Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Boxing Day. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
I think Boxing Day is confusing for people who don’t know much about Christmas. It is a strange name for a holiday. I bet many people think it is a time when people have a fight and punch each other. Well, it’s quite a bit different than that. Boxing Day started hundreds of years ago as a way of helping poorer people at Christmas. Shopkeepers and craftsmen used to put a special Christmas box in their store or workshop. Customers and visitors would put money into the box. On the day after Christmas Day, which is December 26th, the shopkeeper emptied the box and shared the money with his workers. So that’s how Boxing Day started. This tradition kind of continues today. Many companies give their workers a Christmas bonus.
I’ve always liked Boxing Day. It’s kind of the same as Christmas Day. It has a nice feel about it and we get to eat Christmas dinner all over again. There are also lots of good programmes and movies on TV. For children, it’s another day to play with all their new toys; and for adults, it’s another day off work – at least in countries where Boxing Day is a national holiday. The biggest difference for me between the two days is that there are no more presents to open on Boxing Day. There is a lot of sport on Boxing Day so many people go to watch a football match or game of rugby. And if you don’t like sport, there are always the Boxing Day sales. You can go shopping and buy all of the things you wanted for Christmas but didn’t get!
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted sites.
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PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1
1.
confusing for people who don’t
a.
name for a holiday
2
It is a strange
b.
today
3.
a way of helping poorer
c.
know much about Christmas
4.
visitors would put
d.
a Christmas bonus
5.
This tradition kind of continues
e.
money into the box
6.
companies give their workers
f.
people at Christmas
Paragraph 2
1.
It has a nice feel
a.
open on Boxing Day
2
There are also lots of good programmes
b.
off work
3.
it’s another day
c.
but didn’t get
4.
countries where Boxing Day is a
d.
about it
5.
there are no more presents to
e.
national holiday
6.
things you wanted for Christmas
f.
and movies on TV
LISTENING GAP FILL
I think Boxing Day is ____________________ who don’t know much about Christmas. It is a strange name for a holiday. I bet many people think it is a time when people ____________________ punch each other. Well, it’s quite a bit different than that. Boxing Day started hundreds of years ago ____________________ poorer people at Christmas. Shopkeepers and craftsmen used to put a special Christmas box in their store or workshop. Customers and visitors ____________________ the box. On the day after Christmas Day, which is December 26th, the shopkeeper emptied the box and shared the money with his workers. So that’s how Boxing Day started. This tradition ____________________ today. Many companies give their workers a Christmas bonus.
I’ve always liked Boxing Day. It’s ____________________ Christmas Day. It has a nice feel about it and we get to eat Christmas dinner all over again. There ____________________ programmes and movies on TV. For children, it’s another day to play with all their new toys; and for adults, it’s ____________________ – at least in countries where Boxing Day is a national holiday. The biggest difference for me between the two days ____________________ more presents to open on Boxing Day. There is a lot of sport on Boxing Day so many people go to watch a football match or game of rugby. And if you don’t like sport, there are always the Boxing Day sales. You can go shopping and buy ____________________ wanted for Christmas but didn’t get!
WHILE READING / LISTENING GAP FILL
Put the words into the gaps in the text.
I think Boxing Day is __________ for people who don’t know much about Christmas. It is a strange name for a holiday. I __________ many people think it is a time when people have a fight and punch each __________. Well, it’s quite a bit different than that. Boxing Day started hundreds of years ago as a __________ of helping poorer people at Christmas. Shopkeepers and craftsmen __________ to put a special Christmas box in their store or workshop. Customers and visitors would put money into the __________. On the day after Christmas Day, which is December 26th, the shopkeeper __________ the box and shared the money with his workers. So that’s how Boxing Day started. This tradition __________ of continues today. Many companies give their workers a Christmas bonus.
box way confusing kind other used bet emptied
I’ve always liked Boxing Day. It’s __________ of the same as Christmas Day. It has a nice __________ about it and we get to eat Christmas dinner all over again. There are also lots of good programmes and movies __________ TV. For children, it’s another day to play with all their new toys; and for adults, it’s __________ day off work – at least in countries where Boxing Day is a national holiday. The biggest __________ for me between the two days is that there are no more presents to __________ on Boxing Day. There is a lot of sport on Boxing Day so many people go to watch a football match or game of rugby. And if you don’t like sport, there are always the Boxing Day sales. You can go shopping and __________ all of the things you wanted for Christmas but didn’t __________!
on feel buy open another get kind difference
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.
I think Boxing Day is confused / confusing for people who don’t know much about Christmas. It is a strange name for a holiday. I bet / better many people think it is a time when people have a fight and punch each other. Well, it’s quiet / quite a bit different than that. Boxing Day started hundreds of years ago as a way of helping poorer people at Christmas. Shopkeepers and craftsmen used / use to put a special Christmas box in their store or workshop. Customers and visitors would put money into the box. On the day after Christmas Day, when / which is December 26th, the shopkeeper emptied the box and shared the money with his workers. So that’s how Boxing Day started. This tradition kind of continues / continuing today. Many companies give their workers a Christmas bonus.
I’ve always liking / liked Boxing Day. It’s kind of the same as Christmas Day. It has a nice feel / felt about it and we get to eat Christmas dinner all over again. There are also load / lots of good programmes and movies on TV. For children, it’s another day to play with all their new toys; and for adults, it’s another / other day off work – at least in countries where Boxing Day is a national holiday. The biggest difference for me between the two days is that there are no more presents to open on Boxing Day. There is / are a lot of sport on Boxing Day so many people go to watch a football match or game of rugby. And if you don’t like sport, there are always the Boxing Day sales. You can go shopping and buy all of the things you wanted for Christmas but didn’t give / get!
MULTIPLE CHOICE
I think Boxing Day is (1) ____ for people who don’t know much about Christmas. It is a strange name for a holiday. I (2) ____ many people think it is a time when people have a fight and punch each other. Well, it’s (3) ____ a bit different than that. Boxing Day started hundreds of years ago as a way of helping poorer people at Christmas. Shopkeepers and craftsmen (4) ____ to put a special Christmas box in their store or workshop. Customers and visitors would put money into the box. On the day after Christmas Day, (5) ____ is December 26th, the shopkeeper emptied the box and shared the money with his workers. So that’s how Boxing Day started. This tradition (6) ____ of continues today. Many companies give their workers a Christmas bonus.
I’ve always (7) ____ Boxing Day. It’s kind of the same as Christmas Day. It has a nice (8) ____ about it and we get to eat Christmas dinner all over again. There are also lots of good programmes and movies on TV. For children, it’s another day to play with all (9) ____ new toys; and for adults, it’s another day off work – at least in countries where Boxing Day is a national holiday. The biggest (10) ____ for me between the two days is that there are no more presents to open on Boxing Day. There is a lot of sport on Boxing Day so many people go to watch a football match or game of rugby. And if you don’t like sport, there are (11) ____ the Boxing Day sales. You can go shopping and buy all of the things you wanted for Christmas but didn’t (12) ____!
Put the correct words from this table into the article.
1.
(a)
confusion
(b)
confused
(c)
confusing
(d)
confuses
2.
(a)
better
(b)
best
(c)
bets
(d)
bet
3.
(a)
quite
(b)
quiet
(c)
quit
(d)
quits
4.
(a)
used
(b)
using
(c)
use
(d)
uses
5.
(a)
what
(b)
while
(c)
which
(d)
when
6.
(a)
kindness
(b)
kind
(c)
kindly
(d)
kinder
7.
(a)
liken
(b)
liked
(c)
liking
(d)
likely
8.
(a)
feeling
(b)
felt
(c)
feel
(d)
feelers
9.
(a)
their
(b)
they
(c)
they’re
(d)
them
10.
(a)
different
(b)
differs
(c)
differ
(d)
difference
11.
(a)
ways
(b)
always
(c)
way
(d)
many ways
12.
(a)
give
(b)
got
(c)
gotten
(d)
get
SPELLING
Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
Boxing Day is ngofcnisu for people
2.
It is a trenasg name for a holiday
3.
Boxing Day started rdneduhs of years ago
4.
stisviro would put money into the box
5.
the shopkeeper piemdet the box and shared the money
6.
This odtnairti kind of continues today
Paragraph 2
7.
It has a nice lefe about it
8.
ortnaeh day to play with all their new toys
9.
for datslu, it’s another day off work
10.
The biggest fedneicefr for me
11.
There is a lot of trpos on Boxing Day
12.
You can go ohpngsip and buy all of the things you wanted
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
a football match or game of rugby. And if you don’t like sport, there are always the Boxing Day sales. You can
( )
name for a holiday. I bet many people think it is a time when people have a fight and
( )
Christmas dinner all over again. There are also lots of good programmes and movies on TV. For children, it’s another
( )
presents to open on Boxing Day. There is a lot of sport on Boxing Day so many people go to watch
( )
poorer people at Christmas. Shopkeepers and craftsmen used to put a special Christmas box in their store or
( )
26th, the shopkeeper emptied the box and shared the money with his workers. So that’s how Boxing Day
( )
workshop. Customers and visitors would put money into the box. On the day after Christmas Day, which is December
( )
I’ve always liked Boxing Day. It’s kind of the same as Christmas Day. It has a nice feel about it and we get to eat
( )
Boxing Day is a national holiday. The biggest difference for me between the two days is that there are no more
( )
punch each other. Well, it’s quite a bit different than that. Boxing Day started hundreds of years ago as a way of helping
( )
started. This tradition kind of continues today. Many companies give their workers a Christmas bonus.
( )
go shopping and buy all of the things you wanted for Christmas but didn’t get!
( )
day to play with all their new toys; and for adults, it’s another day off work – at least in countries where
( 1 )
I think Boxing Day is confusing for people who don’t know much about Christmas. It is a strange
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
people about who Christmas don’t confusing know for much
2.
fight and punch each other a time when people have a
3.
hundreds years Boxing started of ago Day
4.
visitors put into box would money the
5.
kind tradition This today continues of
6.
the of kind It’s Day Christmas as same
7.
again Christmas we dinner get all to over eat
8.
more to there no presents open are
9.
sport is on a Boxing lot Day of There
10.
the Christmas things but you didn’t wanted get for
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 Boxing Day. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Boxing 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 Boxing 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.
