Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on April Fools' Day. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
April Fools' Day is on the first of April every year. It is a day when people can play tricks, practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. No one really knows the exact origin of this day. The writer Mark Twain famously said: “This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three-hundred and sixty-four days.” In some countries, you have until noon to play your jokes. If you play a trick on someone after midday, you are the April Fool. In other countries, April Fools' Day lasts the whole day. On this day, you never know what or who to believe. Even newspapers and television stations play April Fools' jokes on their readers and viewers. Sometimes people actually think the real news is an April Fools' joke.
Some of the most famous April Fools' jokes are quite amazing. My favourite happened in 1957. The BBC showed a documentary of people in Switzerland cutting spaghetti from spaghetti trees. Lots of people contacted the BBC asking how they could grow their own spaghetti trees! Another good one was the “left-handed burger” advertised by Burger King on April 1st, 1998. They said all of the juice would drip out of the right hand side of the burger. Many customers asked the Burger King staff for the traditional right-handed burger. Other classic jokes include the BBC’s 1965 news of “Smell-o-vision” and Google’s 2008 invitation for people to apply to be astronauts to live on the website’s new base on Mars. If you believe that, you’ll believe anything!
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.
Mail this lesson to friends and teachers. Click the @ below.
PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1
1.
people can play tricks, practical
a.
play your jokes
2
No one really knows the exact origin
b.
after midday
3.
you have until noon to
c.
jokes and hoaxes
4.
play a trick on someone
d.
readers and viewers
5.
you never know what or
e.
of this day
6.
play April Fools' jokes on their
f.
who to believe
Paragraph 2
1.
the most famous April Fools' jokes
a.
of people in Switzerland
2
The BBC showed a documentary
b.
“Smell-o-vision”
3.
Another good one was the
c.
you’ll believe anything
4.
the juice would drip out of the right
d.
“left-handed burger”
5.
BBC’s 1965 news of
e.
are quite amazing
6.
If you believe that,
f.
hand side of the burger
LISTENING GAP FILL
April Fools' Day _________________ April every year. It is a day when people can play tricks, practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. No one really knows _________________ this day. The writer Mark Twain famously said: “This is the day upon which we are reminded of _________________ other three-hundred and sixty-four days.” In some countries, you have until noon to play your jokes. If you play a trick on someone after midday, you are the April Fool. In other countries, April Fools' Day _________________. On this day, you never know what or who to believe. Even newspapers and television stations play April Fools' jokes on their readers and viewers. Sometimes people actually _________________ an April Fools' joke.
Some of the most famous April Fools' jokes _________________. My favourite happened in 1957. The BBC showed a documentary of people in Switzerland cutting spaghetti from spaghetti trees. Lots of people contacted the BBC _________________ grow their own spaghetti trees! Another _________________ “left-handed burger” advertised by Burger King on April 1st, 1998. They said all of the _________________ of the right hand side of the burger. Many customers asked the Burger King staff for the traditional right-handed burger. Other _________________ the BBC’s 1965 news of “Smell-o-vision” and Google’s 2008 invitation for people to apply to be astronauts to live on the website’s new base on Mars. If you believe that, _____________________!
WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL
Put the words into the gaps in the text.
April Fools' Day is on the __________ of April every year. It is a day when people can play tricks, practical jokes and hoaxes on __________ other. No one really knows the __________ origin of this day. The writer Mark Twain famously said: “This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three-hundred and sixty-four days.” In some countries, you have __________ noon to play your jokes. If you play a trick on someone after midday, you are the April Fool. In other countries, April Fools' Day __________ the whole day. On this day, you never know __________ or who to believe. Even newspapers and television stations play April Fools' jokes on their __________ and viewers. Sometimes people actually think the __________ news is an April Fools' joke.
until each real readers first lasts exact what
Some of the most famous April Fools' jokes are __________ amazing. My favourite happened in 1957. The BBC showed a documentary of people in Switzerland __________ spaghetti from spaghetti trees. Lots of people contacted the BBC asking how they could __________ their own spaghetti trees! Another __________ one was the “left-handed burger” advertised by Burger King on April 1st, 1998. They said all of the __________ would drip out of the right hand side of the burger. Many customers asked the Burger King staff for the traditional right-handed burger. Other __________ jokes include the BBC’s 1965 news of “Smell-o-vision” and Google’s 2008 invitation for people to __________ to be astronauts to live on the website’s new base on Mars. If you believe that, you’ll believe __________!
juice cutting apply quite good anything grow classic
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.
April Fools' Day is on the first of April every year. It is a day when people can play tricky / tricks, practical jokes and hoaxes on each / one other. No one really knows the exact origin / original of this day. The writer Mark Twain famously said: “This is the day upon which we are reminds / reminded of what we are on the other three-hundred and sixty-four days.” In some countries, you have until / by noon to play your jokes. If you play a trick on someone after midday, you are the April Fool / Foolish. In other countries, April Fools' Day lasts the whole day. On this day, you never know / knowing what or who to believe. Even newspapers and television stations play April Fools' jokes on their readers and viewing / viewers. Sometimes people actually think the real news is an April Fools' joke.
Some of the most famous April Fools' jokes are quite amazed / amazing. My favourite happened in 1957. The BBC showed a documentary of people in Switzerland cutting / cut spaghetti from spaghetti trees. Lots of / Loads people contacted the BBC asking how they could grow their own spaghetti trees! Another good won / one was the “left-handed burger” advertised by Burger King on April 1st, 1998. They said all of the juicy / juice would drip out of the right hand side of the burger. Many customers asked the Burger King staff / stuff for the traditional right-handed burger. Other classic jokes / joking include the BBC’s 1965 news of “Smell-o-vision” and Google’s 2008 invitation for people to apply / application to be astronauts to live on the website’s new base on Mars. If you believe that, you’ll believe anything!
MULTIPLE CHOICE
April Fools' Day is on the first of April every year. It is a day when people can play tricks, (1) ____ jokes and hoaxes on each other. No one really knows the exact (2) ____ of this day. The writer Mark Twain famously said: “This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three-hundred and sixty-four days.” In some countries, you have (3) ____ noon to play your jokes. If you play a trick on someone after midday, you are the April Fool. In other countries, April Fools' Day (4) ____ the whole day. On this day, you never know (5) ____ or who to believe. Even newspapers and television stations play April Fools' jokes on their readers and viewers. Sometimes people actually (6) ____ the real news is an April Fools' joke.
Some of the most famous April Fools' jokes are quite (7) ____. My favourite happened in 1957. The BBC showed a documentary of people in Switzerland cutting spaghetti from spaghetti trees. Lots of people (8) ____ the BBC asking how they could grow their own spaghetti trees! Another good one was the “left-handed burger” advertised by Burger King on April 1st, 1998. They said all of the (9) ____ would drip out of the right hand side of the burger. Many customers asked the Burger King staff for the (10) ____ right-handed burger. Other classic jokes include the BBC’s 1965 news of “Smell-o-vision” and Google’s 2008 invitation for people to (11) ____ to be astronauts to live on the website’s new (12) ____ on Mars. If you believe that, you’ll believe anything!
Put the correct words from this table into the article.
1.
(a)
practice
(b)
practices
(c)
practical
(d)
practicality
2.
(a)
original
(b)
origin
(c)
originality
(d)
originals
3.
(a)
by
(b)
since
(c)
up
(d)
until
4.
(a)
lasts
(b)
last
(c)
lastly
(d)
lasted
5.
(a)
what
(b)
where
(c)
whoever
(d)
that
6.
(a)
thinks
(b)
think
(c)
thinking
(d)
thinker
7.
(a)
amazed
(b)
amazement
(c)
amazing
(d)
amazes
8.
(a)
contracted
(b)
compacted
(c)
connected
(d)
contacted
9.
(a)
juicy
(b)
juicer
(c)
juiced
(d)
juice
10.
(a)
traditions
(b)
tradition
(c)
traditional
(d)
tradit.
11.
(a)
applies
(b)
apply
(c)
applicable
(d)
applied
12.
(a)
base
(b)
based
(c)
basing
(d)
baseline
SPELLING
Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
accpatilr jokes
2.
the exact irngio of this day
3.
after yddiam
4.
altss the whole day
5.
who to eielvbe
6.
readers and virewse
Paragraph 2
7.
qeiut amazing
8.
people catdetocn the BBC
9.
all of the ecuij would drip out
10.
saliccs jokes
11.
invitation for people to paply to be astronauts
12.
you’ll believe gaitnyhn
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
and viewers. Sometimes people actually think the real news is an April Fools' joke.
( )
documentary of people in Switzerland cutting spaghetti from spaghetti trees. Lots of people contacted the
( )
Some of the most famous April Fools' jokes are quite amazing. My favourite happened in 1957. The BBC showed a
( )
who to believe. Even newspapers and television stations play April Fools' jokes on their readers
( )
countries, you have until noon to play your jokes. If you play a trick on someone after midday,
( )
BBC asking how they could grow their own spaghetti trees! Another good one was the “left-handed burger” advertised
( )
jokes include the BBC’s 1965 news of “Smell-o-vision” and Google’s 2008 invitation for people to apply to
( )
be astronauts to live on the website’s new base on Mars. If you believe that, you’ll believe anything!
( 1 )
April Fools' Day is on the first of April every year. It is a day when people can play tricks, practical jokes and hoaxes
( )
you are the April Fool. In other countries, April Fools' Day lasts the whole day. On this day, you never know what or
( )
by Burger King on April 1st, 1998. They said all of the juice would drip out of the right hand side
( )
on each other. No one really knows the exact origin of this day. The writer Mark Twain famously said: “This is
( )
of the burger. Many customers asked the Burger King staff for the traditional right-handed burger. Other classic
( )
the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three-hundred and sixty-four days.” In some
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
can a play day tricks when It people is
2.
No really the origin one knows exact
3.
tricks jokes on play practical hoaxes other , and each
4.
have you jokes your play to noon until
5.
or what know never you believe to who
6.
Fools' the jokes most are famous quite April amazing
7.
they grow own trees could their spaghetti
8.
hand juice out right the drip the side would of
9.
invitation astronauts be to apply to people for
10.
anything that , If you’ll you believe believe !
DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about April Fools' Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about April Fools' Day. Write about what happens around the world. Include two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this day.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. POSTER: Make your own poster about April Fools' Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.
