Halloween

Halloween

Read some facts about one of the most popular festivals!

Tuesday, 27 October, 2015 - 02:25

As I start to plan my hotdog costume for Halloween on Saturday, I begin to consider what the history of the festival is and how on earth hotdogs are related to it. Well in short, they’re not; but then how has Halloween developed over the years to allow me to go to a party this weekend dressed as fast food!? Today, the celebrations have clearly become westernised as well as commercialised, particularly in the USA where it is now the holiday that makes the most money after Christmas. As well as dressing up, these days we’re used to haunted houses, pumpkins, scary face paint and trick-or-treating (when children knock on neighbours’ doors to demand either a treat – usually chocolate and sweets – or else threatening to play a trick or a prank on them).

However, the Halloween we know today actually originates from as long as 2,000 years ago from a festival called Samhain. This was celebrated on 1st November by the Celts who lived in Britain and northern France. The evening before, it was believed that the dead would return, and as a result people would wear disguises as ghosts to trick the real ghosts into thinking they were not alive.  In the 8th century this festival became known as All Saints’ Day, or All Hallows’ Day, and the night before called All Hallows’ Eve, which is where the current name Halloween comes from.

Trick-or-treating originates from several traditions in medieval Britain on the festival All Souls’ Day that were taken to America by British immigrants in the 19th century. These traditions included poor people begging for food known as soul cakes, in return agreeing to pray for the dead; or young people dressing up and offering entertainment such as singing in order to receive gifts of money, food or drink. Other rituals included superstitious games that related to women finding themselves husbands, these games often involving food.

So nowadays, although my Halloween experience will also involve food (of course via my costume), our celebrations have clearly come a long way from the traditions of 2,000 years ago. Nevertheless, we can recognise many similarities that explain some of the stranger aspects of Halloween, and of course the history helps to remind us what Halloween is really about.

Watch the video about  Halloween. Follow the link:http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-trick-or-treating  http://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween/videos/haunted-history-of-halloween?m=528e394da93ae&s=undefined&f=1&free=false

Modals

Have a look at this table to refresh some facts about the modals. In the bottom of the page you'll find the links to do some interactive trainings.

You should also watch a grammar video to help you with modals. Follow the link http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/grammar-videos/modals-deduction

http://www.englishpage.com/modals/interactivemodal1.htm
http://www.englishpage.com/modals/interactivemodal2.htm

Train your reading and grammar skills!

In order to get ready to your exams don't forget to train your English skills!

Try on and you'll get your true level of English.
https://zno.yandex.ua/ru/english/
http://zno.osvita.ua/english/
http://zno.osvita.net/TestingWelcome.aspx?test_id=31T10109N1

Fashion.

“Fashion dictators also make mistakes, but there will always be millions of women who are willing to pay for that.”

Fashion. When you hear that word you may very well think of ditsy supermodels that strut around in thousand dollar name brand pieces of fabric. Or you could think of movies like Confessions of a Shopaholic, The September Issue, Coco Before Chanel, or The Devil Wears Prada. But what you most likely don't think of is an art, a career, a passion, or a lifestyle. Fashion can promote creativity,  that it is very important in culture, society, and religion, and it can make you look and feel more professional.

So,  you may think that fashion is not important. That people should find other ways to be creative, like joining an art class, or getting into photography. Maybe you think that nowadays the clothing choices are just not all that great, and I agree with you in part. Or you could think that if people want to be religious then they can practice their religion just as long as they are in their own home, or a place of worship. You might think that kids shouldn’t be exposed to other cultures besides theirs. Maybe you think that you can look professional without making a big deal about it. And trust me all of these reasons are completely valid and you have the right to think this way. But in this case the pros outnumber the cons.  First off, fashion can make you more creative in your everyday life. Of course you’re wondering how fashion could possibly improve someone’s creativity. But if you really think about it, when you are getting dressed in the morning what goes through your mind? No matter what it is it's probably pretty creative and you most likely put some thought into it. No matter if you are trying to look like the most popular kids in your school or if you are trying to look like your favorite celebrity. Now if we were more creative with everything that we do including the way that we dress it could makes us more creative in school/work. What I have found is that people feel extremely happy when they create something that they like and ends up a success. For example if someone was getting dressed and they decided to wear an outfit that they had never worn before and people complimented them on it they would be happy and self- confident. Once people understand that it is okay that your clothes look different from other people's and they start to enjoy looking different and/or having a "signature" style they will become a lot less stressed about how they look and won't feel as much pressure to look like everyone else. Of course it will also really give people a lot of self-confidence, which is always a good thing. For all of these reasons fashion can promote creativity in everyday life.

In addition, fashion is important in culture and religions. When I say that fashion is important to culture and religion you may ask how? How is something so superficial as fashion important to any religion or culture? But when you take the time to look, fashion is everywhere in religions and cultures. For example, Muslim women cover their faces with head scarves. That could definitely be classified as a “fashion statement,” because it is taking the way that you dress and using it for a purpose. If people were to dress in clothes from their religion more often it could possibly create stronger faith in religion and less people feeling like it is odd to wear things like that. It would create stronger faiths because if people were to dress according to their religion it would be a daily reminder of their faith. And as you have probably noticed people tend to do what they see others doing. So this could catch on quite easily. It would show kids that it is okay to be different from everyone else. If a bunch of their friends has some sort of religious clothing item and wore it then the kid would most likely think that if it were okay for his friend to be different than it is okay for him to be different as well. It could quite possibly make people more interested in other cultures. If someone saw an article of clothing that one person was wearing and thought that it was interesting than that person might want to do a bit of research on that culture and find out what it was for. When I say that it is important in culture I don’t just mean a culture from another country, but I also meant how society develops in the United States. Before women worked there weren’t many women’s dress suits. Most of the clothing for women has changed drastically because of the professions that some women choose nowadays. Most women’s clothing way back when was just fit for house work, grocery shopping, or taking care of kids. Now that some women work more clothes have changed to make them more professional looking and to make it easier for them to work in. Last but not least fashion can make you look and feel more professional. If you are wearing something that makes you look more professional to a job interview they are more likely to take you seriously and consider you for the job. If people see you and think that you are professional, well kept, and put together than they are more likely to be nice to you.  Someone thinks highly of you but someone  thinks that you’re not that great of a person. You will also feel better about yourself and feel like you are professional; therefore you will do better in your work. And finally, fashion is important because it can make you more creative, it is important in culture and religion, and it makes you look and feel more professional. There are many reasons why this is a completely valid point. I have shown you many facts, and explain it all. Let's face it, regardless of your doubts fashion is important.


Watch the latest fashion trend news here:
 Emporio Armani Milan fashion show https://youtu.be/ZbAkmrwwr7g
Versace fashion show https://youtu.be/HrrGkv51A_M

Youth in Ukraine

Nowadays when our independent state Ukraine is developing, much attention is paid to our youth. The desire of our young people to become qualified specialists in future motivates them to enter higher educational establishments. For young people higher education is the method of developing their talents and abilities, their creative potential. That is why beside their studies they are also engaged in different clubs and organizations. Almost every school or institute has its own team of «joyful and smart» (KVN). This game is rather popular among our young people and it helps them to bring out their brightest talents and to create team spirit. Young people learn to work together, to share the moments of luck and failure. Beside studies young people are also engaged in scientific and research work. One may say that nowadays this sphere is not paid too much attention to. This is true, but still there exist «Young Scientists’ Councils», where young people can discuss or present their scientific investigations. There also exists the Ukrainian branch of youth organization Greenpeace in Ukraine. Young people learn to love their land and the world that surrounds them. This organization protests against environmental pollution, against murdering of all animals, not only rare species. Some young people work in their church organizations: they help elderly people, reconstruct our historical monuments and monasteries. This work brings them closer to our history, teaches them to love their country and respect its past. A lot of young people go in for sports, that is why schools and institutes have sport clubs and teams. Our young people are especially interested in football, basketball, hockey, etc. There also exist a great variety of different clubs in this country. They are: theatre clubs, where young people stage different literary works; clubs «What? Where? When?», where they can enlarge their knowledge in different fields of science and life, and so on. Future belongs to the young, that is why the political life of this country is important to them. Many young people are engaged is political parties and organizations such as: «the greens», the Union of Ukrainian Youth, the Scouts.

Fashion. Styles.

What are types of fashion styles? Fashion styles are commonly misunderstood idea, which is less complicated than it often seems. In reality, understanding different types of fashion styles can actually simplify your shopping and apparel. All apparels are grouped according to similarities in pattern, fabric, style line and color. These types of fashion styles can create looks that convey common themes. Fashion style generally refers to the groups of personality traits, which also match specific fashion theme. Fashion style is like a character sketch that describes a personality out of a fashion theme. For example, you have arty fashion type, you may be drawn to arty themes in apparel consciously.

Types of Fashion Styles

1

Bohemian

Bohemian style is characterized with artistic interests like arty style. However, the difference is that Bohemian style focuses on some exotic patterns and textures. The free-spirited Bohemian draws inspirations from the gypsy look with their intricate patterns, peasant blouses, multiple chains, head scarves, and also hippy ponchos and tie dye jeans. Bohemian is well known for features that are considered non-traditional in appearance.

2

Arty

Arty, as the name suggests, pertains to a creative thinker. The clothes an arty girl wears shows her artistic themes. Arty style avoids the conventional and chooses something unique. People with arty style also prefer handcrafted items and actually create their own clothing and even accessories at times.

3

Chic

One of the popular types of fashion styles is the chic style. "Chic" is often synonymous with "trendy" or "fashionable". People who favor this style prefer classic and stylish designs that are striking and smart. For example, the garments are always well tailored and the accessories are well chosen. Chic style means having clothes that have strong colors but not garish.

4

Classic

Classic style may express comfort, but actually it focuses more on quality and popular styles such as white button-down blouses, ballet flats, a wide-legged trouser and leather boots. Classic apparel has a superb fabric and impeccable tailoring. It focuses on clean uncluttered lines and formal balance, which expresses a sense of stability. If you have this type of fashion, you are showing simple elegance in your wardrobe.

5

Exotic

Exotic style focuses on something very uncommon, striking yet excitingly different. A traveler who comes from another exotic land may show exotic style. Exotic style is often mysterious and intriguing. The clothing style centers on long flowing lines that has rich smoky colors, embroidery, mysterious ornate patterns, jungle prints, mosaics and iridescent textures and shiny jewelry, etc.

6

Flamboyant

"Flamboyant" is associated with "dramatic". However, between flamboyant and dramatic, flamboyant is more energetic and outgoing. The main characteristic of flamboyant is being flashy. The clothing of this fashion style are often asymmetrical, exaggerated flouncing, fringe, multi-colored, and splashy. At most times, flamboyant fashion style can have outlandish prints or intense bright colors.

7

Glamorous

Glamorous style shows a dazzling look accompanied with refined drama. But it also has a subtle allure, which can be between dramatic style and sexy style. Similar to flamboyant style, the clothes often get everyone’s attention. Most of apparels are deep to bright, however, not really intense. A glamorous style is never complete without diamonds, silk and satin.

8

Romantic

Romantics are often called as hopeless or even incurable, but in reality, she is not looking for romance but is hoping for romance. A romantic is idealistic and often unrealistic. The apparel often includes flowers, hearts, ruffles, flouncing, soft fabrics which have gentle curve lines and accessorizes with lockets and cameos.

9

Sexy

The main goal of sexy dresses is to turn men’s heads, which often annoy other woman around. Sexy style is often flirtatious and shows the maximum exposure of the body. Sexy style is not complete without baring lot of skin, wearing tight fitting tops and even the bottoms that leave little to the imagination. It is often accompanied with stiletto heels, tight skirts or shorts.

10

Sophisticated

People with sophisticated style are not easily satisfied. Similar to classic, these people want high quality. Aside from high quality, distinction and culture polish which is beyond the elegance are needed. People who appreciate sophisticated style are often socialites or want to be one. In fact, these people dream themselves as connoisseurs who value haute culture and luxury.

11

Western

Western fashion style features the cowboy themes of the American Southwest and West. The western fashion is great for those who work or live on a ranch, participate in a rodeo or those who wish they live that kind of life. The people with this style typically have active, sunny and straight-talking characteristics. Western wear can be very informal, such as blue jeans, t-shirt, denim jacket, fringe jacket, cowboy hat, leather belt, and cowboy boots, etc.

12

Traditional

Traditional fashion style shows the wholesome and sensible “girl next door”. These people' characteristics are practical, polite and always dress appropriately. Their styles are classic since most of the apparels are time-honored favorites. A girl with this style often wear a plaid flannel shirt or pea coat. She also prefers the classic black dress as long as it suits the occasion.

13

Preppy

Preppy style is very popular among college students. This style is often girly but not too much frilly. The clothes are great to mix and match. In most of the time, the style may appear luxurious but actually people with this style do not drop ton of cash to have the look. The apparel often includes opaque tights, A-line skirts, girly blouses and headbands, etc.

14

Punk

Punk style had started after the World War II but it became popular in the 1970’s. It had gone through different modifications and style twists but the main goal of punk style is to be anti-materialistic and edgy. Glam punk has bright colors, leather, spandex and leopard print while pop punk may have skinny jeans, band tees, skater styles and wrist bands.

15

Tomboy

Tomboy style is for a girl who wants to wear something simple and who doesn't like to wear pink. Tomboy style focuses on graphic tees and distressed shirts from the boy section of department stores. This apparel is a bit baggy but it is not a bad thing. Likewise, popular stores offer unisex clothes that can be worn by guys and gals.

16

Rocker

Depending on the genre or the crowd, rocker style may vary from ultra-glam to grunge. Thrift stores are the ultimate source of the rock styles. Clothes are cheap and looks like they were worn in for several months. Rockers do not wear baggy clothes and they opt for smaller size. Rocker style is not complete without ripped denim, vintage tees and leather jacket.

17

Goth

Gothic fashion is a clothing style influenced by Goth subculture. This style is characterized with dark and morbid style of dress. Common Gothic style includes black lips, black hair as well as black clothes. Males and females who follow Goth style wear dark fingernails and dark eyeliner. Some elements in Goth style are often borrowed from punk style, Victorians and Elizabethans.

Proverbs are wise sayings that are remembered and repeated. The ones below are so popular that you will often hear them in daily conversation.

If you're trying to learn English, it would be a great idea to memorize these proverbs. By memorizing them, you will not only learn some common English sayings; you will also help your brain to become better at forming good English sentences.

So here are 50 more awesome sayings that English speakers use:

"A broken clock is right twice a day."
When an old clock stops working, it shows one specific time but doesn't move. So once in the day and once at night, the clock is pointing to the correct time. In the same way, even a person who's not very smart can sometimes be correct by accident.
 
  
"A friend in need is a friend indeed."
If someone helps you when you're in trouble, that person is a true friend.
 
  
"A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing."
Sometimes when a person knows a little bit about something, they feel like they're an expert. Because they feel like an expert, they try to do things that they shouldn't and they mess everything up.
 
 
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."
Some things, like learning to speak English fluently, take a really long time. It might seem like too much work. But the only way to achieve your goals is to start working now.
 
  
"All is fair in love and war."
In love and romance, you sometimes do things that aren't very nice. For example, you might break up with someone or steal another person's partner. This phrase means that that's OK.
 
  
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
You can't work all of the time. You have to relax as well.
 
  
"Better safe than sorry."
You should be careful, even if it seems like it's not necessary. The consequences if something goes wrong are much worse than wasting a little time and effort by being careful.
 
  
"Better the devil you know than the one you don't."
When you have a choice between two bad things, it's safer to pick the bad thing that you've already experienced. The other bad thing might be worse.
 
  
"Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes."
Sometimes people criticize each other. But it's not fair to criticize someone else if you haven't had the same experiences.
 
  
"Don't put the cart before the horse."
Pay attention to what's most important. Don't let things which aren't as important take up all of your time and attention.
 
  
"Don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk."
You shouldn't brag about being able to do something if you can't actually do it.
 
  
"Don't throw out the baby with the bath water."
When you're trying to get rid of something bad, you might accidentally get rid of the good things that are connected with it as well. Don't do that.
 
  
"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."
This is a quotation from the famous American inventor and diplomat Benjamin Franklin. It means it's healthy and smart to go to sleep early and wake up early.
 
  
"Every cloud has a silver lining."
When something bad happens to you, don't get too upset. There's usually something good associated with any bad experience. For example, if you get fired from your job, it might push you to get a better job instead.
 
  
"Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man how to fish, he eats for a lifetime."
Don't try to help people by just giving them things. The result will be temporary. If you want to help someone long-term, teach them how to do things on their own.
 
  !
"Great minds think alike."
Smart people often have the same ideas. Say this when someone has the same smart idea that you have.
 
  
"Haste makes waste."
When you try to work too quickly, you make mistakes. That can waste time, money, or materials. So slow down.
 
  
"Hindsight is 20/20"
It's easy to know what you should have done in the past, but making correct decisions is harder in the moment. This phrase means that you shouldn't judge someone's past decisions based on the information you know now.
 
  
"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."
Keep working hard and trying to succeed, even if you fail at first.
 
  
"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride."
Don't spend a lot of time wishing for things. Wishes are useless. Instead of wishing, you should work hard to achieve your goals.
 
  
"If you snooze, you lose."
You have to act quickly to get the things you want.
 
  
"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
Don't say mean things about other people.
 
  
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."
Don't just complain about problems that you see. Do something to solve the problems.
 
  
"It's no use crying over spilled milk."
If you break something, lose money, etc., don't get too upset about it. It's already happened, so getting upset isn't useful.
 
  
"It's not over 'till the fat lady sings."
Say this in a competition or game. When other people think that the result has already been decided, but you're not ready to admit that it's finished, use this phrase.
 
  
"Jack of all trades, master of none."
Someone who is good at a lot of different skills is usually not very good at any of them.
 
  
"Knowledge is power."
You should try to learn a lot. Knowing more things makes you more powerful.
 
  
"Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas."
If you associate with dishonest people, bad things will happen to you.
 
  
"Look before you leap."
Make decisions carefully. Don't make a decision without thinking about it and researching it carefully.
 
  
"Measure twice, cut once."
Once you've made some decisions, it's hard to change it. Think carefully before making a decision.
 
  
"Misery loves company."
People who are unhappy want to make other people unhappy too.
 
  
"Never put off till (until) tomorrow what you can do today."
Don't be lazy. If you have some work that you need to do, do it now. Don't wait to do it later.
 
  
"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
When people get power, they always do mean, dishonest things. We shouldn't allow anyone to have too much power.
 
  
"Rome wasn't built in a day."
Doing important work takes a long time. Be patient.
 
  
"Slow and steady wins the race."
You shouldn't use all of your energy at the beginning of a project. Work slowly so that you won't run out of energy quickly.
  
"Still waters run deep."
People who don't talk a lot sometimes have really interesting thoughts.
 
  
"Strike while the iron is hot."
When you have a good opportunity, go for it. Don't wait for too long.
 
  
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
Children are very similar to their parents.
 
  
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
What you want or intend to do doesn't matter. Your actions matter. Simply wanting to do the right thing isn't enough; you have to actually do the right thing.
 
  
"The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
Men love women who can cook well.
 
  
"There's no such thing as bad publicity."
When people talk about a business, it's good for the business, even if they're saying bad things about it.
 
  
"Time is money."
Wasting time is expensive, so hurry up!
 
  
"Two is company, three is a crowd."
You say this when you want to be alone with someone (often because you are romantically interested in them) but someone else is also with you. In other words, you want the third person to go away.
 
  
"What goes around comes around."
If you do bad things to other people, bad things will happen to you. On the other hand, good things will happen to you if you do good things to other people.
 
  
"What goes up must come down."
Nothing can continue to increase forever. Everything that grows or rises will shrink or fall eventually.
 
  
"What's good for the goose is good for the gander."
A goose is a type of bird. A gander is the male version of that bird. So this phrase means that things which are good for women are also good for men, and vice versa.
 
  
"You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."
To get what you want, be nice to people. Don't yell at them or be mean.
 
  
"You can't have your cake and eat it too."
This means that you can't have everything you want. There are trade-offs in life. You may also hear people say that you can have your cake and eat it too.
 
  
"You can't teach an old dog new tricks."
Older people don't change their habits easily.
 
  
"You reap what you sow."
Your actions have consequences. When you do good things, good things happen to you. When you do bad things, bad things happen to you.

Youth culture

Read the information about youth culture and make an outline. Young people often want to reject conventional style of life, to differ from others. The idea not to be one of the crowd but the odd one out, sometimes even the leader of the pack, is quite attracting. The problem is how to realize the idea. The simplest way is to do something that shocks the people around you. That's how youth cults such as hippies, punks, rollers, rappers, etc. appear.  Some young people become members of youth cults just because they have nothing more to show off but their crazy looks. This way they manage to have attention of the others attracted. Others have rich and influential parents who are too strict to them or don't spend enough time with their kids. So they want to do something parents won't like. Some children consider participation in youth cults just a form of entertainment.  Members of youth cults have different values and behave in their own special way. Ravers will never listen to rock music - it isn't their style. Rollers won't buy bikes, and punks have tattoos made on their bodies and reject conventional dresses.  In general youth cults have a tendency of disappearing after a definite period of life. Only those, which develop, remain. English punks are among them.  One feature of early punks of 1970's was that they never had their hair cut and styled by anybody. They cut their own hair and styled it themselves. Their clothes were also 'D.I.Y', that is they spent hours tearing their jeans and jackets and creating the punk look. They were fans of loud, fast and tuneless music.  By 1977 punk music was at the top of hit parade, and the punk 'look' was high fashion. You could have your hair done in punk styles in hairdressers' all over Britain.  By the end of seventies Great British Punk instead of disappearing became a tourist attraction. If one wants to see punks he should come to London and have his photo taken with friendly boys and girls in torn leather and fantastic coloured haircuts far more exaggerated than anything existing in the early punk era.  Today the life of many young people in Ukraine as well as in other countries of the world is influenced by popular culture. The young people follow certain stereotypes that are imposed on them through TV, movies, and music. In their lifestyle they try to imitate the images of their idols. Others  are sports and music fans. They follow their idols in their tours and support them. Unfortunately they are intolerant to those who don't share their view. It's a specific aspect of the youth subculture that can't be ignored. I think that subculture is the culture of those who are dissatisfied with their place in society. Different subcultures have their own beliefs, value systems, fashion, and favourite music. For example the subculture of Rastafairians was based on nostalgia for a lost world. They idealized Africa. Rastafairians were Afro-Caribbean immigrants in Britain. They began to wear distinctive clothes, camouflage jackets, large hats in the red, gold and green colours of Ethiopia and put their long, uncut hair in dreadlocks. They brought to us such types of music as ska, reggae and hip-hop. Many subcultures developed as a result of music fusion of black and white cultures. There are other subcultures that are not connected with music, and have a specific ideology. For example skinheads, which wore heavy boots, jeans and braces and shave their hair or cut it very short. Skinheads dreamed about the revival of the traditional working class culture. Skinheads were identified with extreme right wing views. Among other subcultures are Hippies, Punks, Mods, Rockers, Ravers and many others. Generally they were young people with low self-respect, who did poorly at school. They opposed the traditional world in which they were settled as fiasco elements. Subcultures are not that bad as they are thought to be. Teens want to show off. But at the same time a lot of teens think about changing the world to the best. Subcultures are  mostly for young and creative. Then, I am sure, teenagers become good citizens. Some who were punks became the main editors of famous newspapers. A subculture is a way of life. It is not a fan club, it is an attributive feature of a real life.