1) Have you read the letter from Aunt Emily yet? — Yes, I have. She wants to visit us. She will come next Wednesday. 2) Why are you looking at that woman so attentively? Do you know her? — It seems to me I have already met her somewhere. 3) Is Jane in the office? Yes, she has been typing some documents since 9 o’clock. 4) The police inspector has been investigating this robbery for a week now. He has talked to all the witnesses already but he hasn't found the robbers yet. 5) I don't know how long Henry has been working on that project, but he hasn't finished it yet. 6) The secretary usually comes to the office at 9 o’clock, but it is half past nine now and she hasn't arrived yet. 7) Is Den in his room now? What has he been doing there since morning? — He has been preparing for the research expedition. He has booked a plane ticket already and now he is packing his things. 8) Are you OK, Nigel? You look very pale.— l am just tired. Ihave been working on mj^ report all night. 9) Who has been training in the gym for half a day now? — Ben and Alex. They have been preparing for an international championship for eight months now. They train every day. 10) How long has Nelly been painting this picture? — She has been painting it for a month now. She wants to exhibit it in our gallery next month.
In the early days of Christianity Christmas was not celebrated as a great event. the first mention of Christmas as the festival refers to the year 200 ad, when theologians in Alexandria decided that Christmas should be celebrated on 20 may. In the 4th century ad the Roman Church tried to unify the celebration in different groups and denominations. having decided to celebrate Christmas on December 25. This date was chosen not by chance — among the pagan cults, which at that time were common, December 25 was celebrated as the birthday of the Sun. St. Cyprian said later, "How wonderfully ordered God that the birth of Christ occurred on the birthday of the Sun". In the early days of Christianity Christmas was not celebrated as a great event. the first mention of Christmas as the festival refers to the year 200 ad, when theologians in Alexandria decided that Christmas should be celebrated on 20 may. In the 4th century ad the Roman Church tried to unify the celebration in different groups and denominations. having decided to celebrate Christmas on December 25. This date was chosen not by chance — among the pagan cults, which at that time were common, December 25 was celebrated as the birthday of the Sun. St. Cyprian said later, "How wonderfully ordered God that the birth of Christ occurred on the birthday of the Sun". The tradition of giving gifts at Christmas is very ancient. Christmas drinks, cards, beautiful boxes with bows — it all came to us from the ancient Romans who exchanged gifts on New Year's day. Holy Eligius in the 7th century warned about the priority of spiritual over physical gifts, but as you can see, some traditions in the truest sense of the word cannot be destroyed.A character named Santa Claus is based on Bishop early Christian Saint Nicholas, who was born in 270 ad in the Turkish village of Patara. It is known that quietly gave money to the poor and gifts. The modern image of Santa Claus is largely based on the 1823 poem "A visit from St Nicholas" (the Visit of Saint Nicholas), also called "the Night before Christmas". To read it in the original can be found here. Our Santa Claus is headed by the cold and frost, and the prototype of it, apparently, was one of the pagan gods, the Great old man of the North, which was notorious for its cold evil disposition.
