| Level: | Topic: | Speakers: | Length: |
| easy | holiday celebrations | man | 01:36 |
Pre-Listening Exercise
Idioms
“turn over a new leaf” = change personal habits
“I’ve decided to turn over a new leaf; I’m going to exercise three times a week and not play so many video games.”
“ring in the new year” = celebrate the new year
“We’re going to ring in the new year at my sister’s house next week.”
Listening Exercise
A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.
Randall used to ___________ with friends to celebrate the new year.
Many years ago when I was much younger, I used to enjoy staying up late with my friends. We would have a party, play games, and eat lots of food.
Randall and his friends used to eat ________ on New Year's Eve.
Randall: Rather, we probably just ate greasy, unhealthy food like pizza, burgers, and drank lots of soda.
When Randall's children were little, he used to ___________ on that night.
Randall: When our kids were little, we sometimes stayed up late with them to celebrate the new year.
Now, Randall usually ______________ on New Year's Eve.
Randall: We generally stay home that evening because there are sometimes careless drivers on the road. We sometimes watch a movie or visit with family.
New Year's Day isn't a big celebration for Randall because _______.
Randall: I find that every day is a new day, and we don't have to wait until the new year to change our lives. Each day gives you a new opportunity to be better.
Post-Listening Exercise
What things did you do with family and friends to ring in the new year? What special foods did you eat? Do people in your country have any special traditions they do on that day?
Online Investigation
Choose a country you want to learn about and study more. Use the Internet to find answers to these questions:
- What is the name of the country?
- What unique activities do people do on this day to celebrate the new year?
- What special clothing do people wear?
- What special foods do people eat?
- Do people give or send any special gifts to family and friends? If so, explain them.
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