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450th anniversary of Moscow’s St. Basil’s (14th July, 2011)

Russians celebrated the 450th anniversary of the iconic St. Basil’s Cathedral on July 12th. The Cathedral has been a symbol of Russia for decades. It was completed in 1561 on the orders of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It took workers 11 years to build it. Legend has it that Ivan the Terrible blinded the architects who designed it so they could not build anything more beautiful. Napoleon Bonaparte tried to blow the Cathedral up in 1812, but heavy rain put out the burning fuses to the gunpowder.

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St. Basil's consists of nine churches. Its bright-colored onion-shaped domes make it one of the world’s most famous buildings. Moscow just finished restoration work to the church in time for its 450th birthday. The repainting and repairs cost $14 million and have brought the buildings back to their former beauty. Up to 2,000 tourists visit St. Basil’s every day. Russia plans to celebrate the anniversary with four months of festivities, starting from July 12th and running through to October 14th.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1


1.

Russians celebrated the

a.

11 years to build

2

a symbol of Russia

b.

450th anniversary

3.

It took workers

c.

the architects

4.

Legend has

d.

for decades

5.

Ivan the Terrible blinded

e.

the burning fuses

6.

heavy rain put out

f.

it that…

Paragraph 2


1.

St. Basil's consists

a.

domes

2

bright-colored onion-shaped

b.

work to the church

3.

just finished restoration

c.

visit St. Basil’s

4.

The repainting and repairs

d.

of nine churches

5.

Up to 2,000 tourists

e.

of festivities

6.

four months

f.

cost $14 million


LISTENING GAP FILL


Russians ____________________ anniversary of the iconic St. Basil’s Cathedral on July 12th. The Cathedral _________________ of Russia for decades. It was completed in ____________________ Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It took workers 11 years to build it. ____________________ Ivan the Terrible blinded the architects who designed it ____________________ build anything more beautiful. Napoleon Bonaparte tried to blow the Cathedral up in 1812, but ____________________ the burning fuses to the gunpowder.
St. Basil's ____________________. Its bright-colored onion-shaped domes make it one of the world’s most famous buildings. Moscow just ____________________ to the church in time for its 450th birthday. The ____________________ cost $14 million and have brought the buildings back ____________________. Up to 2,000 tourists visit St. Basil’s every day. Russia plans to celebrate the anniversary with four ____________________, starting from July 12th ____________________ October 14th.


MULTIPLE CHOICE


Russians celebrated the 450th anniversary of the (1) ____ St. Basil’s Cathedral on July 12th. The Cathedral has been a symbol of Russia for      (2) ____. It was completed in 1561 on the orders of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It took workers 11 years to build it. Legend (3) ____ it that Ivan the Terrible (4) ____ the architects who designed it so they could not build anything more beautiful. Napoleon Bonaparte tried to (5) ____ the Cathedral up in 1812, but heavy rain put (6) ____ the burning fuses to the gunpowder.
St. Basil's consists (7) ____ nine churches. Its bright-colored onion-shaped (8) ____ make it one of the world’s most famous buildings. Moscow just finished restoration work to the church (9) ____ time for its 450th birthday. The repainting and repairs cost $14 million and have brought the buildings back to their (10) ____ beauty. Up to 2,000 tourists visit St. Basil’s every day. Russia plans to celebrate the anniversary with four months of  (11) ____, starting from July 12th and (12) ____ through to October 14th.
Put the correct words from this table into the article.


1.

(a)

iconic

(b)

icon

(c)

icons

2.

(a)

decade

(b)

decades

(c)

tens

3.

(a)

does

(b)

has

(c)

gives

4.

(a)

deaf

(b)

sounded

(c)

blinded

5.

(a)

destroy

(b)

blow

(c)

damage

6.

(a)

out

(b)

in

(c)

up

7.

(a)

of

(b)

in

(c)

at

8.

(a)

tomes

(b)

homes

(c)

domes

9.

(a)

at

(b)

in

(c)

every

10.

(a)

former

(b)

farmer

(c)

firmer

11.

(a)

festival

(b)

festive

(c)

festivities

12

(a)

walking

(b)

hopping

(c)

running


SPELLING


Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.


Paragraph 1

1.

tlabedecre the 450th anniversary

2.

the iocicn St. Basil’s Cathedral

3.

a symbol of Russia for aeedcsd

4.

Ivan the Terrible dnlbdie the architects

5.

build ynainthg more beautiful

6.

put out the iungbrn fuses

 

Paragraph 2

7.

St. Basil's csotnssi of nine churches

8.

bright-colored onion-shaped eodsm

9.

repainting and piaresr

10.

back to their frmreo beauty

11.

four homsnt of festivities

12.

girnnun through to October 14th


PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER


Number these lines in the correct order.


(    )

orders of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. It took workers 11 years to build it. Legend has

(    )

it that Ivan the Terrible blinded the architects who designed it so they

(    )

domes make it one of the world’s most famous buildings. Moscow just finished restoration

(    )

cost $14 million and have brought the buildings back to their former beauty. Up to 2,000 tourists

(    )

months of festivities, starting from July 12th and running through to October 14th.

(    )

St. Basil's consists of nine churches. Its bright-colored onion-shaped

(    )

visit St. Basil’s every day. Russia plans to celebrate the anniversary with four

(    )

been a symbol of Russia for decades. It was completed in 1561 on the

(    )

work to the church in time for its 450th birthday. The repainting and repairs

(    )

could not build anything more beautiful. Napoleon Bonaparte tried to blow the Cathedral

(    )

up in 1812, but heavy rain put out the burning fuses to the gunpowder.

1  )

Russians celebrated the 450th anniversary of the iconic St. Basil’s Cathedral on July 12th. The Cathedral has


WORD JUMBLE


With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.


1.

the     .     The     of     St     anniversary     iconic     Basil’s     450th.    

2.

Russia     decades     A     of     for     symbol.    

3.

the     the     blinded     architects     Ivan     Terrible.    

4.

to     Cathedral     1812     tried     the     in     Bonaparte     blow     up.    

5.

rain     Heavy     fuses     burning     the     out     put.    

6.

Its     -     bright     shaped     -     domes     colored     onion.    

7.

work     Moscow     to     just     the     finished     church     restoration.    

8.

million     repairs     cost     The     $     repainting     14     and.    

9.

Up     every     St   to     day     .     tourists     2,000     Basil’s    visit    

10.

festivities   with     four    Celebrate    months    the    of    anniversary.    


DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

1.

________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________

5.

________________________________________________________

6.

________________________________________________________


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

1.

________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________

5.

________________________________________________________

6.

________________________________________________________


WRITING


Write about anniversaries for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.
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HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. ANNIVERSARIES: Search the Internet and find more information about anniversaries. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about St. Bail’s Cathedral. Include imaginary interviews with people who love it. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
5. LETTER: Write a letter to the boss of St. Basil’s Cathedral. Ask him/her three questions about the anniversary. Give him/her three of your opinions on anniversaries. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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