Tasks for group b

Task 1

Match a line in A with a line in B to define the words in italics.

A	B
hopping on planes left her young charge fled their country trekking to the North Pole rambling through the ruins lazing on a beach tucking into Christmas dinner are reinterpreting rituals every port was tourist-infested layovers (Am)	going for a long walk without any specific purpose was full of tourists, which was unpleasant eating with enthusiasm delays are reinterpreting ceremonies lying around, relaxing, enjoying oneself, doing no work left the country escaped from a dangerous situation someone you take care of going on a long and difficult journey getting onto a plane quickly or in a hurry

Task 2

Read the article from the International Herald Tribune below very attentively. If there are any unknown words, use a dictionary to look them up. Note down the most important points.

HOLIDAYS-AT-HOME TRADITION IS FADING

FOR SOME FAMILIES

(International Herald Tribune | 2016)

Abridged

For some families, the new holiday spirit means hopping on planes to meet at a single faraway destination. Vanessa de Haas, a nanny in Paris, left her young charge to celebrate Christmas on a Caribbean cruise ship. Her parents flew in from Las Vegas, her grandparents from Michigan, her aunts and uncles from Texas and Washington D.C. Other families would rather remain apart, even for the holidays. James Areddy, an American journalist based in Shanghai, is planning a trip to Cambodia and Laos with his wife. His brother, a doctor who lives in Madagascar, plans to stay there. His two sisters and another brother, however, will be going to Ohio to spend Christmas with their mother. ‘Getting together at Christmas is a logistical nightmare,’ Areddy said in a telephone interview. ‘But we probably spend more on postage each year than we would on airfare. ‘Not everyone, of course, will be lazing on a beach, trekking to the North Pole, or rambling through the ruins of Angkor Wat during the holiday season. However, even those who have chosen to stay home with their families are finding ways to observe the holidays with a difference. In Prinstown, Colorado, Jonathan Brough, his wife, and their son will be tucking into Christmas dinner with Syrian refugees that fled their war-torn country. ‘They are Muslims,’ said Brough, who was raised as a Roman Catholic, ‘but apparently Muslims can celebrate with the Christians on their holidays.’ In Washington, about 1,200 people have signed up to help the elderly and the poor during Christmas, from cooking dinner at homeless shelters to delivering cookies to needy children. As people around the world reinterpret the rituals of Christmas, others are returning to the traditions they know best. Just ask some of those who have ventured into new ways of celebrating the holiday, vacationers from the tropics or a cruise, like de Haas. ‘It was good to see my family, although every port was tourist-infested and the travel was difficult because of layovers,’ she said of her Caribbean adventure. ‘We actually decided we aren’t going to do that again. We are going to have holidays at home.

Task 3

Work with a student from group A. Ask them questions a-h. While listening to your partner’s answers, take notes.

1. What is happening to the family Christmas in Europe and the USA?

2. How do people account for their choices?

3. Do their relatives approve of their choices?

4. What are those new ways of celebrating the holiday?

5. Are there many people who are going to break with tradition in the USA?

6. Are there many people who are going to break with tradition in Europe?

7. What is the lure of the year?

8. Is Christmas getting increasingly commercialized?

Task 4

Work with a student from group A. Answer their questions about the article you read.

Task 5

Now work with the students from group B. Complete the ‘Christmas trends’ table in the ‘Round table talk and discussion’ section below.

ROUND TABLE TALK AND DISCUSSION

1. What are the current Christmas trends?

CHRISTMAS TRENDS
Going somewhere exotic
With		With families	Without families
		Doing what?
Where?

2. Working together (group A and group B), discuss questions 1-6 below. Use words and word combinations a-m while talking.

1. change its venue

2. celebrate the holidays in exotic locales

3. with new rituals

4. go out on the town

5. on the rise

6. go on a package tour

7. hop on a plane

8. trek to a place

9. ramble

10. laze on the beach

11. tuck into Christmas dinner

12. tourist-infested

13. layovers

1. What trends are observable in the USA and Europe?

2. Which trend do you think will persist?

3. What is happening to the family Christmas in your country? Are there any similar trends?

4. How do people account for their Christmas choices in your country?

5. Have you heard of any ‘exotic’ Christmas rituals? Where do they take place? What are they like?

6. Do you agree that Christmas is getting increasingly commercialized?