H.S.C Reading Passage 4

                            Unite 1 Lesson 5                                                                 

Let me first  introduce( acquaint, familiarize ) my beautiful country to you. It is in south-east Asia, a neighbour of yours, in fact. We gained (obtain, procure, acquire ) independence(liberty) from Britain in 1948. In 1989, the name of our country was changed(altered, different, reformed) from Burma to Myanmar, the traditional(customary, out dated) name. Almost all of us speak the Myanmar language.There are a number of tribal(ethnic, clannish, ancestral,) languages, too. Many of us speak English as well. We are mainly Buddhists but don't be surprised(stunned, amaze, startled, staggered, flabbergasted) to hear that I also have Christian, Hindu and Muslim friends. The national dress, for both men and women, is the longyi, a long tightly wrapped (enfold, draped, swathed ) skirt worn from the waist to the ankles. Women wear blouses and longyi which are of bright colours and patterns. Men wear shirts and longyis with checks and patterns. You can differentiate whether the longies are for women or men from their patterns and designs. I live in our capital, Yangoon, which was formerly known as Rangoon. It is famous(illustrious, eminent, renowned, famed ) for its many pagodas which are the Buddhist prayer houses. Like most city-dwellers, we live in a concrete (tangible ,solid, material ) house. My father works for the government. My uncles from both my parents’ side live in villages and work on farmlands(pastures ). We have close ties (bonds, link, connexions ) with them and visit them during the holidays. I'm proud to let you know that women in my country have more rights than many other Asian women. In most families, the mother manages( fares, copes) the finances and runs the household.