E8 – MLH – UNIT 5.

OUR CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

A. PHONETICS
II. Choose the word whose underlined port is pronounced differently from that of the others.
1. A. sun B. country C. sing/ŋ/ D. knife /n/
2. A. hand /n/ B. strong /ŋ/ C. gong D. wing
3. A. fun B. drink /ŋ/ C. son /n/ D. wind
4. A. run B. again /n/ C. donkey /ŋ/ D. noon
5. A. uncle /ŋ/ B. monkey /ŋ/ C. tank /ŋ/ D. woman /n/
B. VOCABULARY
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. fork and chopsticks C. spoon and knife D. knife and chopsticks
IV. Write the correct form of the word in brackets.
1. The custom of ______a______ ancestors is popular among Vietnamese people. (worshipping)
2. We have a long tradition of giving _____a_______ money to children during Tet. (lucky)
3. The children in their village are always ______a______ to their elders. (respectful)
4. The village’s name often becomes the trademark of handicraft products made by its ____________.
(villagers)
5. Is Ham Rong mountain filled with ____________ blossoms of orchid in springtime? (blooming)
6. Yellow apricot blossoms are a ____________ symbol of Tet in southern Viet Nam. (traditional)
7. On Vu Lan Festival, many Vietnamese people go to pagodas to chant ______n______ and give offerings to
Buddha. (prayers)
8. Tet is an opportunity for family members to _____reunite_______ and honour the traditional values of the
homeland. (reunion)
9. Vietnamese traditional paintings are diverse, serving both spiritual and ____________ purposes. (decorative)
10. There are ____________ rules and etiquette around the British tradition of drinking tea. (social)
C. GRAMMAR
I. Fill in the blanks with a or an.
1. Sli singing is __an___ original genre of Nung folk song.
2. The Cham people once boasted ___a__ flourishing culture early in the history.
3. Food is ___an__ important part of Vietnamese culture.
4. The Museum of Ethnology offers ___an__ insight into 54 ethnic groups of Viet Nam.
5. ___a__ small number of ethnic minorities in Viet Nam lived semi-nomadic life.
6. Hoi An is ___an__ ancient town on the coastal plain of Quang Nam.
7. __a__ very popular belief among Vietnamese is the custom of the ancestor cult.
8. Vietnamese culture is characterized by ___a__ series of unique customs and traditions.
9. Food is __an___ ideal symbolic marker of festivity in many countries.
10. The Viet people succeeded in establishing ___a__ centralized monarchy right in the 10th century.
II. Fill in the blanks with a, an, the, or  (zero article).
1. Viet Nam is __a___ S-shaped country located in __the___ centre of Southeast Asia.
2. In Japan, Shinto is __an___ ethnic religion focusing on __x___ ceremonies and rituals.
3. Israel has ___a__ dynamic, creative and diverse culture, but its holidays and festivals are all based on
__the___ Hebrew calendar.
4. The dhoti is __a___ type of traditional clothing for Indian men, which is __an___ unstitched piece of cloth
that is tied around the waist and legs.
5. Pho is ___an__ unique food of __x___ Viet Nam.
6. They will attend __an___ event to bring their culture closer to __x___ international friends.
7. Is it true that there is __an___ altar in __x___ every Vietnamese home and business?
8. _the__ culture of VN is _the__ customs and traditions of _the__ Kinh people and other __the_ ethnic groups
of VN.
9. Ancestor worship is widely practiced, with __x__elaborate rites and ceremonies to honour __x__family
members.
10. Worshiping their ancestors is __an___ important custom in ___the__ tradition of ___the__ Kinh people.
III. Choose the best answer to complete the sentences.
1. Vietnamese people celebrate _____ Tet annually, which is based on _____ lunisolar calendar.
A.  -  B.  - a C. the - the D. the – a
2. Farmers traditionally use Tet as _____ opportunity to remember _____ gods of harvest.
A. the - the B. a -  C.  -  D. an – the
3. Handicrafts would be _____ inevitable part if you want to buy _____ gifts when visiting Viet Nam.
A.  - the B. a - the C. an -  D.  - 
4. _____ Khmer people are _____ indigenous ethnic minority with _____ long history of settlement.
A. The - an - a B.  -  -  C. The - the - the D.  - a – an
5. _____ O Du’s culture is an indispensable part of ethnic culture in _____ Nghe An province.
A. The -  B. The - a C.  -  D.  - a
6. _____ National Village for Ethnic Culture is _____ excellent place to learn about Vietnam’s ethnic groups.
A. The - the B.  - a C. A - an D. The – an
7. If good things come to _____ family on _____ first day of the New Year, _____ entire following year will
also be full of blessings.
A. the - a - the B.  - the - an C. a - the - the D. a - a – an
8. _____ Mong Culture Festival is an opportunity to introduce and honour _____ values of _____ Mong
people’s traditions.
A.  - the -  B. The -  - the C. A - the -  D. The - the – the
9. The black Thai's pieu scarf is ____ symbol of love and ____ important clothing accessory for ____ women.
A. a - the - the B. a - an -  C.  - a - the D. the - the - 
10. _____ evident gap in the material and spiritual life has still existed between peoples living in _____ deltas
and those living in _____ mountain areas.
A.  - a - the B. An - the - the C. The - the -  D.  -  - the
IV. Choose the underlined part that needs correcting.
1. Viet Nam has an unique culture that has undergone over the millennia.
A. has B. an C. has undergone D. the
2. A special large conical hat give Vietnamese women an elegant look.
A. A B. give - gives C. an D. look
3. Should foreigners leave a hug when greeting Vietnamese people for first time?
A. a hug B. greeting C. for D. first time – the first time
4. It is importantly to have a general feel for the values and customs of a culture.
A. importantly - important B. a C. the D. a
5. Songkran, a festival in Thailand, is one of the most important events in a Buddhist calendar.
A. Songkran B. Thailand C. the most important D. a - the
6. The culture of Philippines is a blend of Filipino and Spanish Catholic traditions.
A. The B. Philippines- the Philippines C. a D. traditions
7. In Japan, a bow can range from a small nod of the head to deep bend at the waist.
A. a B. a C. the D. deep bend – a deep bend
8. Vu Lan Festival, a honoured tradition, is dedicated to the deceased parents, grandparents, and ancestors.
A. a - an B. is C. the D. and
9. In Viet Nam’s traditional society, a typical family can have three or four generations living under same roof.
A. In B. a C. living D. same roof – the same roof
10. Vietnamese New Year, known as Tet, is a celebration of a Lunar New Year in Vietnamese culture.
A. known as B. a C. a -the D. in
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 f. Yes, It’s a good idea to hand a gift with both
Sundays. hands.
3. Are there differences between customs and traditions? d. We pray for good health and luck.
4. Is there any unspoken rule of gift giving in your c. Perhaps you should wait for the host to start
country? eating.
5. What do you usually do at a pagoda? e. Yes. But you can only do that at Tet.
6. They have a tradition of visiting relatives at Tet. b. Do they also visit their friends?
7. What family event do you often take part in, Loan? g. No. Sometimes we use forks.
8. What should I do when having meal with a Vietnamese j. Oh, we have lots of events, but I like family
family? meals the most.
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. h. Which meal is it, lunch or dinner?
Answer:
1- g 2-h 3-i 4-f 5-d 6-b 7-j 8-c 9-a 10-e
II. Put the sentences into the correct order to make a conversation.
_3__ Really? What have you learned about them so far?
_11__ You can see men wearing their ao dai in some festivals, ceremonies, art shows, weddings...
_12__ That’s really interesting to know! I should read more about this.
_8__ No, I can’t. What is it?
_1_ Hi, Abigail. What are you doing?
_6__ The ao dai is a Vietnamese national costume. Vietnamese women usually wear ao dai on special
occasions. They also wear it at many workplaces. Girls wear white ao dai in high schools.
_5__ What is interesting? I’d like to know if you can tell some facts about it.
_7__ That’s true. But there’s one more thing. Can you guess?
_9__ 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.
_2__ Hi, Duong. I’m reading about Vietnamese customs and traditions.
_4__ Well, I’ve just started reading, but I know something interesting about ao dai.
_10__ Oh! That’s why I’ve never seen Vietnamese men wearing ao dai. Are there any opportunities to 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 to 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 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
4. demonstrate d. too important not to have
5. succession e. something that is done regularly and always in the same
Answer:
1- 2- 3- 4- 5-
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. Rearrange the words to make meaningful sentences.
1. / / / / / / / /
Story telling is a great way to keep the local tradition alive
2. / / / / / / / / /
It’s becoming a custom for us to stay out late on New Year’s Eve
3. / / / / / / / / / / /
You shouldn’t wear a hat when you go into a temple or a pagoda
4. / / / / / /
Many people think that hark work is an important Vietnamese value
5. / / / / / /
The Vietnamese unicorn dance and Japanese lion dance are the both popular
6. / / / / / / /
My mum always prepares offerings to worship our ancestors at Tet holiday.
7. / / / / / / / / /
Sometimes we break with tradition by going out to have dinner at a Western restaurant
8. / / /
Having dinner at my grandparents’ house is a custom we practise every Sunday
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 need to tip for poor services.
2. My family traditionally cooks banh chung at Tet holiday.
 My family follows a tradition of cooking bank chung at Tet holiday
3. Speaking loudly is impolite.
You shouldn’t speak loudly inside a temple or pagoda
4. It’s mandatory for him to learn to use chopsticks for eating rice.
 He must learn to use chopsticks for eating rice.
5. You should
 It’s a good idea to greet people with a warm handshake in formal places.
6. They will probably
 They might travel to Japan to experience Japanese lifestyle.
7. Our custom is to
 We have the custom of taking off hats before going into the house.
8. You shouldn’t touch because it’s disrespectful.
 It’s disrespectful for touching another person’s head