Номер 2, страница 114, часть 1 - гдз по английскому языку 10 класс учебник Демченко, Юхнель

2. a. Every year on the fourth Thursday of November, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. What does this holiday symbolise?

In 1620, a group of English Protestants called Puritans arrived in America on a ship called the Mayflower. They became known as the Pilgrims. The area they settled in had been home to the Native Americans tribes – the Wampanoags. The local tribes knew the land well as they had fished, hunted and harvested there for thousands of generations. As the Pilgrims were preparing for the winter, they started gathering supplies, including those belonging to the Native Americans. Eventually, some compromise was achieved and the local people took to helping the settlers to grow corn, to hunt and to fish. By the spring of 1621, a formal agreement was made between the sides and they agreed on joining their efforts to protect themselves from other tribes.

In the fall of 1621, they sat together to celebrate the harvest by eating a festive dinner, singing and dancing. The first Thanksgiving Day was formally celebrated in Plymouth in 1623, when the colonists thanked God for rain after a long drought. Several presidents have encouraged Americans to celebrate Thanksgiving since then.

Many Americans have adopted such Puritan values as honesty, responsibility, hard work and self-control. During Thanksgiving, Americans try not only to indulge in eating festive dishes but also to share and donate to charities. Many of them work as volunteers to give food to the homeless and those in need. In 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, people unloading food for the less privileged, didn't realise they had been working side by side with Brad Pitt for quite a long time until they had seen him take off his protective mask during the break.

Families cook and create something together for the holiday. On the day of Thanksgiving, they sit down to a meal of stuffed turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cornbread, gravy and pumpkin pie. At dinner, the TV is turned off to make it possible to enjoy the quality time with the family: parents tell their children why Thanksgiving is celebrated, people talk about family traditions, tell stories and have fun. Everyone is supposed to say what they are thankful for. Most do the breaking of the turkey wishbone during the meal and the one who gets the larger piece can make a wish.

In 1963, US President John F. Kennedy officially pardoned a turkey before the Thanksgiving dinner at the White House. Thus, a tradition was born of saving a turkey's life. Each president of the United States pardons a turkey, which, as a result, will not end up on a plate. Benjamin Franklin even wanted the turkey to become the national bird instead of the bald eagle.

The day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It is the largest and the busiest shopping day of the year. This day marks the beginning of holiday sales before Christmas.

Holidays similar to Thanksgiving are celebrated all over the world: Erntedankfest in Germany, Labour Thanksgiving Day in Japan, Chuseok in Korea, Cerelia in Italy, August Moon Festival in China and Pongal festival in India. Most of the countries celebrate them in autumn after harvesting the crops, just like the Native Americans and first settlers did.

The greatest values of Thanksgiving are family, gratitude and thankfulness. People celebrate it to focus on spending time with loved ones and being thankful.

b. Как вы думаете, каково отношение коренных американцев ко Дню благодарения?

Ответ:

The attitude of Native Americans to Thanksgiving is complex and often negative. While the story of the first Thanksgiving suggests cooperation, for many modern Native Americans, the holiday is a reminder of the genocide of their people, the theft of their lands, and the assault on their culture that followed the arrival of settlers. Many observe it as a National Day of Mourning rather than a celebration, using the day to protest and remember their history and ancestors.

Перевод:

Отношение коренных американцев ко Дню благодарения сложное и зачастую негативное. Хотя история первого Дня благодарения говорит о сотрудничестве, для многих современных коренных американцев этот праздник является напоминанием о геноциде их народа, краже их земель и посягательстве на их культуру, которые последовали за прибытием поселенцев. Многие отмечают его как Национальный день траура, а не как праздник, используя этот день для протеста и памяти о своей истории и предках.