40s Singleness-Learn English Online: Thursday's Reading Room

Here is a nice Christmas reading comprehension activity and a little American Christmas culture. I use this reading from edhelper.com to help bring a little American culture to my students' Christmas and to help teach Christmas vocabulary in context.

¹ You know it's the Christmas season without anyone telling you! You see, hear, and smell the Christmas clues all around you. The things that tell you Christmas is coming are symbols. They are symbols of Christmas.

² Your eyes light up with the decorations. Red lights, white lights, and multicolored lights outline houses. They are draped over bushes and around trees. They are like tiny stars that twinkle in the night. Those lights are a part of our Christmas season. They make everything seem pretty and magical!

³ Christmas trees are another wonder of the season. They are draped with tinsel, garland, and lights. They are topped with stars or angels or bows. Their branches are filled with ornaments of all sizes, shapes, and colors. The people of Germany were the first to decorate trees for the holiday.

⁴ When you see a jolly fat man in a red suit with a white beard, you've seen another symbol of Christmas. Clement C. Moore's poem, "The Night before Christmas," described this Christmas character for us. Thomas Nast's drawing was based on the poem.

⁵ There is a flower linked to Christmas. It is the poinsettia [poyn-SET-ee-uh or poyn-SET-uh]. Christmas is the only time we see pots of poinsettias everywhere we go. Poinsettias came from Mexico. They were named after America's first ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett. He liked the bright red leaves that look like flower petals. Since he introduced this plant to America in 1828, Americans have embraced it and made it a special holiday flower. Now we have pink and also white poinsettias, but red remains the most popular symbol of the day.

⁶ There is a special candy that is a symbol of Christmas. Of course, much candy is eaten at Christmas. One kind is a stick of peppermint. It is curved at one end. It has red and white stripes. This candy is also made in other colors and flavors. This candy is great for hanging on a Christmas tree!

⁷ Another symbol that stands for Christmas is called a crèche [KRESH] or nativity scene. It stands for the night of a special baby's birth. His name was Jesus. It is a scene from more than 2,000 years ago. A crèche includes a stable, people in long robes, and a baby lying in a feed trough. Sheep and cows are often there. Perhaps a camel or two stand nearby. Sometimes angels are included in a crèche.

⁸ Sometimes we can hear the sounds of the holiday. Only at Christmas do we hear the familiar "Ho ho ho!" of the season. We also hear bells more than any other time of the year! "Jingle Bells" is not only a song; it is a sound that tells us that good things are coming! Speaking of songs, music is a vital part of the season. We only hear Christmas music when Christmas is on its way.

⁹ Sometimes we can sniff the air and smell the scents of Christmas. The fresh-pine scent of living Christmas trees and the warm aroma of gingerbread are just two smells that remind us of the holiday and the goodness it brings.

¹⁰ As Christmas draws near, you will come across many symbols of the holiday. How many sights, sounds, and scents are there in your neighborhood?

Read the article and answer the following questions:

1. After reading the article, what other Christmas symbols were not mentioned?
2. What Christmas symbol is described in paragraph 4?
3. What happens when we smell Christmas cookies?
4. What candy is described in paragraph 6?
5. Why would a Mexican flower be named after an American?
6. Which one of these is not a sound of Christmas?
7. What is your favorite Christmas song?
8. Christmas trees originally came from _________.