Weekly Lesson
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Weekly LessonUse your browser's print command to print this lesson
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| a carol | N. a traditional Christmas song |
| a chimney | N. a part of a fire place which extends up through the roof and carries smoke out of the house |
| Christmas Eve | N. the night before Christmas |
| eggnog | N. a traditional Christmas drink made with milk, egg, vanilla and rum |
| a mass | N. the name of a service in certain churches (like the Catholic church) |
| mistletoe | N. a plant which is often hung from the ceiling at Christmas (When two people walk under the plant, they are supposed to kiss.) |
| an ornament | N. a decoration which is hung on a Christmas tree; any decoration |
| a reindeer | N. a type of deer from Northern Europe |
| a sleigh | N. a vehicle which travels on snow |
| stockings | N. a knitted sock; a traditional foot covering |
Vocabulary in Conversation
Use the above vocabulary to fill in the blanks in the following conversation. Your answers can be checked by clicking at the bottom of the page.
Susan : Merry Christmas, come on in and take off your coat - it's cold out there.
Stephan : Merry Christmas. Let me take off my boots, I don't want to get snow all over the place.
Susan : Would you like some ______________________ ? It's a traditional Christmas drink made with milk, eggs, vanilla and rum.
Stephan : That sounds delicious! I'd love some.
Susan : So, are you ready to decorate the tree? The kids are in the living room right now unpacking the ______________________ and preparing the lights... Oh, Stephan, you're standing under the ______________________! You have to give me a kiss.
Stephan : That's a nice Christmas tradition. I brought you a little gift. It's a CD of traditional Christmas ______________________ from my country. I hope you like it.
Susan : Oh, how wonderful, let's put it on right now while we are decorating the tree.
Stephan : I don't really know much about Christmas in America. How do you celebrate it here?
Susan : Well, usually the family gets together on ______________________ and has a nice dinner. Some people go to midnight ______________________ , others stay at home and celebrate with their families and friends. Some people open a gift or two, but my family is very traditional. We wait until Christmas morning to open the gifts from Santa.
Stephan : I have heard American children talking about Santa Claus. How do you describe him in the States?
Susan : In America, we have a very
set picture of Santa Claus. He dresses in red and white clothes and travels
in a magic ______________________ pulled by flying ______________________
. He enters your house by climbing down the ______________________, and
he leaves gifts under the Christmas tree and in ______________________
which we hang above the fire place.
Vocabulary
| decorative | Adj. used as a decoration |
| festive | Adj. having a party-like atmosphere |
| frosty | Adj. cold, chilly, icy |
| holy | Adj. of special religious importance or significance |
| homemade | Adj. made or prepared in the home, not store bought |
| glistening | Adj. reflecting flashes of light; sparkling, glimmery |
| jingling | Adj. sounding like small ringing bells |
| jolly | Adj. very happy, joyful, fun-loving (used to describe people) |
| merry | Adj. full of happiness or enjoyment (mostly used with Christmas) |
| naughty | Adj. misbehaving, not well-behaved (We often say that Santa will not give gifts to naughty children.) |
Vocabulary in Writing
Use the above vocabulary to fill in the blanks in the following sentences. Your answers can be checked by clicking at the bottom of the page.
1. Santa knows whether you've been ______________________ or nice. So, you had better be good this year, or he might bring you a lump of coal.
2. As Santa landed on the roof of our house, we could hear the tapping of little reindeer hooves and a symphony of ______________________ sleigh bells.
3. Every Christmas, my grandmother bakes a batch of ______________________ sugar cookies shaped like snowmen.
4. Marie made a beautiful, ______________________
wreath out of pine branches and red flowers.
(A wreath is a traditional Christmas decoration
made of branches twisted into the shape of a circle. It is often hung on
the front door to greet visitors.)
5. The ______________________ ornaments looked like stars on the Christmas tree.
6. In America, Santa Claus is usually depicted as a ______________________ , fat man who brings gifts to young boys and girls. Many countries believe in Father Christmas, who is usually depicted in a more dignified, spiritual light.
7. When we were in Guadalajara, we attended the most lively Christmas celebration I have ever seen. Everything was decorated in bright, ______________________ colors and we sang and danced the night away.
8. The ______________________ night air and heavy snow gave way to a beautiful white Christmas with blue skies and relatively warm temperatures.
9. The old man reminded us that Christmas was more than just a day of gift giving; it was a ______________________ day with an ancient history.
10. I wish you all a ______________________
Christmas and a happy New Year.