[Culture ★★]
(P1) Large groups of people in India follow many traditional practices like frog marriage, baby dropping, and body piercing.
(P2) Body piercing takes place every year, and the people believe that it stops diseases, but mainly chicken pox. Chicken pox is a disease, which can spread among people very easily. An infection causes it and it can give you skin blisters.
(P3) During the ritual, threads pierce the body while people sing traditional songs. People believe that God gives them power, so they feel no pain.
WORDS: 83
SOURCE: http://www.newsinlevels.com/products/body-piercing-in-india-level-2/?utm_source=old
VOCABULARY: practices, piercing, chicken pox, blisters, ritual, threads
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.
- Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
- Does your country have traditional practices? If so, describe one.
- Have you ever had the chicken pox?
- Do you have any piercings? If so, where?
- Do you believe a ritual can help you feel no pain? Why or why not?
EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:
What do the following expressions or phrases mean?
- Frog marriage (P1 – click on phrase)
- Baby dropping (P1 – click on phrase)
- takes place (P2)
- Pierce the body (P3)
Image source: “India village musicians” by Sukanto Debnath from Hyderabad, India – Singers of the villages. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:India_village_musicians.jpg – /media/File:India_village_musicians.jpg
