Prova de Inglês

Over 2,000 years ago the Celts lived in what is now Ireland and parts of France. November 1 was their New Year's Day. They believed that the night before the New Year (October 31) was a time when the living and the dead came together. More than 1000 years ago the Christian church named November 1 All Saints Day, a holy day to honor the saints and other people who died for their religion. Like the Celts, the Europeans of that time also believed that the spirits of the dead would visit the earth on Halloween and that evil spirits would cause problems. So on that night people wore costumes that looked like ghosts or other evil creatures. They thought if they dressed like that, the spirits would think they were also dead and not harm them. On Halloween in Europe some people would carry lanterns made from turnips, in America, pumpkins were used and people began putting candles inside them and using them as lanterns. These days Halloween is not usually considered a religious holiday. It is primarily a fun day for children who dress up in costumes like people did a thousand years ago but now they go from house to house knocking on doors and say "trick or treat.” Why did the Celts wear costumes light ghosts or other evil creatures?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta/USA in 1929. At that time in America, black people didn't have equal rights with white people. Black people had to sit in the back of buses. The schools were segregated and there were even separate public restrooms for black people and white people. Black people's lives were not very good. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a minister in the Baptist Church and fought against racial segregation. He wanted equal rights for all people, but he didn't use violence in his fight, he asked people to fight peacefully. He simply asked black people to ride in the front of the bus. Because of Martin Luther King, Jr., many laws began to change in the United States. But some white people disagreed with him and his ways and in 1968 he was assassinated by a white man. Every year on the third Monday of January, Americans remember Martin Luther King, Jr. How did Martin Luther King, Jr fight for black people’s rights?

Valentine's Day is a very old holiday. It goes back to the times of Ancient Rome. One of the characters we often see on Valentine's Day is Cupid. He was the son of Venus, the goddess of love. He shoots people with arrows of love. When a man and a woman are hit by his arrows, they will fall in love. Today people celebrate Valentine's Day on February 14. Men and women who are in love give each other gifts. The most popular gifts include flowers (especially roses) and chocolates. Couples may also go to a restaurant for a very nice dinner or plan something else romantic. In the United States, Valentine's Day is not just for lovers. Children make special Valentine's cards for their classmates. Families and friends may give candy or other small gifts to each other. It can be a fun day. From the text we can understand that Valentine’s Day is exclusively dedicated to:

Many Irish people have emigrated from Ireland to the USA over the last few centuries and brought St. Patrick's Day with them. St. Patrick's Day is a serious religious holiday in Ireland, but it has been changed quite a bit in America. Today in America people enjoy St. Patrick's Day by wearing green. In fact, if you don't wear at least one small green item, school children may pinch you. Probably the most common symbol for this holiday is the shamrock. Since the shamrock has three leaves, thousands of years ago St. Patrick (a religious leader) used it to teach the Irish people about the three parts of God. Today many people wear a shamrock design on St. Patrick's Day because it is supposed to bring good luck. The three leaves of the shamrock stand for?