News about Britain: VALENTINE'S DAY OR.... LOVE IS IN THE AIR!

Drodzy Uczniowie!
Happy Valentine's Day! Dużo miłości, czułości i radości w Dzień Zakochanych i na każdy dzień w roku :) Wszystkiego dobrego!
Wykorzystajmy tę miłą okazję by nauczyć się kilku nowych wyrażeń po angielsku i poćwiczyć reading comprehension! Jak zwykle na Wasze odpowiedzi do ćwiczeń pod tekstem czekam pod adresem openmind@poczta.onet.eu

XOXO!

BBC Learning English
News about Britain
February 2009

It’s that time of the year when couples show their love for each other by sending cards, flowers and chocolates. But Valentine’s Day is not only about public displays of affection: in recent years it has also become big business. In the UK alone, more than £20 million is spent on flowers, whilst in the United States over $1 billion is forked out on chocolates.

Although Valentine’s Day has become a global industry with more than 80 million roses sold worldwide, the origins of the day are unclear and hidden in the mists of time. Nobody knows exactly who St Valentine was, although some historians suggest he was a Roman martyred in the third century AD by a Roman Emperor. It is said that the first recorded Valentine’s card was sent by the imprisoned Duke of Orleans in 1415. It is believed that he sought solace from his confinement by writing love poems to his wife.

Valentine’s Day, or its equivalent, is now celebrated in many countries around the world. However, the traditions often differ from place to place. In Japan, for example, it is customary for the woman to send chocolates to the man, whilst in Korea April 14th is known as ‘Black Day’ and is when the unfortunate men who received nothing on Valentine’s Day gather to eat noodles and commiserate with each other.

Technological developments have also played their part in keeping Valentine’s Day relevant in the 21st century. Valentine’s e-cards have been all the rage in recent years. However, internet security experts urge web users to be wary as malicious hackers could use e-cards to spread viruses and spyware.

Valentine’s cards can also be used for less than romantic purposes. Police in the UK city of Liverpool sent Valentine’s cards to criminals who failed to appear in court or have not paid fines. The cards contained the verse, “Roses are red, violets are blue, you’ve got a warrant, and we’d love to see you.” Who says romance is dead?

Vocabulary

public displays of affection- showing your feelings of liking or love for someone in public

forked out- forced to spend (colloquial)

hidden in the mists of time- too old for anyone to remember/confirm/clarify

martyred- killed because of his beliefs

recorded- known, documented

imprisoned- put in jail

sought solace- tried to find comfort

confinement- imprisonment

equivalent- here, a special occasion that has the same meaning and purpose

customary- normal, usual

commiserate with- show sympathy for

e-cards- short for electronic cards, i.e. virtual cards that are sent via the internet

all the rage- very popular

wary- here, careful

malicious hackers- people who access other people's computers with bad intentions (e.g. to look for their personal information, like credit card details, or to stop their computers working properly)

viruses- here, computer programs which can make copies of themselves, preventing the computer from working properly

spyware- computer programs that reveal the identity of a computer user

warrant- a document that gives police specific powers, e.g. the right to search or arrest somebody

1. Reading Quiz
Are these sentences true or false? Or is the answer not given in the text? Circle the correct
answer.
1. St Valentine was a famous Roman Emperor who was famous as a romantic.
True / False / Not given
2. The very first Valentine’s card was sent over 500 years ago.
True / False / Not given
3. Disappointed Korean men who have received no Valentine's cards eat a special dish in April.
True / False / Not given
4. Some Valentine’s cards are now sent through cyberspace.
True / False / Not given
5. Lonely policemen in Liverpool are looking for love by sending out many Valentine’s cards.
True / False / Not given

2. Love idioms: guess their meanings!
See if you can match these commonly used idioms connected to love with the correct definition:
1. to be head over heels in love
2. to fall for
3. to tie the knot
4. to have a crush on someone

a. to be attracted to someone without publicly showing it
b. to get married
c. to fall in love to with somebody
d. to be very much in love

Now try and complete the following sentences using one of the above idioms in the
correct form:

1. My fiancée and I have been engaged for nearly a year so we’re going to ________ in the summer.
2. I ________ one of my workmates but I’m too shy to tell him.
3. She is __________ in love with her new boyfriend. She talks about him all the time. It’s getting quite boring now.
4. I ________ my girlfriend the first time I saw her and I’m still crazy about her now.

Read and listen to the story online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/britain/090210_valentine.shtml