Long Listening · Section 5

4th of July

The Fourth of July is America's Independence Day, and it's extremely important for many Americans.

Level: A2 · 50 sentences

Transcript

  1. The Fourth of July is America's Independence Day,
  2. and it's extremely important for many Americans.
  3. So let's first talk about the meaning behind the Fourth of July
  4. and why Americans cherish this day.
  5. The 13 American colonies declared their independence from England on July 4th, 1776.
  6. This is when the famous document,
  7. the Declaration of Independence, was signed and adopted.
  8. The Declaration of Independence was signed by some very famous Americans,
  9. such as John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin.
  10. These men and many others are considered the founding fathers of America.
  11. During this time, the American colonies were fighting the Revolutionary War against Great Britain.
  12. Finally, in 1783, the war ended
  13. and America was free from British rule.
  14. Americans love celebrating the 4th of July because this day represents freedom.
  15. This date is historically important for the whole world, too,
  16. because the Declaration of Independence inspired many other people in other countries
  17. to fight for their freedom.
  18. In other countries, there's usually an Independence Day or a National Day,
  19. but it's not the same as America's Fourth of July.
  20. This is because most people in other countries aren't super patriotic,
  21. but many Americans are very patriotic.
  22. It's a different level of patriotism.
  23. The Fourth of July is the ultimate patriotic day in the US.
  24. It gives Americans the perfect opportunity
  25. to celebrate their country and show their patriotism.
  26. Okay, now let's talk about some of the traditions
  27. that Americans have on the 4th of July.
  28. Most importantly, you see many American flags on this day.
  29. There are American flags everywhere on people's cars, houses, clothes, and bodies.
  30. You'll see a lot of flags in any month that you're in the US,
  31. but there are way more on the 4th of July.
  32. Okay, another tradition is to have a barbecue with family
  33. and friends on this day.
  34. When Americans have barbecues, it's usually outside in someone's backyard or at the park.
  35. On the 4th of July, people have barbecues everywhere,
  36. and most people spend the day outside.
  37. The most common type of food
  38. that we barbecue on this day are hamburgers and hot dogs, of course.
  39. I love these foods, especially when they're fresh off the grill.
  40. How about you? Do you like eating hamburgers and hot dogs?
  41. So something else that many Americans do on the 4th
  42. of July is go to the beach.
  43. I never go to the beach to celebrate,
  44. but my family often goes to the bay.
  45. We stay there all day playing sports and other games.
  46. Then at night, everyone watches the fireworks.
  47. This is the most iconic 4th of July tradition.
  48. You can see fireworks all around you from different parts of the city.
  49. Some of the fireworks shows are really impressive.
  50. It's always super fun to watch them with your family and friends.