Exercise 1. Translate the underlined words The most важный Kazakh holiday of the year is "Nauryz" - the Kazakh New Year. It is празднуется on March 22, when ночь and day are identical. Families собираются together to help each other in constructing a "yurt" which is a traditional Kazakh home. On Nauryz you will see that it is decorated with красивый Kazakh ornaments, rugs and blankets. As a гость you will sit at a long low table and eat such Kazakh dishes as "karta", "plov", "baursak", "besbarmak" (a meal which состоит из noodles, onion, sheep meat). The main традиционное блюдо of this holiday is "Nauryz Kozhe". It is делают, готовят of 7 components: meat, water, salt, airan, wheat, rice and raisin. Nauryz Kozhe is cooked by a family or a группа of families or the люди of the whole aul, village or settlement. All подростки and children must eat Kozhe or at least taste it. In fact this kind of Kozhe is a wish, a надежда for the New Year to be successful. At the end of the meal you will sit and пить чай and listen to musicians playing dombyras and kobyz and singing песни. One of the главныйfeatures of "Nauryz” is the traditional costumes that men and women wear. This holiday is very популярныйlike many other holidays you celebrate in spring.
Exercise 2. Re-write, put the words in the right order. 1. Is, on March 22, when, celebrated, are identical, Nauryz, night and day.
2. Kazakh , and, is beautiful, yurt, ornaments, decorated with, rugs, blankets.
3. traditional, the main, this, meal, holiday, is, "Nauryz Kozhe", of.
4. is, holiday, popular, very, this.
Exercise 3. Read the text and match the definitions with the underlined words: There is a legend in Central Asia that every year during the night between the 21st and 22nd of March (the spring equinox), thewise elder Kadyr-Ata walks across the Earth. Kadyr-Ata brings people happiness and wealth, and he also possesses special magical powers. At three o’clock in the morning, Kadyr-Ata opens the door to the sky and lets Spring come to the world. At this time, he breathes life into the earth; he renews the earth from its death-like winter state, and brings it back to spring.
For the Kazakh nomads, the arrival of spring was a time for great celebration. Life was hard for nomads on the Kazakh steppes, and Nauryz marked the end of the difficult winter season and the beginning of spring renewal. With spring came the beginning of a new year’s cycle of life, the time of year when the nomads happily said goodbye to harsh winter weather, welcomed warm weather, and rejoiced in the birthing season of their valuable livestock upon which they depended for food and their very livelihoods.
Cruel, severe;
Show signs of great happiness;
Member of a tribe that travels about;
Animals kept for use or profit;
Time of the year when day and night are of equal length;
Being useful or desirable;
Need, rely on in order to exist;
Means of living;
Having or showing experience, knowledge, good judgement;
Make new;
Exercise 4. Fill in the gaps Nauryz is a very important 1____ for Kazakhs, which marks the 2_______of a new year. It is 3______ several days starting from 21st of March, the day of the 4_____ equinox. Nauryz means ‘5____ day’, it is celebrated in the Great Steppes from 6_____ times. During the Nauryz holiday7______ nomad houses feltyurts -are erected in city centres and rich dastarkhan (table) is laid down in each of them. You can find people wearing beautiful national 8____,9____ to Kazakh songs and play of musical 10_____.
Exercise 5. Choose true (T) or false (F): Nauryzis has been celebrated since 21st century.
The holiday is celebrated for 3 weeks.
Nauryz became an official holiday in 1926.
Kazakhstam is the only country to celebrate this holiday.
Nauryz means ”bye, old day”.
Nauryz isn’t a public holiday, people stay at home with their families for celebration.
Nauryz is a religious holiday, there is no place for feast and games.
Beshbarmak is the most important dish at Nauryz.
Traditionally there are 7 ingredients in Beshbarmak.
City squares are full of Altybakan.
Traditional nomad houses are called Altybakan.
Nauryz Kozhe is special for its beautiful decoration.
There was a great amount of equipment in nomadic cookery.
Main ingredients in traditional Kazakh cuisine are fruit and vegetables.
During Nauryz past offences are forgotten, debts are forgiven and everybody makes a wish to leave all the badness behind.