Australia Day is a big national holiday in Australia.It celebrates the day in 1788 when Britishpeople first arrived in Australia. Thecelebrations take place on January 26th andthere are many types of celebrations on this day.

The city of Perth has the biggest fireworkdisplay in the world. Around half a millionpeople go to watch this display every year.There are air displays in big towns. InParramatta Regional Park, near Sydney, there is a huge balloon launch. It starts at six in themorning, and thousands of people come towatch the brightly-coloured balloons rising upinto the sky.

The prime minister always makes a speechand announces the ‘Australian of the Year’. Thisis usually a scientist, a writer, a famous sportsperson, or even a film star. In 2006, ProfessorIan Frazer was ‘Australian of the Year’. He is ascientist and he’s working on a cure for cancer.

Not all Australians are happy with thiscelebration, however. For the Aborigines, thecolonisation of Australia by Europeans was notso positive. Some Aborigines are optimistic andthey call this day ‘Survival Day’. Others are lesshappy and call the day ‘Invasion Day’.

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Australia day1 T4.36 Osserva le foto, ascolta e leggi il testo.

Metti le didascalie sotto la foto corretta.

The prime minister always makes a speech.

In Parramatta Regional Park, near Sydney, there is a huge balloon launch.

‘Australian of the year’ ceremony.

Lavorate in coppie, rispondete alle domandee prendete appunti. Poi preparate una brevepresentazione orale.• What is Italy’s most important national

holiday?• Name five people who deserve the

‘Italian of the Year’ award. These can be past or present. Why do you think they deserve it?

Presentazione orale

A

C

B

2 Ora rileggi il testo e rispondi alle domande.

1 What does Australia Day celebrate?2 How many people watch the firework

display in Perth?3 When does the balloon launch in Sydney

begin?4 What kinds of people receive honours

and medals on Australia Day?5 What do the Aborigines call ‘Australia Day’?

ES

3

2

1

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Waitangi day1 T4.37 Osserva le foto e rispondi alle domande. Poi ascolta e

leggi il testo per controllare le risposte.

1 What are the people doing in pictures 1 and 3? 2 What is the man wearing in picture 2?

Lavorate in coppie, rispondete alle domande e prendete appunti. Poi preparate una brevepresentazione orale su feste tradizionali italiane.• Do you know the names of any traditional

Italian dances?• Which special Italian customs survive

from the past?• Which Italian towns have special festivals

connected with boats and the sea?Describe one in detail.

Presentazione orale2 Rileggi il testo e rispondi alle domande.

1 Who are the original peoples of NewZealand?

2 When was the ‘Treaty of Waitangi’ signed?3 How many Maori are there in New

Zealand now? 4 When do local Maori tribes make

speeches to politicians?5 What is a waka?

HistoryThe Maoris are the original peoples of New Zealand. They are a peaceful

people, but when the Europeans arrived, this led to conflict over land. To

stop the fighting, on February 6th, 1840, in Waitangi, the Maori Chiefs signed

the ‘Treaty of Waitangi’ with Governor Hobson. This gave Britain sovereignty

over New Zealand, and gave some protection to the Maoris. Now 15%

(600,000) of the 4 million people who live in New Zealand are Maori.

CelebrationsThe celebrations for Waitangi Day usually begin on the previous day,

February 5th. Politicians visit a sacred Maori area and listen to speeches

from the local Maori tribes.

On February 6th, the day usually starts with some Maori dances, which

remind people of the Maori traditions. The most famous traditions are the

haka and the hongi. The hongi symbolises peace and the haka war. At

Waitangi, there is a re-enactment of the signing of the treaty. In other parts

of New Zealand, there are parades, sports events, arts festivals, music and

traditional waka ama (Maori canoe races). They also send a giant waka (big

canoe) into the sea and sing Maori songs.

3

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A visitor to Canada might sometimes thinkthey are in Britain. Canadians celebratemany of the same holidays. There areEnglish pubs, Irish folk festivals, ScottishHighland games, and customs such as theOpening of Parliament and the Trooping of the Colour. Many place names are thesame: Glasgow, Liverpool, Oxford, Windsor,Caledonia. For six months of the year, theStratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontarioputs on plays by William Shakespeare,England’s most famous writer.

Victoria Day first became a special holidayin Canada in 1845. It originally celebratedQueen Victoria’s birthday on May 24th.

She was queen from 1837 to 1901. Today, Canadians celebrate Victoria Day on a Monday every year, on or before May 25th. They have fireworks,picnics, sports events, boat trips andparties with their families and friends.

Canadians also use this day to honourQueen Elizabeth. Many Canadians love the monarchy and they love to welcomeQueen Elizabeth when she visits them.Victoria Day is also a holiday in theFrench-speaking parts of Canada, but theFrench Canadians in Quebec celebrate the‘Journée Nationale des Patriotes’ in honourof French Canadian patriots in a rebellionin Lower Canada in 1837.

1 Which Scottish tradition is popular in Canada?2 Where is the annual Canadian Shakespeare Festival?3 When did Victoria Day first become a national holiday in Canada?4 How long was Queen Victoria the queen of England?5 What does the ‘Journée Nationale des Patriotes’ celebrate?

Festivals

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Victoria day1 T4.38 Osserva la figura e rispondi alla domanda. Poi ascolta e leggi il

testo su Victoria Day e rispondi alle domande in fondo.

Who is Queen Victoria and what do you know about her?

Lavorate in coppie e pensate all’Italia. Rispondete alle domande e prendete appunti. Poi preparate una breve presentazione orale.• Are there any festivals for famous Italian writers in Italy?• How are they celebrated?

Presentazione orale

Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario

Rebellion of 1837

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Lavorate in coppie e prendete appunti. Poipreparate una breve presentazione orale.• Imagine that you have to create a new

flag for your town or village. Work in groups to create a new design. Discuss the symbols and the colours.

Presentazione orale

Freedom day1 Lavora in coppia e pensa alle risposte a queste domande.

1 Freedom Day is one of the major festivals in South Africa. What do you think it celebrates?

2 Look at the South African flag on the right. What do you think the colours represent?

2 T4.39 Ora ascolta e leggi il testo e rispondi alle domande. ES

1 What does Freedom Day celebrate?2 What happened in 2001 in London?3 Who attended in 2001?4 Which city held a big Freedom Day party

in 2004?

Festivals

Freedom Day is a new festival in the history of South Africa but it is a veryimportant one. It celebrates the moment in 1994 when Apartheid, as a systemof government, was abolished, and Nelson Mandela, the famous freedomfighter, became president of South Africa. For the first time, on April 27th 1994,all South Africans – black and white – could vote in democratic elections.

The flag of South Africa has six colours. The black, green and goldrepresent the anti-apartheid movements. The blue, white and red represent theBritish and Dutch influences in the country.

In 2001 there was a huge free concert in England to celebrate FreedomDay. Performers at the concert included REM and the jazz musician HughMasekela, and the guest of honour was Nelson Mandela himself.

On the tenth anniversary of Freedom Day there was a big party in Pretoriato celebrate ten years of freedom. There was traditional music, dancing and lotsof African drumming.

Other celebrations on this day included a big military parade and a specialair show. There were rock concerts and classical music concerts. Famouspeople came from all over the world to congratulate South Africa.

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