Halloween Haunts - Digging Up Bones

Vocab:

a graveyard (n.): a burial ground

bury (v.): place a dead body in the earth

in a strange manner: strangely

on his deathbed: while dying

fit in (v.): belong

a tombstone (n.): a large inscribed stone laid over a grave

a caretaker (n.): a person employed to look after a public place

a compelling inclination: a person’s natural tendency evoking interest

reshuffle (v.): reorganize the position of sth.

in sequence: in a given order

plot owners: people possessing a small piece of ground

in advance: ahead in time

unearth (v.): dig sth. out of the ground

rearrange (v.): reorganize

enable (v.): make possible

a startling realization: reaching astonishing awareness

frantically (adv.): hurriedly and chaotically

come forth (v.): come out

prevent (v.): keep sth. from happening

an inscription (n.): words inscribed on a monument

endure (v.): suffer patiently

Questions:

1 How are the tombs in the cemetery arranged?

2 What did the caretaker continually have to do in order to accomplish his plan?

3 What did the plot owners allow the caretaker to do?

4 Why didn’t the plot owners mind signing such papers?

5 What happened in 1992?

6 Why was the caretaker’s name the problem?

7 Who came out to help the caretaker in the end?

8 Who was Thomas Zuckerman? How did he prevent the chaos from happening?

IV With your partner, discuss the following topics/issues:

1 What Polish religious and other festivals s/he enjoys the most and why

2 What international religious and other festivals s/he knows about and can describe one

3 Why s/he thinks we celebrate festivals at all and what the world would be like without them

4 What s/he knows about India, its historical and cultural backgrounds

LISTENING + VOCABULARY

Vocab:

set off fireworks: cause fireworks to go off

gags = jokes

triumph (n.): victory

on steroids = in an extreme form

Listen and fill in the blanks:

Today, marks the beginning of the _______________ festival of Diwali. It's a _______________-day celebration

honoring the _______________ of wealth, Lakshmi. Known as the festival of _______________, the holiday is

marked by lighting lamps, setting off _______________, gathering with family and friends to eat good food,

gags and _______________ gifts. And it's about the _______________ of light over darkness, good over

_______________. We all need a Diwali.

Vasudha Narayanan, a professor of religion at the University of Florida, describes it as _______________ on

steroids.

Today, marks the beginning of the Hindu festival of Diwali. It's a five-day celebration honoring the

goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. Known as the festival of lights, the holiday is marked by lighting lamps, setting

off fireworks, gathering with family and friends to eat good food, gags and exchange gifts. And it's about

the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil. We all need a Diwali. Vasudha Narayanan, a professor of

religion at the University of Florida, describes it as Christmas on steroids.