April Fool's Day Lesson

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The story of April Fools Day

April Fool's Day started in the sixteenth century in Europe. Before that time, New Year's Day was celebrated on April 1st. Then a new calendar was introduced called the Gregorian calendar. January 1st became the first day of the year, but many people did not know about it. So those who continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1st were teased. They were called fools. Nowadays we play jokes on people on April 1st., such as putting salt in the sugar container so that another person could "accidentally" put it in their coffee. After we play the trick, we say "April Fool." Then the poor person realizes he was fooled. It is generally done just for fun and doesn't cause any real harm to anyone. Some epic hoaxes In 1957, the BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees; numerous viewers were fooled. In 1985, Sports Illustrated tricked many of its readers when it ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a fastball over 168 miles per hour. In 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, duped people when it announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia's Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. In 1998, after Burger King advertised a "Left-Handed Whopper," scores of clueless customers requested the fake sandwich.
For further information: The History of April Fools Day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhVCTkpVX2Y&feature=player_embedded April Fool by the BBC on Flying Penguins: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dfWzp7rYR4 April Fools Pranks The Tonight Show with Jay Leno http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkIeA2yPXEs 8 Zany April Fools Day Hoaxes: http://www.history.com/news/8-zany-april-fools-day-hoaxes

Where and when did it begin? When did they celebrate New Years? Who were fooled at that time? What is the tradition in France? In Portugal? In England? What do the media outlets do?

April Fools Day Vocabulary


April Fool 1. A trick played on someone on April Fools' Day, or the person who is tricked 2. Said on April Fools' Day when you have tricked someone April Fool's Day Also Called All Fool's Day. It is on the first of April every year. People can play tricks, practical jokes and hoaxes on each other on this day. Fool A person who behaves in a silly way without thinking or someone who doesn't understand what's happening around him/her Hoax A plan to deceive someone, such as telling the police there is a bomb somewhere when there is not one, or a trick: The bomb threat turned out to be a hoax Gullible easily deceived or tricked, and too willing to believe everything that other people say: There are any number of miracle cures on the market for people gullible enough to buy them Play a joke (on someone) (Also play a trick on someone.) Do something funny (an amusing trick) that is done in order to make people laugh and that another person doesn't suspect at first. Practical joke A playful trick that usually puts the receiver in an embarrassing position. Prank A trick that is intended to be amusing but not to cause harm or damage: When I was at school we were always playing pranks on our teachers.I've had enough of your childish pranks Prankster Someone who performs pranks on people Spoof story It is a story that's not true, presented as though it were real.

Pranks or true stories?


1 - Japanese long-distance runner Kimo Nakajimi entered the London Marathon in 1983 but got confused by a translation of the rules and thought he had to run for 26 days, not 26 miles. He was discovered, after the race was well over, out running in the English countryside.

2 - Universities are offering courses in Harry Potter and "ethical hacking". Durham University's education department offers a module entitled Harry Potter and the Age of Illusion which includes a section "Welcome to Hogwarts: the commodification of education". Abertay Dundee offered a course on ethical hacking, consumer website. 3 - In 1993 city officials in Cologne, Germany imposed a new regulation on people jogging through the city park. Runners were required to pace themselves to go no faster than six mph. Any faster, the city officials cautioned, could disturb the squirrels who were in the middle of their mating season. 4 - Engineers recently invented the world's first tooth telephone, perfect for those who want to talk hands-free while on the go. When implanted into a tooth, the tiny device vibrates to let the user know there's a call. Users speak normally, and the tiny microphone picks up their voice. Incoming sounds are transferred to the inner ear by means of bone resonance. 5 - Tired of overcooking the carrots? Now there's a solution. British scientists announced last year the development of a genetically modified 'whistling carrot.' Tiny airholes inside the carrot cause it to whistle when properly cooked. 6 - Nasa is to use a giant bag to capture an asteroid and tow it to the Moon. The $100m project will be included in its 2014 budget request. If successful, the asteroid will be used to help long-distance space missions. 7 - Glow in the dark popcorn. Save yourself the embarrassment of grabbing something other than popcorn while watching a movie with this handy glow in the dark variety. Discovered by scientists in a Cambridge research lab, it promises to drastically change the way we eat popcorn. 8 - A flea circus in Germany was struck by tragedy when 300 of its tiny performers were killed by cold weather. The frantic owner was able to source 60 replacement fleas. 9 - The fashion designer Alexander McQueen claims to have written a profanity in pen onto a jacket belonging to Prince Charles when he was working as a Saville Row tailor.

Solutions: 1- April Fool, 2- True, 3- April Fool, 4- True, 5- April Fool, 6- True, 7- April Fool, 8- True, 9- True

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