Collocation Revision

1. He spent the rest of his ______ traveling around the world.
2. That joke was so funny; it really makes me ______ every time I hear it.
3. I’m thinking of taking a course in ______ to better understand human behavior.
4. While playing soccer, he accidentally ______ his knee and had to sit out.
5. I always stop by the ______ store to grab some snacks on my way home.
6. She was excited to have an ______ to study abroad for a semester.
7. She’s one of the most ______ people I’ve ever met; she always has insightful ideas.
8. What are you planning to get him ______ his birthday this year?

Christmas speaking cards

Reading

Christmas

The origins of Christmas
In ancient times people had mid-winter festivals. They believed that the festivals would help the sun to return after the long winter. In the year 440, the Christian Church decided that the birth of Christ should be celebrated every year on 25 December. Christians started to include some of the mid-winter festival traditions in their Christmas celebrations, including decorating their homes with green plants. Today, a Christmas tree and other plants such as holly are still used to decorate many homes in December.

Cards and presents
In some parts of the world, it’s common to send Christmas cards to people you know. These are cards with a picture on the front and a message inside to say ‘Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’. But people send fewer cards than in the past as they now send Christmas greetings online by email, message or social media.

People usually give presents to their close friends and family. Traditionally, the giving of a present is a symbol of the Three Wise Men giving their gifts to the baby Jesus. Christmas presents are wrapped in colourful paper or put in a bag or a box so that you can’t see what’s inside. Then, they are put under the Christmas tree, and you have to wait until Christmas Day, 25 December, to finally open them. It’s fun to pick up the present, shake it and guess what it is!

Father Christmas (aka Santa Claus)
Young children can tell Father Christmas, also known as Santa Claus, exactly what presents they would like to receive. They can write him a letter with a list of their requests, or they can even ask him personally as some department stores have special ‘Meet Father Christmas’ events. On the night of 24 December, Father Christmas travels through the sky on a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer and delivers presents to all the children. How does he deliver all those presents so quickly? Christmas magic of course!

Snow
When many people think of Christmas, they think of snow! You often see it on Christmas cards, you can buy fake snow to decorate your house and there are even songs about snow at Christmas. In the UK, though, snow at Christmas is actually quite rare! So, it’s really special to have a white Christmas.

Food
In the UK, the main Christmas meal is called Christmas dinner. Even though it’s called ‘dinner’, it’s eaten at lunchtime. People have it on 25 December, and it takes a long time to cook all the food, which usually includes roast turkey, vegetables and potatoes. There are also lots of alternatives to the turkey dinner for vegetarians who prefer a meat-free Christmas. For dessert, there’s a rich, fruity cake called Christmas pudding.

Task 2. Are the Sentences True or False?

1. The celebration of Christmas is 440 years old.
2. Christmas includes both Christian traditions and mid-winter festival traditions.
3. Today, people send more Christmas cards than in the past.
4. People open their Christmas presents on the last day of December.
5. Father Christmas delivers all the presents on the night of 24 December.
6. It snows in the UK every year at Christmas.
7. In the UK, people have the main Christmas meal on 24 December.

Task 3. Filling the Gaps 

Complete the sentences using the correct word or phrase from the text.

1. In ancient times, people celebrated _________ festivals to help the sun return after winter.
2. The Christian Church decided to celebrate the birth of Christ every year on _________.
3. Some traditions from mid-winter festivals, such as decorating homes with _________, became part of Christmas celebrations.
4. Today, people still use _________ and holly to decorate their homes in December.
5. In some parts of the world, it’s common to send _________ to people you know at Christmas.
6. Fewer people send Christmas cards nowadays because they prefer to send greetings by _________.
7. Giving presents at Christmas is a symbol of the _________ giving gifts to the baby Jesus.
8. Presents are usually wrapped in colourful paper or put in a _________ so the contents remain a surprise.
9. Children can write letters to _________ with their gift requests.
10. On the night of 24 December, Father Christmas delivers presents using a sleigh pulled by _________.
11. Although many people associate Christmas with _________, it’s rare to see it in the UK at this time.
12. The main Christmas meal in the UK is called Christmas _________ and often includes roast turkey.

Discussion

Do you celebrate Christmas? If you do, what do you like best about it? If not, tell us about your favourite holiday of the year.