Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Father's Day. Click on the links above or see the activities below this reading:
READING
Father's Day is celebrated all around the world to say thank you to dads. An old English proverb tells how important fathers are. It says: “A father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.” Many of us perhaps think our father is even more important. There is no age limit for the person saying thank you, nor for the dad. There is no universal date when every country celebrates Father’s Day. In many countries it is on the third Sunday in June. Most fathers receive presents and cards and perhaps even a special dinner. The day has a special punctuation point. The apostrophe is placed before the ‘s’. This means we all think about our own father. Of course, if the apostrophe was placed after the ‘s’, we would be honouring all the fathers in the world.
Father’s Day historians believe the day started in Washington state in the USA. A lady called Sonora Dodd was sitting in church one Sunday in 1909, listening to a sermon on Mother’s Day. She decided it was only fair to also have a day for fathers. In 1910, she arranged a special church service to say thank you for own father. The idea took off very slowly. U.S. Presidents. from Calvin Coolidge in 1926 to Richard Nixon in 1972, supported the idea. Nixon started the permanent official Father's Day in June, 1972. Today it is a major holiday. It has become extremely commercialized, which is good and bad. The shops are so full of Father’s Day stuff, it is almost impossible to forget when the day is.
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.
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PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1
1.
celebrated all
a.
limit
2
There is no age
b.
fathers in the world
3.
There is no universal
c.
Sunday in June
4.
it is on the third
d.
around the world
5.
The apostrophe is placed
e.
date
6.
honouring all the
f.
before the ‘s’
Paragraph 2
1.
historians believe the day
a.
holiday
2
it was only
b.
commercialized
3.
The idea took off
c.
when the day is
4.
Today it is a major
d.
started in Washington
5.
It has become extremely
e.
fair
6.
it is almost impossible to forget
f.
very slowly
LISTENING GAP FILL
Father's Day is celebrated ____________________ to say thank you to dads. An old English proverb tells how important fathers are. It says: “A father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.” Many of us perhaps think our father is ____________________. There is no age limit for the person saying thank you, nor for the dad. There is ____________________ when every country celebrates Father’s Day. In many countries it is on the third Sunday in June. Most fathers receive presents and cards and perhaps ____________________. The day has a special punctuation point. The apostrophe is placed before the ‘s’. This means we all think about our own father. Of course, if the ____________________ after the ‘s’, we would be honouring all the fathers in the world.
Father’s Day ____________________ day started in Washington state in the USA. A lady called Sonora Dodd was sitting in church one Sunday in 1909, listening to a sermon on Mother’s Day. She decided ____________________ also have a day for fathers. In 1910, she arranged a special church service to say thank you for own father. The ____________________ slowly. U.S. Presidents. from Calvin Coolidge in 1926 to Richard Nixon in 1972, supported the idea. Nixon started ____________________ Father's Day in June, 1972. Today it is a major holiday. It has become extremely commercialized, which is good and bad. The shops are so full of Father’s Day stuff, it is almost ____________________ when the day is.
WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL
Put the words into the gaps in the text.
Father's Day is celebrated all __________ the world to say thank you to dads. An old English proverb tells how important fathers are. It says: “A father is __________ than a hundred schoolmasters.” Many of us perhaps think our father is __________ more important. There is no age __________ for the person saying thank you, nor for the dad. There is no universal __________ when every country celebrates Father’s Day. In many countries it is on the third Sunday in June. Most fathers receive presents and cards and perhaps even a __________ dinner. The day has a special punctuation __________. The apostrophe is placed before the ‘s’. This means we all think about our own father. Of course, if the apostrophe was __________ after the ‘s’, we would be honouring all the fathers in the world.
date even around point placed more special limit
Father’s Day __________ believe the day started in Washington state in the USA. A lady called Sonora Dodd was __________ in church one Sunday in 1909, __________ to a sermon on Mother’s Day. She decided it was only __________ to also have a day for fathers. In 1910, she arranged a special church service to say thank you for own father. The idea took off very __________. U.S. Presidents. from Calvin Coolidge in 1926 to Richard Nixon in 1972, supported the idea. Nixon started the permanent __________ Father's Day in June, 1972. Today it is a major holiday. It has become __________ commercialized, which is good and bad. The shops are so full of Father’s Day stuff, it is almost impossible to __________ when the day is.
slowly sitting extremely forget historians listening official fair
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.
Father's Day is celebrated all around the world to say thanks / thank you to dads. An old English proverb tells how important fathers are. It says: “A father is many / more than a hundred schoolmasters.” Many of us perhaps think our father is even more important. There is no old / age limit for the person saying thank you, or / nor for the dad. There is no universal date when every country celebrates Father’s Day. In many countries it is on / in the third Sunday in June. Most fathers receive presents and cards and perhaps even a special / specially dinner. The day has a special punctuation point. The apostrophe is placed / place before the ‘s’. This means we all think about our own father. Of course, if the apostrophe was placed after / before the ‘s’, we would be honouring all the fathers in the world.
Father’s Day historians / historical believe the day started in Washington state in the USA. A lady called Sonora Dodd was sitting in church one / on Sunday in 1909, listening to a sermon on Mother’s Day. She decided it was only fare / fair to also have a day for fathers. In 1910, she arranged a special church service to say thank you for own father. The idea took off / on very slowly. U.S. Presidents. from Calvin Coolidge in 1926 to Richard Nixon in 1972, supported the idea. Nixon started the permanent officially / official Father's Day in June, 1972. Today it is a major holiday. It has become extreme / extremely commercialized, which is good and bad. The shops are so full of Father’s Day staff / stuff, it is almost impossible to forget when the day is / was.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Father's Day is celebrated all around the world to say thank you (1) ____ dads. An old English proverb tells how important fathers are. It says: “A father is (2) ____ than a hundred schoolmasters.” Many of us perhaps think our father is even more important. There is no (3) ____ limit for the person saying thank you, nor for the dad. There is no universal date when every country celebrates Father’s Day. In many countries it is (4) ____ the third Sunday in June. Most fathers receive presents and cards and perhaps even a special (5) ____. The day has a special punctuation point. The apostrophe is placed before the ‘s’. This means we all think about our own father. Of course, if the apostrophe was placed (6) ____ the ‘s’, we would be honouring all the fathers in the world.
Father’s Day (7) ____ believe the day started in Washington state in the USA. A lady called Sonora Dodd was sitting in church (8) ____ Sunday in 1909, listening to a sermon on Mother’s Day. She decided it was only fair to also have a day for fathers. In 1910, she (9) ____ a special church service to say thank you for own father. The idea took off very slowly. U.S. Presidents. from Calvin Coolidge in 1926 to Richard Nixon in 1972, supported the idea. Nixon started the permanent (10) ____ Father's Day in June, 1972. Today it is a major holiday. It has become (11) ____ commercialized, which is good and bad. The shops are so full of Father’s Day (12) ____, it is almost impossible to forget when the day is.
Put the correct words from this table into the article.
1.
(a)
for
(b)
to
(c)
so
(d)
with
2.
(a)
most
(b)
more
(c)
many
(d)
much
3.
(a)
age
(b)
old
(c)
young
(d)
youth
4.
(a)
in
(b)
at
(c)
on
(d)
to
5.
(a)
diner
(b)
dining
(c)
dinners
(d)
dinner
6.
(a)
on
(b)
after
(c)
below
(d)
before
7.
(a)
historians
(b)
historical
(c)
history
(d)
hysterical
8.
(a)
on
(b)
a
(c)
one
(d)
in
9.
(a)
arrangement
(b)
arranges
(c)
arranging
(d)
arranged
10.
(a)
officially
(b)
officialdom
(c)
official
(d)
officials
11.
(a)
extremely
(b)
extremity
(c)
extreme
(d)
extremes
12.
(a)
stuff
(b)
stiff
(c)
staffs
(d)
staff
SPELLING
Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
radecetelb all around the world
2.
There is no age tiiml
3.
There is no auevilnsr date
4.
Most fathers ierecve presents
5.
The day has a sicelpa punctuation point
6.
ornuoinhg all the fathers in the world
Paragraph 2
7.
historians evbleei the day started in Washington
8.
she deaganrr a special church service
9.
supdptroe the idea
10.
Today it is a rmoja holiday
11.
It has become erymeextl commercialized
12.
full of Father’s Day ffuts
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
in church one Sunday in 1909, listening to a sermon on Mother’s Day. She decided it was only fair to also have a day
( )
for fathers. In 1910, she arranged a special church service to say thank you for own
( )
important fathers are. It says: “A father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.” Many of us perhaps think our father is even
( )
in 1972, supported the idea. Nixon started the permanent official Father's Day in June, 1972. Today it is a major
( )
more important. There is no age limit for the person saying thank you, nor for the dad. There is no universal
( )
of Father’s Day stuff, it is almost impossible to forget when the day is.
( 1 )
Father's Day is celebrated all around the world to say thank you to dads. An old English proverb tells how
( )
father. The idea took off very slowly. U.S. Presidents. from Calvin Coolidge in 1926 to Richard Nixon
( )
apostrophe was placed after the ‘s’, we would be honouring all the fathers in the world.
( )
Father’s Day historians believe the day started in Washington state in the USA. A lady called Sonora Dodd was sitting
( )
receive presents and cards and perhaps even a special dinner. The day has a special punctuation point. The apostrophe is
( )
date when every country celebrates Father’s Day. In many countries it is on the third Sunday in June. Most fathers
( )
placed before the ‘s’. This means we all think about our own father. Of course, if the
( )
holiday. It has become extremely commercialized, which is good and bad. The shops are so full
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
all celebrated is Day Father's world the around
2.
is limit no There age
3.
the on is it June in Sunday third
4.
day punctuation has point a The special
5.
the in world all fathers the honouring
6.
day in historians the started Washington believe
7.
also have a day for fathers it was only fair to
8.
idea The slowly very off took
9.
commercialized become It extremely has
10.
Father’s are Day so stuff full The of shops
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 Father’s Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Father’s 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 Father’s Day. Write about what will happen on this day around the world.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.
