Exit Test. Christmas Traditions

Listen to the recording and say which of the following 'Christmas things' were mentioned in the episode? Tick the phrases T (true) or F (false). 1) Christmas presents 2) Christmas cards 3) Christmas cake 4) Christmas pudding 5) Christmas tree 6) Christmas dinner 7) Christmas crackers 8) Father Christmas 9) Christmas decorations 10) Christmas party

Choose the correct word. What does the name “Santa Claus” stand for?

Choose the correct word. How does Santa get into a house?

Choose the correct word. What do children usually leave for Santa near the Christmas tree?

Choose the correct word. Where does Santa live?

Choose the correct word. December the 26th when children wake up and open their presents is called:

Choose the correct word. How many reindeer does Santa have?

Choose the correct word. Who helps Santa to make toys in the workshop?

Choose the correct word. What do children hang on the fireplace?

Choose the correct word. What do people usually eat for Christmas dinner?

Choose the correct word. What do people hang on their doors for Christmas?

Read the text and choose the title. Who doesn’t want to have a white Christmas? Playing snowballs and making a snowman with the whole family on Christmas Day is most people’s dream (apart from the countries like Australia that celebrate Christmas in summer, on the beach). This dream is more likely to come true in northern countries like Russia, but for the British people, it’s different. Although it’s not uncommon to get some snow in Scotland and northern England, the rest of Britain is normally only lucky enough to get some frost. In most cases, the weather is wet and gloomy.

Read the text and choose the title. Officially Christmas and New Year celebrations run from the 24th of December to the 2nd of January. However, for many Brits the Christmas marathon starts as early as the beginning of October with the first festive adverts on TV. The idea of Christmas shopping is that you spend as much money as you can on anything you cast your eyes on, preferably something neither you nor your family or friends will ever use. An average British family spends 670 pounds or more around the Christmas period.

Read the text and choose the title. At some time on Christmas day, the family will sit down to a big turkey dinner followed by Christmas pudding or Christmas cake. As for Christmas cake, heavy and overfilling it is not to everybody’s taste. To make things worse, it takes weeks to make and when it is ready it can last until Easter, so if you don’t like it, you have to try and eat some at Christmas to avoid being haunted by it months after.

Read the text and choose the title. There are a lot of traditions connected with Christmas but perhaps the most important one is the giving of presents. Family members wrap up their gifts and leave them at the bottom of the Christmas tree to be found on Christmas morning. Children leave a long sock or stocking at the end of their beds on Christmas Eve, 24th December, hoping that Father Christmas will come down the chimney during the night and bring them small presents, fruit and nuts.

Read the text and fill in the gaps. Christmas Christmas is a joyful religious when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. To people all over the world, Christmas is a season of giving and receiving presents. In Scandinavian and other European countries, Father Christmas, or Saint Nicholas, comes houses in the night and leaves gifts for the children. Saint Nicholas is represented as a kindly man with a red cloak and long white beard. He visited houses and left gifts, bringing people happiness in the coldest months of the year. Another character, the God Odin, on a magical flying horse across the sky in the winter to reward people with gifts. These different legends across the ages to make the present-day Santa Claus. Although Santa Claus has origins in Norse and pre-Christian mythology, he took shape in the United States. Americans gave Santa Claus a white beard, him in a red suit and made him a cheery old gentleman with red cheeks and a twinkle in his eye. American children believe that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole with his wife. All year he lists the names of children, both those who have been good and those who have been bad. He decides what presents to give to the good children. Santa Claus supposedly gets his list of toys from the millions of children who write to him at the North Pole.