Pre-reading questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- What month do you look forward to the most and why?
- What is the best month to visit your country? Please share the reasons as well.
Vocabulary
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- Ethiopia /ee-thee-OH-pee-uh/
- mark /mahrk/
- unique /yoo-NEEK/
- widely /WAHYD-lee/
- in advance /in ad-VANS/
[noun] – a country in East Africa
My family and I stayed in Ethiopia for four years.
[verb] – to represent something that has happened in the past or is about to happen
Today marks the company’s tenth anniversary.
[adjective] – being the only existing one of its type or, more generally, unusual, or special in some way
His creations have a unique brand of style.
[adverb] – including a lot of different places, people, subjects, etc.
The city is widely known for its markets and sightseeing spots.
[idiom] – before a particular time, or before doing a particular thing
Please purchase the tickets at least a month in advance.
Article reading
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
We believe that the 12-month rule is followed by all nations. But one country in Africa is unique, as it uses a calendar with 13 months in a year.
Ethiopia uses a calendar with 30 days for the first 12 months. However, the last month known as Pagume has five days on average and six on leap years. On the Ethiopian calendar, a year has 365 days, 6 hours, 2 minutes, and 24 seconds. Once every four years, on the sixth day of a leap year, six hours add up to 24 hours. Two minutes and 24 seconds add up to a full day once every 600 years. This seventh day is known to the Ethiopians as rena mealt and rena lelit. This means they’re seven to eight years behind the rest of us since 2014 started in September of last year. Ethiopians then mark the beginning of the new year on September 11 or September 12 if it’s a leap year. The country observes more public holidays than other countries throughout the world due to its unique calendar.
The Gregorian calendar is widely used, and some individuals even switch the two calendars. Nevertheless, the traditional calendar is still used in modern-day Ethiopia. Be sure to check the dates in advance if you’re going to Ethiopia!
Ethiopia uses a calendar with 30 days for the first 12 months. However, the last month known as Pagume has five days on average and six on leap years. On the Ethiopian calendar, a year has 365 days, 6 hours, 2 minutes, and 24 seconds. Once every four years, on the sixth day of a leap year, six hours add up to 24 hours. Two minutes and 24 seconds add up to a full day once every 600 years. This seventh day is known to the Ethiopians as rena mealt and rena lelit. This means they’re seven to eight years behind the rest of us since 2014 started in September of last year. Ethiopians then mark the beginning of the new year on September 11 or September 12 if it’s a leap year. The country observes more public holidays than other countries throughout the world due to its unique calendar.
The Gregorian calendar is widely used, and some individuals even switch the two calendars. Nevertheless, the traditional calendar is still used in modern-day Ethiopia. Be sure to check the dates in advance if you’re going to Ethiopia!
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- How many months does the traditional Ethiopia calendar have?
- What is the last month of the Ethiopian calendar called?
- How many days and hours does a year in the Ethiopian calendar have?
- What is the seventh day of the Ethiopian calendar called?
- How many years is Ethiopia behind the rest of the world?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- What is the busiest month for you? Please share why.
- Does your country have a traditional calendar? If so, please tell me more about it. If not, what kind of calendar system would you like to have?
- If you were to travel to Ethiopia, which month would you choose and why?
- Should Ethiopians stop using their old calendar system?
- Does following a specific calendar system affect people’s daily lives? Why or why not?