Christmas Progress Check

CHRISTMAS PROGRESS CHECK (part I)

1) Divide the words from the box into two columns. (12 points)

2) Read the text and the chart and provide the missing names. (6 points)

WHY DOES THE QUEEN BROADCAST ON CHRISTMAS DAY?

Listening to the monarch’s broadcast on the BBC at 3.00 in the afternoon on Christmas Day is the only truly modern Christmas ritual.

The person responsible for starting this new ritual was the General Manager of the BBC, John Reith.

In 1923 he put the idea to (1) _____, but the King refused. Reith was disappointed but would not give up. He offered the King a chance to reach his subjects all around the word and (2) ____ finally agreed.

At 3.00p.m. on the 25^th of December 1932, the King sat down in front of two large, box-like microphones at Sandringham and the first royal Christmas broadcast was made.

The speech had been written for him by Rudyard Kipling and the wording made a great impact. “I speak now”, said the King, “from my home and from my heart, to you all”.

It was a huge success and the King agreed to repeat it the following December. He continued to make his Christmas broadcast each year until his death in 1936. The tradition would then have passed to his son (3)____, but before Christmas Day 1936 he had abdicated the throne (отрёксяотпрестола).

The new King, (4) ______, was now faced with a nightmare (кошмар). Since the age of seven he had suffered from an acute stammer (заикание) and the idea of making a public broadcast must have filled him with dread.

When (5) _____ died in 1952, his daughter (6)_____ was now faced with the challenge. Her voice was strained but she did her best with the unfamiliar task. In 1957 the Christmas speech was televised for the first time.

She has repeated it each year since then and has become gradually more relaxed and comfortable with the medium. She has not, however, always been well served by her scriptwriters, who have frequently provided her with words that are more politically correct than are heart-warming. With the help of more imaginative writing in the future, the royal broadcast will undoubtedly retain its role as a central ritual of the modern Christmas.

3) Choose the best answer (4 points)

1. The tradition of the monarch’s broadcast appeared when …

John Reith became the general manager of the BBC.

John Reith persuaded the King that would reach people in different parts of the world.

the BBC was founded.

2. George V made his first speech from…

the BBC studio.

the House of Parliament.

the Royal residence.

3. The ritual was repeated next year because…

the audience liked it very much.

Rudyard Kipling wrote the speech.

John Reith insisted on it.

4. The Royal Broadcast could become more popular now if it were more

a) relaxed.

b) warm and sincere.

c) politically correct.

CHRISTMAS PROGRESS CHECK (part II)

1) Listen to the texts about holidays and match them to the sentences summarizing the main idea. One statement is extra. (5 points)

Oktoberfest (Bavaria)

Yam harvest (West Africa)

Moon cake festival (China)

Thanksgiving (USA)

Rice festival (Japan)

This holiday unites people of different religions.

It was the harvest festival in the past which became one of the most important national holidays in the country.

This holiday is celebrated in one of the European countries with lots of tasty food in the “wrong month”.

The traditional meal for this holiday is turkey.

In the past this festival was so important that the leader of the country took part in it, nowadays people associate industrial success with it.

The festival has a historical importance as it marks the uprising against the invaders (захватчики).

2) Read the text and fill in the gaps with the verbs in brackets. (14 points)

CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA

Most Australians (1)___ (dream) of a white Christmas for centuries. But the traditional European Christmas (2)____ (not fit) with Australia’s thirty – degree heat. Thankfully things (3)___ (change) now.

Christmas in Australia (4)____ (happen) in summer. But not so long ago they (5)___ (try) their best to deny the reality of a summer Christmas.

The only Christmas cards published (6)___ (portray) white winter Christmases. All this was a bit ridiculous in a country where 80 percent of the land (7)____ (never see) a snowflake, even in winter.

However, the last ten years (8)___ (witness) some big changes in the Australian lifestyle. Many Australians now (9)___ (believe) that the country should break its connections with Britain. So now Christmas (10)___ (get) an Australian identity. On Christmas day you (11) ___ (find) a lot of kids on the beach playing with their new surfboards, building sandcastles rather than snowmen. Indeed one of the typical Australian Christmas presents that nearly every Australian (12) ___ (receive) once in their life is a beach towel.

Christmas in Australia however hasn’t escaped the commercial aspect. Like most other countries, the religious meaning of Christmas (13)___ (be lost) amongst gift giving, Christmas sales and special offers.

What is unique though is something that most Australians (14) ___ (start) to cherish (лелеять). That is a Christmas of sunshine, surf and sand.

Although to many Europeans this may seem strange, to many Australians it is now the only Christmas worth dreaming of.

3) Read about the history of skiing. Make up sentences using the given words. The first words are on their places. (6 points)

The oldest, were, in Sweden, skis, found.

Skis, used, for transport, since, and, hunting, times, have, prehistoric, been, in Scandinavia.

One of, cross-country, ski races, held, in Norway, the first, were, in 1843.

Alpine, was, in the late 19th century, skiing, developed, in Switzerland.

The first, organized, Alpine race, was, by Sir Arnold Lunn, in 1911.

Many of, for competitions, been, since then, used, his rules, have.