READING COMPREHENSION (8) 4ºESO 2ND 3rd TERM

Traditional Communities

1.- Scottish Clans are groups of people with the same surname as
their clan chief, for example, Macdonald or Campbell. Each clan
has its own 'tartan’ - a coloured pattern used for kilts. Clans
began in the Scottish Highlands in the Middle Ages when people
accepted the protection and authority of their local chief.

Nowadays, clan members live all over the world but annual
gatherings are still held in Scotland. For example, every year
Macraes from different countries go back to Scotland. They first
visit the 'gathering stone’ where the clan met up in the past
before going into battle. After that, they tour famous places
where the clan fought the English.

The next day, they attend the local highland games. All the men
wear Macrae kilts and carry banners while the Macrae band
plays bagpipe music. In the evening, a banquet is held in the
magnificent castle at Eilean Donan. Finally, there is traditional
Scottish dancing and singing until late in the night.

2.- The Maoris came from Polynesia and colonised the

uninhabited islands of New Zealand over a thousand years ago.
There are now 526,000 Maoris in New Zealand which has a total
population of just over four million.
Every Maori belongs to a large family group and each group has
its own community centre with various buildings. The main
building is the meeting house and is decorated in traditional
Maori style. On the roof, there is a large carved figure of an
important ancestor. Community centres are the focus of Maori
culture and older Maoris pass on Maori traditions to young
people here: songs, stories, dances, carving and traditional
Polynesian cooking. People of European origin can only visit
them with permission.

Weddings, christenings and funerals are held in the meeting

house as well as formal ceremonies. At these events, local elders
give speeches and younger Maoris perform songs and dances.

Maori war dances, or 'hakas', are world famous; the New

Zealand rugby team performs one before every game. Hakas can
look and sound aggressive. They were used in the past when one
tribe met another to find out if the other tribe was peaceful or
was looking for a fight!

Exercise 1 -  Read the article. Which of these statements are

true (T), false (F) or there is no information in the text (NI)?
1.- You can identify a man's clan from his kilt.
2.- Gathering stones are very large rocks.
3.- The Macraes are proud of their history.
4.- Clan gatherings can be noisy occasions.
5.- Under 10% of New Zealanders are Maoris.
6.- Maori community centres are for all local people.
7.- Maori community centres are called ‘"Marae’'.
8.- Hakas can be a bit frightening.
Exercise 2 -  Translate the text into Spanish in your notebook.

Exercise 3 -  Match the nouns with the correct verbs: DO, HAVE,
MAKE and PLAY:
- an accident
- Chesschess
- dDinner
- a favour
- games
- a good laugh
- your homework
- an illness
- a mistake
- money
- a noise
- the piano
- something to eat
- sport
- the washing up

6 Write via sentences about yourself with the vertes from

Word Builder
bample

belong to the ches du at school

1 Verb Quiz Draw networks with the verbs and som boses Some
nouns can be used more than once

tample

do have

make play

money dinner mstak ake Comethin

an accident chess dinner a favour games a good though your

homework an illness a mint make money anoise

the piano something to eat sport the washing up

Word Bank, Page 131