the custom____________________________________________________________
8. You shouldn’t touch another person’s head because it’s disrespectful.
It’s disrespectful for____________________________________________________________

You might also like