Reading workshop - 9 February 2010

Hello everyone,

As it couldn't be otherwise, this week we have dedicated our reading workshop to ST VALENTINE'S DAY. We have read a chapter from the excellent book BRITISH AND AMERICAN FESTIVITIES, and we have made some comprehension questions about it, applying the reading techniques of SKIMMING & SCANNING that we have talked about.

As we cannot reproduce the whole of the chapter here, I want to make up to you and offer you other you other ways of learning about this festivity and its history. Did you know that in the UK the festivity is only for couples, as in Spain, but that in the US you can send Valentine's cards also to your family or your friends?

Here you have an excellent video from HISTORYCHANNEL.COM where the story of the festivity is explained. It has no subtitles, but that's nothing to you, isn't it? ;-) Watch the video as many times as you wish!!!

You all know Cupid, that winged baby-boy that is supposed to be responsible for people falling in love. But did you know that, according to ancient mythology, he fell in love himself? Click on the photo of the wonderful sculpture of EROS & PSYCHE by Antonio Canova (currently in the Louvre Museum in Paris) to learn about this beautiful story.

Why don't you answer a few questions about the story? You can write a COMMENT to this post your answers:

a) How many sisters does Psyche have?

b) Why couldn't Psyche find a husband?

c) Which famous goddess was jealous of Psyche?

d) How did Psyche discover the identity of her husband?

e) How many tasks did Psyche have to accomplish to win her husband back?

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is to love and be loved in return" (Moulin Rouge -Baz Luhrmann)

HAPPY BELATED ST VALENTINE'S DAY!!