Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Unit 5. Talk about major events and how they are celebrated
1
Traditionally in the US, the bride wears a long white wedding dress and the
groom wears a tuxedo. The wedding party includes a maid of honor—or matron
of honor, if she’s not single—and a best man, who help with wedding
arrangements and witness when the bride and groom sign the marriage license.
When the ceremony is over, guests throw flower petals or something similar at
the couple. The ceremony is usually followed by a reception for family and
friends: dinner and dancing, and—of course—a big wedding cake. Before the
couple leave for their honeymoon, the bride may turn around and throw her
bouquet over her head—whoever catches it is the next person to get married!
2
In the US, students graduating from high school or university traditionally wear a
cap and gown for the ceremony. These can usually be borrowed from the school.
Students sometimes decorate their caps with their names or some drawings, so
families can recognize them from the audience. A well-known expert or an
important person is often asked to give a speech during the ceremony. As
students receive their diplomas or degrees, the tassel on the cap is moved from
the right side to the left. Some students throw their caps in the air at the end of
the graduation ceremony.
3
When a woman is going to have a baby, her friends may organize a baby shower
for her. Baby showers are similar to birthday parties, with food, drinks, cake,
decorations—but with a baby theme. Guests give gifts for the baby, like baby
toys or clothing, or they give gifts that will be useful to the new mother.
– Is he busy?
– Is he busy?
– I can’t believe it! It’s actually working. It says now it’s checking for channels …
and it’s back! Thank you so much.
– Not at all. Is there anything else I can help you with?
– No, not right now.
– Well, if you experience any other problems, feel free to call back. Enjoy the rest
of your day.
2
– Hello?
– Hello, Mr. Baker. This is Arthur Richman.
– Oh, hello, Arthur! What’s up? Is there a problem?
– Yeah, I’m afraid so. We don’t have any hot water. The water heater seems to be
on the blink.
– All right. I’ll call the repair service right away. It’s possible it just needs a little
maintenance. But if it can’t be fixed, I’ll get it replaced.
– Sounds good. Right now, we’re boiling water on the stove in order to wash
dishes and everything.
– I’m sorry about that. I’ll give you a call back when I’ve spoken to the
repairperson.
– Thanks, Mr. Baker.
Unit 32. Ask about and explain customs or other fees on packages
1
– Rudy, what’s this?
– Let me see, Fran … Hmm, I’ve never seen one of these before. It says a letter
has arrived for you and there is “postage due.”
– I can read that, but what does it mean?
– It means someone didn’t put enough stamps on the letter. So, you’ll have to
pay the difference before they’ll give you the letter.