Fun facts About April Fools’ Day

April Fools’ Day is a day of fun and laughter, celebrated around the world on 1st April. This day is full of ………. (1). It’s a day to show off your creativity and sense of humour. You may choose to trick someone or simply watch others have a good laugh; April Fools’ Day is a perfect excuse to have a good time.

In France they have a tradition where they stick ………. (2) on each other’s backs. They call it Poisson d’Avril, which translates to ‘April Fish’.

Also, ………. (3) had a holiday called Hilaria which was very similar to April Fools’ Day. This is when they played jokes on each other.

Some historians believe that April Fools’ Day started in 1582. During this year, France switched ………. (4). This meant that the start of their year used to be around 1st April, however it changed to 1st January, like it is today. Some people accidentally celebrated new year in April and were called ‘April fools’!

Others believe April Fools’ Day started on the first day of spring. They think it’s because during this time nature fools us ………. (5).

Lots of companies, radios and TV channels make April Fools jokes. One of the best April Fools jokes was in 1957 when a man called Richard Dimbleby made a ‘documentary’ about how they were ………. (6). This was on a BBC programme. People actually believed it and even phoned up to ask how they could grow their own!

source: funkidslive.com

key:1.D 2.E 3.A 4.B 5.H 6.C

Venice is one of the most important cities not just in Italy but in the whole world although it is not a big city. The population keeps on shrinking at a fast rate and is now around 55,000 locals in the historic city itself.

Venice is built on 118 small islands that are separated by 150 canals. Every year the city sinks a few millimetres because the ground is made from mud. Because of this, the Italian government is building a system of mobile gates against sea-water flooding that will safely protect Venice.

There are several ways to get around in Venice. The most common is walking and using the Vaporetto, a water bus which carries lots of people around the city. The Vaporetto goes around the City and on the Grand Canal, it does not enter the small canals of the city. To see Venice from the small canals, most tourists use the gondola.

Venice has fantastic crafts, culture, and traditions. Shopping for handmade goods such as masks and glass jewels is a must for visitors. These days, however, mass tourism led Venice to be invaded by many shops selling low-quality souvenirs.

Venice has its own regional language. Although Venetian is considered by many to be just a northern dialect of Italian, it is in fact a completely separate language, not even in the same group as Italian, and more similar to Catalan and Spanish than to Italian.

There is a growing interest in this language these days. Not only intellectuals but also politicians and even companies show interest in it. Companies in Venice publish advertisements in Venetian. Some works of literature, The Little Prince, among them, have been translated into Venetian.

source: kiddle.co

1. Mit tudunk meg Velence népességéről?
2. Milyen építkezést folytat az olasz állam és pontosan milyen okok miatt?
3. Milyen közlekedési eszköz a leggyakrabban használt a városban és mi korlátozza a használatát?
4. Mi az, amit az oda látogatók semmiképpen ne hagyjanak ki?
5. A tömeges turizmus milyen negatív hatását említi a szöveg?
6. Mi tudunk meg a velencei nyelvről?
7. Kik érdeklődnek a nyelv iránt és ennek milyen jelei vannak?

Key: 

Venice

1. Gyorsan csökken, a történelmi városban magában 55 ezer körül van.
   2. Mobil kapuk rendszerét építi, mert a város évente pár millimétert süllyed, és hogy megvédje attól, hogy elárassza a tenger.
   3. A vízibusz (Vaporetto). A kis csatornákba nem tud bemenni.
   4. A kézműves áruk, például maszkok és üvegékszerek vásárlását.
   5. Sok bolt gyenge minőségű ajándéktárgyakat árul.
   6. Teljesen önálló nyelv, jobban hasonlít a katalánra és a spanyolra, mint az olaszra.
   7. Értelmiségiek, politikusok és cégek. Velencei cégek hirdetéseket tesznek közzé ezen a nyelven. Irodalmi műveket (köztük A kis herceget) lefordították velenceire.