Задание 12 из ЕГЭ по английскому языку: задача 5

New Year, My Favorite Holiday: a New View

The cliché question of “What’s your favorite holiday” has always thrown me for a loop. Sure there is Valentine’s Day or Christmas, but when I tell people New Year’s Day they are a little confused, let me explain. There is something special about the new year, there is a sense of rebirth, of restart, it’s a good feeling. And behind this there are hope and optimism.

Now mind you, I have never really been a big fan of staying up till midnight, I try to be a very scheduled person. I used to work at a coffee shop for years! I would always have to be at work New Year Day morning, 4 a.m. to be exact, and that was always a little rough on the system. I have fond memories of people who were still awake from the previous day. However, behind all those tired sleepy faces was a glimmer of hope and happiness.

I have always been a fan of being the first one awake when camping in the woods, or even staying in a cabin, the coffee is hot, the mornings are crisp and the world for a few moments is silent. You might hear the telltale signs of wildlife skittering around in the morning! This to me is New Year’s morning, New Year is the grander scale of the daily morning wake up with coffee, there is something special about waking up and it being a whole new year... even more so when a decade has passed!

People are making resolutions to better themselves, they are making hopeful promises to others (when they should be making them for themselves) and while we all know that the majority of resolutions falter but the idea is there for a fleeting moment. That sheer optimism, the excitement of the challenge, of the possibility of lifestyle change is there. That’s what I love. The passion for change is there but as humans we unfortunately revert back to our old routines, we are after all, creatures of habit. That’s the human part of us all!

Hope and optimism are driving factors for many things. I’m not sure if it’s a personality trait thing but I can’t help but have undying optimism for everything in life... even things that are utter nonsense! The last few years have been wonky personally but I never let it get me down, yes, there were tears and shame and frustration but when I let all that overcome me I always came out knowing there was light at the end. There was never a moment in which I felt like I’d never rise above. That’s hope.

That is what New Year’s Day reminds me of. We plan to make changes when everyone else does, we plan to be better alongside everyone else. Maybe it is easier, but maybe you aren’t one of those people who want to go with the grain, you truly can only commit to it when you are ready... you are in charge here. Life should never be a competition with other humans, you can only make the changes when you are ready.

So take this new year, exhale 2022 and take a deep breath into 2023. Enjoy the peace the day will bring, the optimism that will be prevalent for about the next month.

Whatever New Year means to you, I hope it is full of happiness! Remember the optimism doesn’t have to fade as the month progresses... it’s always there, laying dormant until you need that pick me up. Cheers!

Прочитайте текст. Запишите в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному вами варианту ответа.

When the author says that the question about her favourite holiday has always thrown her for a loop, she means that ...

1. it surprises her very much.
2. it makes her feel confused.
3. it makes her feel good.
4. she likes it very much.