III. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the words in brackets, and then say if the statements are true (T) or false (F) or No Information (NO). Holidays

Holiday, day set apart for religious observance or for the commemoration of some (1. ordinary) event or (2. distinguish) person, or for some other public occasion. Holidays are (3. character) by a (4. part) or total cessation of work and normal business (5. act) and are (6. general) accompanied by public and private ceremonies, (7. include) feasting (or fasting), parades and carnivals, or displays of flags and speechmaking. Originally, in ancient times, holidays were predominantly (8. religion) in character and linked to (9. nature) events such as the annual course of the sun or the phases of the moon. The word holiday, in fact, is derived from 'holy day'. (10. Subsequence), secular holidays commemorating (11. history) occasions or distinguished persons (12. number) holy days, although many ancient religious rituals and customs have been carried over into modern times and incorporated into both secular and religious (13. observe). Today, the (14. stand) holiday is one of religious observance and (15. abstain) from normal work routines, taking place on Sunday for Christians, Friday for Muslims, and Saturday for Jews (see Sabbath). In the U.S., Sunday is not only a religious holiday but is also the only common-law holiday.

1        2        3             4                5             6             7            8 9              10             11            12         13              14             15 

1Holidays are Saturdays and Sundays.

2 People often hold activities, private ceremonies, feasting, parades and carnivals, or displays of flags and speechmaking on holidays.

3 In the past holidays were generally religious in character and linked to natural events such as the annual course of the sun or the phases of the moon.

4 A lot of ancient religious rituals and customs have been carried over into modern times and incorporated into both secular and religious observations.

5 Today, they don't hold holidays on Sunday for Christians, Friday for Muslims, and Saturday for Jews.

6In the U.S., Sunday is not a religious holiday