Institución Educativa Técnica Comercial

José María Vivas Balcázar.

Actividad virtual de Inglés # 2 para grado 11-2.
Segundo Periodo.

The First Thanksgiving Day.

1 In 1620, a small sailboat named the Mayflower left England for the
New World. 2 The Mayflower headed for the Jamestown colony on
the warm shore of Virginia. Its one hundred passengers were the
Pilgrims. They were looking for a place where they could worship God in
their own way.

The Mayflower lost its course because 3 there were strong winds and
severe storms. 4 The colonists finally landed at Plymouth on the
rocky coast of Massachusetts in December 1620. Only the strongest
of the Pilgrims survived after winter.

Conditions began to improve in the spring of 1621. There were wild

vegetables, berries and fruit. In the fall they remembered the past year. They were both regretful
and thankful. Only fifty of the original passengers remained. 5 They had eleven crude houses
for protection against the severe winter. Best of all, 6 they had established a treaty of
friendship with their Indians neighbors under chief Massasoit in the summer. At the end of
their first year in their new home, the Pilgrims wanted to celebrate with a real holiday. Governor
William Bradford decided on December 13, 1621 as the day for giving thanks to God.

7 The colonists fired a cannon as a salute at dawn on that first Thanksgiving Day.
Afterwards 8 they moved to the meeting house in a procession. 9 After a religious
ceremony there was a great feast and three days of celebration began. The hunters came
back with wild turkeys, geese and ducks.
10 The Wampanoag Indians contributed many kind of vegetables,
especially pumpkins. In the meantime, the men
took part in many contests and games. The Indians
competed with their bows and arrows. Everyone
was very excited when the soldiers shot their rifles
and blew their bugles.

The Pilgrims didn’t have a Thanksgiving feast next fall, because there
was very little food for anyone. In spite of everything, they never had
any regrets about their first holiday.
 COMPREHENSION.

A. Answer these questions according to the reading. Give full answers, please.

1. When did the Mayflower leave England for the New World?
The Mayflower left England for the New World in 1620.

2. Where did the Mayflower head for?

R/ The Mayflower headed for the Jamestown colony on the warm shore of Virginia

3. How many passengers were there?

R/ There were one hundred passengers

4. Who were the passengers?

R/ The passengers were Pilgrims

5. What were they looking for?

R/ They were looking for a place where they could worship God in their own way

6. Why did the Mayflower lose its course?

R/ The Mayflower lost its course because there were strong winds and severe storms

7. Where did the colonists finally have to land?

R/ The colonists finally landed at Plymouth on the rocky coast of Massachusetts

8. When did they land there?

R/ The colonists landed there in December 1620

9. What was ahead of them?

R/ Better conditions began to improve for them in the spring of 1621

10. Who survived the winter?

R/ Only the strongest of the Pilgrims survived after winter

11. What things could they eat in the spring of 1621?

R/ They could eat wild vegetables, berries and fruit in the spring of 1621

12. Why did their health improve?

R/ Their health improved because they had food for eating

13. How many of the original passengers remained?

R/ Only fifty of the original passengers remained

14. How many houses did they have?

R/ They had eleven crude houses for protection against the severe winter

15. What happened at dawn on that first Thanksgiving Day?

R/ The colonists fired a cannon as a salute at dawn on that first Thanksgiving Day

16. Where did the colonists go after that?

R/ Afterwards they moved to the meeting house in a procession

17. What did the hunters come back with?

R/ The hunters came back with wild turkeys, geese and ducks.

18. What did the Indians bring?

R/ The Indians brought many kind of vegetables

19. What other kinds of food did they have?

R/ They also had many kinds of pumpkins

20. What did they do during the three days of celebration?

R/ The men took part in many contests and games. The Indians competed with their bows and
arrows. Everyone was very excited when the soldiers shot their rifles and blew their bugles.

B. From the column at the left, select the best synonym for the italicized word in each sentence.
Rewrite the sentences, using the synonyms.

appoint 1. The Pilgrims were looking for a new home.

Scarcely R/10 2. The severe storms damaged the little ship.
Principal R/14 3. Their health improved in the spring
got better R/3 4. Only the strongest Pilgrims survived.
Almost R/11 5. They built crude houses for protection.
Searching R/1 6. On that day, there was a procession.
Parade R/6 7. The colonists fired a cannon as a salute.
Stayed R/9 8. The group provided the food for the feast.
completely filled R/13 9. All the colonists remained in New England.
Primarily R/12 10. The celebration has hardly changed.
Violent R/2 11. It is practically the same everywhere.
remained alive R/4 12. It was largely the responsibility of Mrs. Hale.
Shot R/7 13. The table is always loaded with food.
Memory R/15 14. The main course usually consists of turkey.
roughly finished R/8 15. it is served in remembrance of their gifts.
Furnished R/5