TEST 32
Questions 1-7. Match the following headings (A-H) to the texts (Q1-Q7).
Note: There is one extra heading which you do not need to use.
HEADINGS:
A) To forgive and forget
B) How Maslenitsa is celebrated
C) The recipe for the holiday dish
D) Various functions of the holiday
E) How the holiday got its name
F) Why pancakes are essential at Maslenitsa
G) It is celebrated not only in Russia
H) Tasting competition
Q1.
In the old days Maslenitsa was for remembrance of the dead. But in time, the Russian longing for fun and
entertainment turned the sad holiday into the jolly Maslenitsa with blini — round, yellow and hot as the
sun, sledding
and horse sleigh riding, fistfights and chatting with the mother-in-law. The rituals of
Maslenitsa are very unusual and interesting because they combine rituals for the end of winter and
ceremonies for the start of spring, which were to promote a rich harvest.
Q2.
Maslenitsa is one of the nicest holidays in Russia.
The word Maslenitsa is derived from
masloy which
means
butter in Russian. It came from the tradition of baking pancakes
(blini). Hot, round, and golden
pancakes look like little suns. It is believed that they help to warm up the frozen earth.
In the old days,
pancakes were cooked from buckwheat flour, which gave them a red colour. Those pancakes symbolised
the victory of the sun over the winter cold.
Q3.
The circle has always been considered a holy shape in Russia. According to old beliefs,
it protected people
from evil. On Maslenitsa, the Russians made pancakes, decorated the wheels of their carts, and danced the
khorovod (the round folk dance). The aim of all those ceremonies was to please
the Sun so that it would be
kinder to people. Nowadays, not everyone remembers about the symbolic meaning of the pancakes, but
everyone enjoys their taste.
Q4.
Nowadays, Maslenitsa lasts for a whole week. It has turned into a fun festival with different folk
entertainments such as sledding,
burning scarecrows, bonfire jumping, and eating pancakes. Each day of
the Maslenitsa festival has its name and programme. For example,
Tuesday is called zaigrysh (game day).
From that day all sorts of activities started: sleigh riding, folk festivals and puppet shows.
