What Do You Eat, Do You Get Presents, When Is It Celebrated, and What Is Celebrated?

Name:…………………………………………..

Class:…………………..

Before reading

1. Celebrations:

Which annual celebrations do you have?

What do you eat, do you get presents, when is it celebrated, and what is celebrated?

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2. Search on the Internet to find information about Charles Dickens:

You can use these sites:

Task: make a worksheet in a Word document with

a picture of Charles Dickens
the date of birth
the place of birth
his full name
some important events in his life
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the titles of three novels he wrote
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the date of death
the place of death

3. This is the text of a Christmas song.

Underline in the text the words that are related to Christmas.

DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS
It's Christmas time
There's no need to be afraid
At Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade
And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time
But say a prayer
Pray for the other ones
At Christmas time it's hard, but when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window
And it's a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears
And the Christmas bells that ring there
Are the clanging chimes of doom
Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you
And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
(Oooh) Where nothing ever grows
No rain nor rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmas time at all
(Here's to you) raise a glass for everyone
(Here's to them) underneath that burning sun
Do they know it's Christmas time at all
Feed the world, feed the world, feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time again
Feed the world
Let them know it's Christmas time again

Some difficult words: search the meaning in a dictionnary

For example: to banish, dread, sting, to clang, chimes,…

4. Try to translate the red part in pairs, what is the value of this text?

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5. What do you think of when you think of Christmas? What feelings do you have? Write them down around this Christmas tree.

6. Here is a picture of the main character of the book ‘A Christmas Carol’. Look at the picture and answer the next questions.

How old is the man? What time of year is it?

What is he doing? Where is he?

What is his job? Is this a modern or

an old story?

Is he happy?

While reading

7. Here are the titles of the chapters. Write a new title for each chapter after you read it.

Title in the book / New title

Marley’s ghost
The ghost of past Christmases
the ghost of Christmas now
the ghost of future Christmases
The end of the story

8. Put the right sentences with the right chapter.

Chapter 1* Scrooge sees a dead person

* Scrooge sees his old school

Chapter 2* A lot of ghosts walk in the street

* Fred invites Scrooge to his house

Chapter 3* A ghost has a hat under his arm

* Scrooge buys a turkey

Chapter 4 * Bob Chratchit went to church

* ‘An old friend’ visits scrooge

Chapter 5* People greet Scrooge in the street

* A young girl leaves Scrooge

9. Who says these things to or about Scrooge?

How can you possibly feel sad? You’re too rich for that.

Scrooge
Bob Chratchit
Fred

You too are making a chain in your life.

Ghost of Future Christmases
Ghost of Christmas Present
Marley

Your bad past life made this hat.

Ghost of Future Christmases
Ghost of Christmas Present
Ghost of Past Christmases

I’m here because you can come home now.

Fan
Fred’s wife
Chratchit’s wife

Let’s have a party

Chratchit
Mr Fezzywig
Fred

In this future the child will die.

Ghost of Future Christmases
Ghost of Christmas Present
Ghost of Past Christmases

I’ll drink to him because you ask me.

Fan
Fred’s wife
Chratchit’s wife

I’m sorry I’m late. I had a very merry Christmas yesterday.

Chratchit
Fred
Scrooge

After reading

10. You can have one more picture in this story.

What is in your picture?
Draw the picture or write a description of it.
Which sentence describes your picture the best?

11. Here are some people of the story. First write the names of the people in the pictures and draw lines between the people and the things that they said or did.

* Says nothing.

* I made this chain in my life,

and I’m wearing it now.

* Takes Scrooge to see the house of Bob Cratchit.

* Your bad past life made this hat.

* They visited hospitals and prisons.

* Shows Scrooge a dead man in

bed.

* Shows Scrooge his childhood.

* Shows Scrooge a girl who

was once his girlfriend.

* I’m always moving, never happy.

12. Scrooge:

Describe the Scrooge’s behaviour in the beginning of the book.

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What do you think of this attitude?

If a person in real life had the same attitude like Scrooge, would you like him/her? Why (not)?

How do you think people should be for each other when it’s Christmas?

13. Christmas around the world: find two other countries and find out on the Internet how they celebrate Christmas.

Country

Traditions

Decorations

Food

Date of Christmas

Type of Weather

Country

Traditions

Decorations

Food

Date of Christmas

Type of Weather

14. Write four or five sentences on your favourite character from the story.

15. Vocabulary: Connect the words with the right explanation.

mistletoea light horse-drawn cart that

is used to carry people over

snow and ice

reindeerThe arrival or coming to exist,

especially of something

important

fireplaceA fat bearded old man who

lives at the North- Pole

sleighsomething given as a gift

Santa Claussomething serving to beautify,

an ornament

Adventflowers twisted together, used as a symbol

or decoration

present a large deer found in the

colder regions of Europe, Asia and Greenland, they have antlers and they are thought to pull Santa’s sleigh

decorationan indoor place with a chimney in which fire can be

made, a hearth

16. Christmas Alliterations

Alliterations are phrases and sentences that start with the same consonant sound. They are often used to write tongue twisters. Some authors use them to make their writing more interesting. Read the example below and write some of your own. If you write a complete sentence you can add a word like "and", "in" , "on", etc. to help with understanding.

Examples:Shiny stars sparkle on silver sleighs.
Santa sings silly songs.

Write some of your own. When you finish read them aloud. Are any of them tongue twisters?

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17. Creative writing:

Describe how you and your family celebrate Christmas.

( ± 10 lines)

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18. You’re Bob Cratchit, and you’ve bought a Christmas present for Scrooge, write on these Christmas tags what you’ve bought and your wishes for him for Christmas and the new year.

19. Write the letter that Bob Cratchit sends to his friend Thomas in Oxford for the New Year, describing the sudden change in his boss’s behaviour, and his own and his family’s thoughts and feelings about it.

Dear Thomas,

Why does Santa have 3 gardens?