Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Columbus Day. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
Columbus Day is a special holiday all across the Americas. Countries in North, Central and South America celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October the 12th, 1492. In the United States, the day is called Columbus Day; in many Latin American countries, it is known as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race). The day is also celebrated in Spain, where people call it National Day. These holidays are over two hundred years old and are a deep part of many cultures. Not everyone is happy about these celebrations. Most indigenous cultures all across the Americas recognize the day as the start of the erosion of their cultures. The day for them represents the invasion of their land by Europeans.
Christopher Columbus was an Italian adventurer who lived in the fifteenth century. He believed that the Earth was not flat, as most people thought at that time. He asked the Spanish queen, Isabelle, for financial help to sail around the world. He wanted to prove the Earth was round. He also believed there was a “new world” full of spices and treasures. At that time, he thought that new world, west of Italy, was India. On August 3, 1492, he sailed west on his ship the Santa Maria. After two months he found land and called it San Salvador. He thought it was India and the people he met were Indians. That’s why today, Caribbean islands are known as the West Indies and native Americans were called American Indians. The “New World” is today’s U.S.A.
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.
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PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1
1.
a special holiday all
a.
American countries
2
celebrate the
b.
cultures
3.
Latin
c.
across the Americas
4.
These holidays are over
d.
part of many cultures
5.
a deep
e.
two hundred years old
6.
indigenous
f.
anniversary
Paragraph 2
1.
an Italian
a.
help
2
He believed that the Earth
b.
adventurer
3.
financial
c.
American Indians
4.
he sailed west
d.
found land
5.
After two months he
e.
was not flat
6.
native Americans were called
f.
on his ship
LISTENING GAP FILL
Columbus Day is a special holiday ____________ Americas. Countries in North, Central and South America celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's ____________ Americas on October the 12th, 1492. In the United States, the day is called Columbus Day; in many Latin American countries, ____________ Día de la Raza (Day of the Race). The day is also celebrated in Spain, where people call it National Day. These holidays are over two hundred years old and are a ____________ many cultures. Not everyone is happy about these celebrations. Most indigenous cultures all across the Americas recognize the day as the start ______________ their cultures. The day for them represents the invasion ______________ Europeans.
Christopher Columbus was an Italian adventurer ______________ fifteenth century. He believed that the Earth ______________ most people thought at that time. He asked the Spanish queen, Isabelle, for financial help to sail around the world. He wanted ______________ Earth was round. He also believed there was a “new world” full of spices and treasures. ______________, he thought that new world, west of Italy, was India. On August 3, 1492, he sailed west on his ship the Santa Maria. ______________ he found land and called it San Salvador. He thought it was India and the people he met were Indians. That’s why today, Caribbean islands ______________ West Indies and native Americans were called American Indians. The “New World” is today’s U.S.A.
WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL
Put the words into the gaps in the text.
Columbus Day is a special holiday all ____________ the Americas. Countries in North, Central and South America ____________ the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's ____________ in the Americas on October the 12th, 1492. In the United States, the day is called Columbus Day; in many Latin American countries, it is ____________ as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race). The day is also celebrated in Spain, where people call it National Day. These holidays are over two hundred years old and are a ____________ part of many cultures. Not everyone is happy about these celebrations. Most indigenous cultures all across the Americas recognize the day as the ____________ of the ____________ of their cultures. The day for them represents the invasion of their ____________ by Europeans.
known celebrate deep erosion across land arrival start
Christopher Columbus was an Italian adventurer who ____________ in the fifteenth century. He believed that the Earth was not ____________, as most people thought at that time. He asked the Spanish queen, Isabelle, for financial help to ____________ around the world. He wanted to prove the Earth was round. He also believed there was a “new world” full of ____________ and treasures. At that time, he thought that new world, west of Italy, was India. On August 3, 1492, he sailed ____________ on his ship the Santa Maria. After two months he found land and called it San Salvador. He ____________ it was India and the people he met were Indians. That’s why ____________, Caribbean islands are known as the West Indies and native Americans were called American Indians. The “New World” is ____________ U.S.A.
spices flat today west lived today’s sail thought
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.
Columbus Day is a special holiday all cross / across the Americas. Countries in North, Central and South America celebrate / celebration the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October the 12th, 1492. In the United States, the day is calling / called Columbus Day; in many Latin American countries, it is known / knowing as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race). The day is also celebrated in Spain, where people call it National Day. These holidays are above / over two hundred years old and are a deep / deeply part of many cultures. Not everyone is happy about these celebrations. Most indigenous cultures all across the Americas recognize the day as the start at / of the erosion of their cultures. The day for them represents the invasion of their / there land by Europeans.
Christopher Columbus was an Italian adventurer who lived in the fifteenth / fiftieth century. He believed that the Earth was not flattened / flat, as most people thought at that time. He asked the Spanish queen, Isabelle, for financial help to sale / sail around the world. He wanted to prove the Earth was round. He also believed / belief there was a “new world” full of spices and treasures. At that time, he thought that newish / new world, west of Italy, was India. On August 3, 1492, he sailed west on his ship the Santa Maria. After two months he found / lost land and called it San Salvador. He thought it was India and the people he met was / were Indians. That’s why today’s / today, Caribbean islands are known as the West Indies and native Americans were called American Indians. The “New World” is today’s U.S.A.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Columbus Day is a special holiday all (1) ____ the Americas. Countries in North, Central and South America celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival (2) ____ the Americas on October the 12th, 1492. In the United States, the day is called Columbus Day; in many Latin American countries, it is (3) ____ as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race). The day is also celebrated in Spain, where people (4) ____ it National Day. These holidays are over two hundred years old and are a (5) ____ part of many cultures. Not everyone is happy about these celebrations. Most indigenous cultures all across the Americas recognize the day as the start of the erosion of their cultures. The day for them represents the (6) ____ of their land by Europeans.
Christopher Columbus was an Italian (7) ____ who lived in the fifteenth century. He believed that the Earth was not flat, as most people (8) ____ at that time. He asked the Spanish queen, Isabelle, for financial help to sail around the world. He wanted to (9) ____ the Earth was round. He also believed there was a “new world” full of spices and treasures. At that time, he thought that new world, west of Italy, was India. On August 3, 1492, he (10) ____ west on his ship the Santa Maria. After two months he found land and called it San Salvador. He thought it was India and the people he (11) ____ were Indians. That’s why today, Caribbean islands are known as the West Indies and native Americans were called American Indians. The “New World” is (12) ____ U.S.A.
Put the correct words from this table into the article.
1.
(a)
across
(b)
crossing
(c)
crossed
(d)
crosses
2.
(a)
on
(b)
in
(c)
at
(d)
into
3.
(a)
knew
(b)
known
(c)
knowing
(d)
knows
4.
(a)
calling
(b)
caller
(c)
called off
(d)
call
5.
(a)
deep
(b)
deeply
(c)
deepness
(d)
deeps
6.
(a)
invade
(b)
invasion
(c)
invades
(d)
invaders
7.
(a)
adventure
(b)
adventurous
(c)
adventurer
(d)
adventures
8.
(a)
think
(b)
thinks
(c)
thought
(d)
thoughtful
9.
(a)
proving
(b)
improve
(c)
proof
(d)
prove
10.
(a)
sailed
(b)
sailing
(c)
sales
(d)
sails
11.
(a)
meet
(b)
meetings
(c)
met up
(d)
met
12.
(a)
todays
(b)
today
(c)
today’s
(d)
todays’
SPELLING
Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
Columbus Day is a espialc holiday
2.
raeetlecb the anniversary
3.
Latin American rsuoeicnt
4.
a deep part of many tseucrul
5.
zecgenroi the day
6.
the snivinoa of their land by Europeans
Paragraph 2
7.
an Italian neutravdre
8.
the fifteenth cyutren
9.
nfnaiacil help
10.
full of spices and erteussra
11.
he iedsal west on his ship
12.
vnetai Americans
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
happy about these celebrations. Most indigenous cultures all across the Americas recognize the day as the start
( )
1492. In the United States, the day is called Columbus Day; in many Latin American countries, it is known as
( )
of the erosion of their cultures. The day for them represents the invasion of their land by Europeans.
( )
was not flat, as most people thought at that time. He asked the Spanish queen, Isabelle, for financial
( 1 )
Columbus Day is a special holiday all across the Americas. Countries in North, Central and South America
( )
help to sail around the world. He wanted to prove the Earth was round. He also believed there was a “new
( )
India. On August 3, 1492, he sailed west on his ship the Santa Maria. After two months he found land
( )
and called it San Salvador. He thought it was India and the people he met were Indians. That’s why today,
( )
Day. These holidays are over two hundred years old and are a deep part of many cultures. Not everyone is
( )
world” full of spices and treasures. At that time, he thought that new world, west of Italy, was
( )
Caribbean islands are known as the West Indies and native Americans were called American Indians. The “New World” is today’s U.S.A.
( )
Día de la Raza (Day of the Race). The day is also celebrated in Spain, where people call it National
( )
Christopher Columbus was an Italian adventurer who lived in the fifteenth century. He believed that the Earth
( )
celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October the 12th,
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
across all holiday special A Americas the.
2.
Columbus's anniversary Christopher arrival The of.
3.
Spain in celebrated also is day The.
4.
celebrations these about happy is everyone Not.
5.
day The invasion the represents them for.
6.
was Italian Columbus an adventurer Christopher.
7.
that flat the Earth He was believed not.
8.
help Financial world the around sail to.
9.
on he , On his sailed 1492, August ship west 3.
10.
Americans called Indians Native were American.
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 Columbus Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Columbus 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 Columbus 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.
