General Listening Quiz

Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Day are some of the major holidays in the United States. From what you understand, how are these holidays celebrated (food, family activities, local celebrations, games and recreation, etc.)?

1. 1. Every holiday should include a big meal.
   2. Traditions are the most important part of a holiday.
   3. It’s okay to change old holiday traditions.
   4. Food is the best part of most holidays.
   5. People should celebrate holidays the same way every year.
   6. Holidays are better when you spend them with family.
   7. Making special food at home is better than buying it.
   8. Not everyone needs to celebrate holidays.
   9. Learning about other cultures’ holiday food is fun.
   10. You can still enjoy a holiday without spending much money.

“see eye to eye” = agree on this, have the same opinion
“Even though we come from different countries, we see eye to eye on many different issues.”

“stick out like a sore thumb” = very visible because something is different
“If we don’t follow the traditions, language, and body language of the culture, our actions might stick out like a sore thumb.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words that appear in the recording:

• sledding (noun): the activity or sport of riding on a sled, usually in snow
  – I took the kids sledding yesterday down a real fun hill, and we had a great time.
• particular (adjective): special or specific
  – Our family doesn’t do anything particular on Christmas morning besides opening up gifts.
• sneak (verb): to advance or approach without being seen
  – My son often tries to sneak into the kitchen and take a cookie when no one is watching.
• hide (verb): to prevent from being seen or discovered
  – Parents often hide their children’s Christmas presents to keep them a secret.
• generous (adjective): willing to give or share freely
  – People are often very generous around the holiday season and donate.

Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:

• Mixed-Up Sentence  | Multiple-Choice Questions  |   Sentence and Vocabulary Matching

Imagine an international exchange student is coming to live with you for a year. Talk about one holiday in your country, its meaning and significance, and what activities are held on that day. 

What are the three most important holidays in your country? What are three websites in English that can explain these holidays to others? Use the internet to find this information.