A Don't use a few with uncountable nouns like 'money', 'food', or 'water'. Use a little: Would you like a little milk in your ! coffee? |
A Don't confuse few (=a very small number) and a few (-a small number, not many): He was a horrible man and he had few friends. I Let's invite a few friends for
dinner. |
——, - , ..— '
not many not meni, [quantifier} а smaller number than you expect or want. "Were there many people in town?" "No, not many."
not many people / places etc There weren't many people at the party, but it was still fun. I Not many restaurants stay open after midnight. + of Not many of my friends play musical instruments.
QOne ОГ tWO Io:T 'lui+j [quantifier] especially spoken a small number of people or things: "Do you have any R.E.M. records?' "Yes. one or two."
one or two people/places/questions etc
We've had one or two problems with the car, but nothing serious. I There are one or two things I'd like to ask you about. + of One or two of the girls started arguing with the teacher.
few continues on page 281
^ see pages 278-290
278
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Christmas
Christmas Eve - 24th December Christmas Day - 25th December
Christmas is one of the most important festivals of the year. It is the time when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, and many people go to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. But t is also a time when people have a holiday from school or work, give each other presents, and send each other cards.
The shops are always busy during the period before Christmas, when people buy presents and traditional Christmas food and drink
People often spend Christmas with their families. They decorate the r houses and usually have a Christmas tree, which they also decorate with coloured lights, shiny glass balls etc. On Christmas day they open their presents, and then they have a special meal The traditional Christmas dinner is roast turkey, arid in Britain this is followed by Christmas pudding.
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FESTIVALS & SPECIAL DAYS
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL DAYS
see also holiday, free time, party
New Year
New Year's Eve - 31st December New Year's Day - 1st January
People celebrate the beginning of the New Year. On New Year's Eve, they often have a party with their family and friends, and when midnight comes, they sing a special song called 'Auld Lang Syne' and say 'Happy New Year' to each other.
The New Year is also seen as a time when people try to change their lives and 'make a new start', for example by promising to stop smoking or to take more exercise These promises are called 'New Year resolutions'.
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL DAYS
Easter
A special time In the Christian religion, during March or April
Easter is a period of several days, when Christians celebrate their belief that Jesus Christ died and then returned to fife. On Good Friday, they remember Christ's death on the cross, then two days later on Easter Sunday - they celebrate his return to life. The following day, Easter Monday, is a holiday in Britain,
Easter is also the tme when the Spring is |ust beginning. Adults give each other chocoiates and flowers, and children are given Easter eggs (large eggs made of chocolate).
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vocabulary
card /ku:rd/ |n С] a piece of stiff folded paper with a picture on It, which you write a message on and send to people on special days Christmas card/Valentine's card/birthday card
Did you get any Ui/enfine's cards?
send sb a card / must remember to send Amanda
a Christmas card.
celebrate teljjbren/ [u l/T] to show that an event or occasion is important by doing something special celebrate Easter/Christmas etc What are you going to do to celebrate New Year? celebrate Christmas/Easter by doing sth Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah by giuing each other gifts
Christinas tree /knsm^s tri: [n С) a real or artificial fir tree which people decorate and have in their houses at Christmas
decorate Alekarert/ b T to make a place, room, or thing look colourful and attractive by putting bright and pretty things everywhere decorate sth with sth VJe decorate the Christmas tree with tinse/ and coloured lights.
dress up /dres лр/ |u i] to wear special clothes and make-up (=paint for your face), especially so that
you look like someone or something else + as Each year at the Carnival, the children dress up as butterflies and march through the town.
festival /'festival/ |п С] a special occasion when people traditionally celebrate something such as an important religious event or an important event in the history of their country
/Lreworks /'fai9rw3:rks/ (n plural! a thing that burns and explodes to produce coloured lights, noise, and smoke
/Irework display (=a special event where many fireworks are lit юг people to look at and enjoy) A quarter of a million people watched the firework display over Santa Monica Bay.
the harvest ^э ba:rv^st/ (n singular) the time or year when the crops that people have grown arc ready to be picked and eaten
independence /.'ndA'pendans/ Jn U] the time when a country oegins to govern itself after a period of being controlled by another country
festivals continues on the next page
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL DAYS 280
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL DAYS
HU
Halloween
31st October
In the past, people believed that the spirits of dead people appeared on this day.
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Today children celebrate Halloween by dressing up as witches and ghosts, and going 'trick or treating'. They go out in groups and knock on people's doors, shouting 'Trick or treat!'. People usually give them sweets or small presents as a treat.
Guy Fawkes' Night/Bonfire Night Sth November
I
In Britain, people light bonfires and let off fireworks on 5th November Traditionally, this is done to remember the time when Guy Fawkes tried (but failed) to destroy the British Houses of Parliament with gunpowder in the 1 7th century.