Reading Comprehension "Groundhog Day"
методическая разработка по английскому языку (6 класс)

Task 1 Read the text about Groundhog Day and number paragraphs A–H in the right order 6–13.

Groundhog Day

A  Groundhog Day is probably one of America’s weirdest and most popular traditions. It is broadcast on news and weather channels, and also streamed live on the web.

B   By 5 am they will be dancing, watching entertainers, buying warm hats and scarves, t-shirts and buttons (badges) with pictures of a small furry rodent on them, and waiting for the sun to rise.

C   Punxsutawney has been celebrating Groundhog Day since 1886. The tradition goes back to the old Christian celebration of Candlemas, which falls on the same date. According to the official Groundhog Day website, it was brought to Pennsylvania by early settlers from Europe.

D  Every year, on 2 February, thousands of people get up very early in the morning and go to a small field called Gobbler’s Knob two miles outside of downtown Punxsutawney in Pennsylvania. They start to arrive at 3 am while it is still cold and dark.

E  The groundhog is called Punxsutawney Phil. According to local tradition, if Phil sees his shadow, gets scared and runs back into his burrow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring (and good weather coming soon).

F  At around 7 am, a group of men wearing top hats walk onto a stage to start the official Groundhog Day celebrations. These men, called the Inner Circle, take a small brown groundhog out of his burrow and all the people cheer.

G  Fun language fact: In the 1993 hit movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray played a man who tried again and again to get to the celebrations. Since then, people use the term ‘Groundhog Day’ when they want to talk about something that happens repeatedly. 

H   As an old song goes:

 If Candlemas be fair and bright,

Come, Winter, have another flight;

If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,

Go Winter, and come not again.

But how good are Phil’s weather predictions? Not very. Records show that, in over 130 years, Phil has been correct just 39% of the time.

Task 2. Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text?

9. On Groundhog Day a small animal shows people if the weather is going to be good or bad in the coming weeks. ____

10. Large Groundhog Day celebrations take place in every city in the USA._____

11. A groundhog called Phil is pulled out of his burrow at seven o’clock in the evening on 2 February. ___

12. The celebrations started in the USA in 1986.___

13. Every year one of the people watching the celebration is chosen to pull Phil out of his burrow. ___

14. The tradition of predicting the weather in February comes from an old European Christian celebration called Candlemas. ___

15. Phil the groundhog is very good at predicting the weather.____