1. Answer the questions:1.What springs to your mind when you hear the word “Christmas”?
2.Is it a happy or a stressful holiday for people?
3.Is Christmas too commercial nowadays?
4.Should people go to church at Christmas?
5.What is your favourite Christmas song?
6.Is Christmas better in the cold Northern Hemisphere or on a beach in the Southern Hemisphere?
7.Is it OK to spend a lot of money on Christmas?
2. CELEBRATE:What's the best way to celebrate? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.
What do you do now?
What would you really like to do?
People
Presents
Food
Clothes
Parties
Words
3. MERRY CHRISTMAS:Students A strongly believe saying "Merry Christmas" is better than saying "Happy Holidays"; Students B strongly believe the opposite.
4. PRESENTS:Rank these and share your rankings with your partner. Put the (same-price) presents you'd want most at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.
5. RELIGIOUS:Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "religious". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them.
BEFORE READING / LISTENING
1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).
a.
A new report say 80% per cent of Americans celebrate Christmas.
T / F
b.
A research company asked over 20,000 people about Christmas.
T / F
c.
Older people are more likely to see the religious side to Christmas.
T / F
d.
Older people are more likely to do to church than younger people.
T / F
e.
More people are saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas".
T / F
f.
Over 80% of Americans will watch a Christmas movie.
T / F
g.
More than 40% of Americans will read the Bible's Christmas story.
T / F
h.
People look forward to spending time with family most.
T / F
2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.
1.
report
a.
rather than
half
b.
probable
3.
opinions
c.
opting
4.
likely
d.
study
5.
attend
e.
discovered
6.
choosing
f.
thoughts
7.
instead of
g.
total
8.
happening
h.
be present at
9.
found
i.
taking place
10.
amount
j.
fifty per cent
3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)
1.
Nine out of
a.
church
Just over half of
b.
to say "Happy Holidays"
3.
see Christmas as a religious rather
c.
in the virgin birth
4.
They're less likely to say they will attend
d.
they say to each other
5.
they are less likely to believe
e.
money people spend
6.
People are also changing what
f.
than cultural holiday
7.
more people are choosing
g.
time with their family
8.
happening around the same
h.
those questioned
9.
The average amount of
i.
time as Christmas
10.
look forward to spending
j.
ten Americans celebrate
GAP FILL
A new report says Christmas in the USA is becoming less religious. Nine (1) ____________ of ten Americans celebrate Christmas, but only about half think it is a religious holiday. The report is from the Pew Research Center. It asked 2,001 (2) ____________ about their opinions on Christmas. Just over (3) ____________ of those questioned thought Christmas was a religious celebration, while 32 per cent said it was, "more of a (4) ____________ holiday". Greg Smith from Pew Research said: "Younger adults are less (5) ____________ than older adults to see Christmas as a religious (6) ____________ than cultural holiday. They're less likely to say they will (7) ____________ [church at] Christmas…and they are less likely to believe in the virgin (8) ____________."
likely half birth out attend adults rather cultural
People are also (9) ____________ what they say to each other at Christmas and what they write in cards. More and (10) ____________ people are choosing to say "Happy Holidays" (11) ____________ of "Merry Christmas". This is because there are also non-Christian holidays happening (12) ____________ the same time as Christmas. Many people want to include all holidays in their holiday (13) ____________. The research also found that 79 per cent of Americans will watch a Christmas movie, but only 59 per cent will go to (14) ____________. Just 36 per cent will read the Christmas story in the Bible. The (15) ____________ amount of money people spend on Christmas is $914. Ten per cent of Americans spend over $2,000. People most look (16) ____________ to spending time with their family.
wishes average more around forward changing church instead
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1.
How many Americans celebrate Christmas?
2.
How many Americans believe Christmas is a religious holiday?
3.
How many people answered questions about Christmas?
4.
Who was more likely to think of Christmas as a religious holiday?
5.
Who are less likely to go to church at Christmas time?
6.
What are more and more people changing?
7.
What else happens around the same time as Christmas?
8.
What will 79% of Americans watch this Christmas?
9.
Who spends more than $2,000 on Christmas?
10.
What do Americans look forward to most about Christmas?
