Listen to Polterabend custom in Germany and complete the following sentences.

1. There are lots of_________in a traditional German wedding.

2. The tradition of Polterabend takes place_________the wedding in the church.

3. It is believed that making noise can scare away_________drawn to brides.

4. China dishes are smashed the night before the church wedding to bring_________to the couple.

5. _________is never smashed in Polterabend as it is considered to give bad luck.

6. Working together to_________the shards symbolizes the couple’s harmony after marriage.

Write a short paragraph (120 - 150 words) about a Vietnamese cultural feature you are most interested in.

You can answer the following questions as cues:

• What is the cultural feature?

• What are its characteristics?

• What is your opinion about it?

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Read the following passage and do the tasks below and choose the best answer to each of the following questions.

One custom that gives insight into people’s history and values is the way they greet one another. There is a wide range of greetings around the world. These range from the common handshake to other strange rituals found in some countries. Let’s take a look at how the simple action of greeting someone differs greatly from place to place.

In the United States and Canada, for example, a simple handshake or nod is the norm. The handshake has an interesting origin: it started long ago as a way of showing people that you weren’t carrying a weapon. Shaking the person’s right hand while looking him or her in the eye is the usual method. Handshakes are also common in other parts of the world, including Britain and Russia. In Russia, males grasp other men’s hands very strongly during the handshake. Handshakes are also how most people in New Zealand greet each other. However, the native Maori people of that country display more physical contact: they press their noses together in a sign of trust and closeness.

In other countries, such as France and Belgium, hugging and kissing are more common when two people meet. In those cultures, people kiss each other on the cheeks. The number of times varies depending on the particular country. In Saudi Arabia, men might hug and kiss each other (but not a woman) on the cheek. Men will also shake hands with other men there. In some Eastern countries, including Korea and Japan, bowing is the traditional greeting. In Japan, the deeper the bow, the deeper the respect shown. The strangest custom, though, is likely in Tibet. People there opt to stick out their tongue to greet others.

1. What is this reading mainly about?

This book is (boring) _________than the book I gave you last week.

His new car is a lot (quiet)     _________than my old one.

There is no easier way to solve the problem (easy)

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It’s (tired) _________to work at night than to work in the daytime.