2.01 Задание 10. Задание на понимание основного содержания прочитанного текста

Установите соответствие между текстами А-G и заголовками 1-8. Запишите свой ответ последовательностью цифр, где первая цифра - заголовок к тексту A, а последняя - заголовок к тексту G. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний. 

1. To remember all the Americans involved in the wars
2. Columbus Day in memory of the discovery
3. What to celebrate is within the province of the states' power
4. Honoring our parents
5. The day which commemorates people who are "asleep" forever
6. A special day for honouring the former leaders of the USA
7. Honoring the fighter for the rights of black people
8. The day of birth for the nation

A. The USA is the country which observes many national holidays. But there is no official list of national holidays because the establishment of holidays is within the province of the individual states. In most states banks, post-offices and most places of business are closed on these days. The seven major American holidays in calendar order are: Martin Luther King Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day.

B. Dr. Martin Luther King was a black clergyman who is ranked among the greatest of black Americans because of his crusade during the 1950s and 1960s to win full civil rights for his people. He spoke out and campaigned tirelessly to rid the United States of traditions and laws that forced on black Americans the status of second-class citizens. The world was shocked when Dr. King was assassinated in 1968. By vote of Congress, the third Monday of every January, beginning in 1986 is now a federal holiday in Dr. King's honour.

C. Until the mid-1970s, the birthday of George Washington, the first president of the United States (February, 22) was observed as a federal holiday. In addition, the birthday of Abraham Lincoln (February, 12) was observed as a holiday in most states. In the 1970s Congress declared that in order to honour all past presidents of the United States, a single holiday, to be called Presidents' Day, would be observed on the third Monday in February.

D. Memorial Day observed on the fourth Monday of every May is a day on which Americans honour the dead. It has become a day on which the dead of all wars and all other dead are remembered. In many communities special ceremonies are held in cemeteries or at monuments for the war dead by veterans of military services. Some hold parades and others hold memorial services or special programs in churches, schools or other public meeting places.

E. The Independence Day is regarded as the birthday of the United States as a free and independent nation. Most Americans simply call it the "Fourth of July", on which date it always falls. The holiday recalls the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. At that time the people of the 13 British colonies located along the eastern coast of what is now the United States were involved in a war over which they considered unjust the treatment by the King and parliament in Britain.

F. Besides Thanksgiving Day there are other holidays which might be considered uniquely American — although in some cases other nations observe similar holidays. Two Sundays are observed in special ways. One is the second Sunday in May, which is always Mother's Day, a day on which children honour their mothers, give them gifts or perhaps take them to a restaurant for dinner. The other is the third Sunday in June, which is Father's Day, and children honour their fathers in some special way.

G. Veteran's Day was originally called Armistice Day and was established to honour those Americans who had served in the First World War. It falls on November 11, the day on which that war ended in 1918. It honours veterans of all the wars in which the United States has been involved. Organizations of war veterans hold parades or other special ceremonies and the President or other high official places a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington, D.C.