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Five unusual festival events in Great Britain

1.Medieval football

This is a game played in the village of Ashbourne.The rules are similar to how football was played in England hundreds of years ago.The village divides into two teams.One team consists of people from the south of the village and the other of people from the north.There is a goal on each side of the town, 1.5 miles from the centre.The aim is to get the ball into the goal on your side of the town.Players can kick, throw and carry it.

2.Cheese rolling

This is a race that takes place in the south-west of England.It is a little different from a typical race.Competitors each have to roll a large round piece of cheese down a hill.Many of them fall and end up getting injured.

3.The greasy pole

This event happens in a village called Blakeney, which is located next to the sea.The greasy pole is a long piece of wood that is made very wet and so it is difficult to walk on without slipping.The pole is put over the harbour, where the water is deep.Competitors have to try and reach the end of the pole without falling into the water.

4.Egg throwing

You must make a team with a partner to enter this competition in Lincolnshire.You will throw an egg to your partner who must catch it.The winning teams are those who throw the egg the furthest distance and catch it without breaking it.

5.Mud race

To take part in this running race by the sea in Essex, you have to first cover yourselfin mud.It used to occur every January, but people thought it was too cold so it now takes place in May.

Activity 1

Are there any unusual events that happen in your country? What are they?

Activity 2

Read the paragraph below and replace the words/definitions initalics(1-4) with a word/words from a-d with the same meaning.

I took part in this crazy event yesterday that 1.happensevery year.We acted a 2.centuries-oldbattle in a field.I had to wear ancient clothes too.I fell over and 3.turned many timesdown a hill.When I got up, I realised I had 4.brown wet stuff from the groundall over me.

a.rolled

b.medieval

c.mud

d.takes place

Activity 3

Which events do the sentences below describe, according to the text? More than one answer may be possible.

a.You should know how to swim if you want to take part.

b.You could hurt yourself.

c.A number of small teams compete in this.

d.Two large teams compete in this.

e.You enter on your own, not in a team.

f.This happens on the coast of Britain.

Activity 4

Synonyms are two or more words which have the same or similar meaning.For example ‘occur’ and ‘take place’ in this sentence:

It used to occur every January, but people thought it was too cold so it now takes place in May.

A.Look at each of the words in bold in the sentences below.

1.The aim is to get the ball into the goal.

2.The village divides into two teams.

3.Many of them fall and end up getting injured.

4.… you have to first cover yourself in mud.

5.… catch it without breaking it.

The following words (a-e) are synonyms for the words in bold.Check the meaning of each word below in a learner dictionary and match it to the correct synonym (1-5).

a.trip (verb)

b.soil (noun)

c.crack (verb)

d.objective (noun)

e.split (verb)

B.Remember, synonyms can be words with exactly the same meaning or words with similar but slightly different meanings.Which synonyms from above are exact matches and which have slightly different meanings?

Answers

Activity 2

1.d; 2.b; 3.a; 4.c

Activity 3

a.Greasy pole; b.Cheese rolling; c.Egg throwing; d.Medieval football; e.Cheese rolling,greasy pole and mud race; f.Greasy pole and mud race

Activity 4

a.

1.d; 2.e; 3.a; 4.b; 5.c

b.

Exactly the same

objective - aim; split - divide

Slightly different

trip - fall (trip is a more detailed action and you may not fall if you trip)crack - break (crack causes less damage)soil - mud (mud is wet soil)