-Ireland – Eire

*Read the text (information taken from Ireland Background Reader, Longman 1997) carefully and then answer the questions.-

The Emerald Isle                                                                                                                                      Ireland -the Emerald Isle- is a beautiful land of mountains, rivers, lakes and green fields. It is green partly because it rains so much!                                                                                            Like their land, the Irish have two sides to their nature. They are kind and friendly people and at the same time they are proud and independent.

Language and literature                                                                                                                          The Irish have their own language which comes from their Celtic history, but English is the language of everyday usage. Irish is taught in schools and comes before English on road and street signs, on buses, on official documents,…                                                                          Some of the most famous writers came from Ireland : James Joyce and Oscar Wilde.

Music and Dancing                                                                                                                                  The Irish are famous for their music, song and dance. They keep traditions and children are taught traditional songs and dances at school.                                                                            The harp has always been a very important musical instrument and is the national emblem of Ireland. Nowadays, it is not the main instrument; Irish pipes and the violin have taken its place.                                                                                                                                                      Ireland also has its great pop and rock musicians, which are famous worldwide, like, Bob Geldof, U2 or The Corrs.

1. Why is Ireland called the Emerald Isle? …………………………………………………………………
2. What is the weather like in Ireland? ………………………………………………………………………
3. Which languages are spoken in Ireland? …………………………………………………………………
4. Who was Oscar Wilde? ………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Where do children learn traditional songs and dances? ……………………………………………
6. What is the national emblem of Ireland? ………………………………………………………………..
7. Write a summary of the text in 50 words.
8. Find words in the text that match the following definitions :

• people who are sociable ………………………….
• people who show their proper pride …………………………………….
• words or designs on a board to give information …………………………………………………….
• musical instrument with lots of strings which is played with the fingers ……………………
• people who write and play music …………………………………….