In the UK， Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night is celebrated on 5November and the night skies are filled with colour. It’s a special day inhonour of a historic event.

The history

In 1605， English Catholics were angry because the King of England，JamesⅠ， was treating them badly. In protest， a group of men made a plan，known as the “Gunpowder Plot”， to blow up the Houses of Parliament inLondon. An enormous explosion was planned for 5 November， the day thatthe King was due to open parliament.

The group chose a man called Guy Fawkes to light the gunpowder.

The plot did not succeed—the gunpowder was found before it explodedand all the men involved were arrested， tortured and executed. To celebratehis survival， JamesⅠordered the people of England to have a bonfire on thenight of 5 November.

Bonfires， Guys and fireworks

On 5 November people remember the plot by celebrating Bonfire Night.All over Britain there are firework displays and bonfires with models of GuyFawkes， made from clothes and filled with newspaper， which are burned onthe fire. The fireworks are a reminder of the gunpowder that Guy Fawkes hidin the cellar of Parliament. Children used to take home-made Guys onto thestreets and ask for “a penny for the guy” to collect money to buy fireworks.

Food

It’s normally quite cold in November in Britain， so on BonfireNight， people wear hats， scarves and gloves to spend the eveningoutside. Traditional Bonfire Night food is hot baked potatoes. Thepotatoes are cooked on the bonfire and filled with butter and cheese.There are also toffee apples （apples on a stick， covered in sugar） andin the north of England they eat a special type of cake called parkin.

Activity 1 Match the words from the text to their definitions.

1. blow upa. a big fire made outside

2. bonfireb. in order to show respect for

3. fireworkc. make something explode

4. gunpowderd. an explosive combination of substances

5. in honour ofe. a device containing chemicals which is ignitedto produce coloured lights or loud noises

Activity 2 Match the beginnings and endings to make complete sentences about the text.

1. An enormous explosion a. are burned on fires every year.

2. The plan b. are cooked on the fires and eaten.

3. Guy Fawkes and his men c. is known as the “Gunpowder Plot”.

4. Models of Guy Fawkes d. was planned for 5 November 1605.

5. Potatoes e. were discovered and executed.

參考答案：

Activity 1

1. c; 2. a; 3. e; 4. d; 5. b

Activity 2

1. d; 2. c; 3. e; 4. a; 5. b