The Reading / Listening - Santa Claus - Level 0

Scientists say they have a bone from St Nicholas. He was a holy man who lived 1,600 years ago. He did many miracles, so the Christian church made him the saint of children. A scientist said: "We could…be looking at remains from St Nicholas." Stories that he secretly gave presents to children started today's Santa Claus story.

Santa Claus is also called Father Christmas. He brings presents to good children on Christmas Eve. Bad children get some coal. He delivers his presents on a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer. Santa is a fat, happy man with a white beard. He wears a red coat with a white collar. He has a toy-making workshop in the North Pole.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Santa Claus - Level 1,  Santa Claus - Level 2   or  Santa Claus - Level 3

Sources
    http://www.
  • bbc.com
    • /news/education-42239197 https://www.
  • christiantoday.com
    • /article/is-this-father-christmass-pelvic-bone-quite-possibly/120672.htm https://en.
  • wikipedia.org
    • /wiki/Santa_Claus


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. He was a holy
  2. lived
  3. He did many
  4. the Christian
  5. the saint
  6. looking at remains
  7. he secretly gave presents
  8. today's Santa Claus
  1. from St Nicholas
  2. church
  3. story
  4. man
  5. to children
  6. 1,600 years ago
  7. of children
  8. miracles

Paragraph 2

  1. Santa Claus is also
  2. He brings presents to
  3. Bad children get
  4. a sleigh pulled
  5. a fat, happy man with
  6. He wears a red coat
  7. He has a toy-
  8. in the North
  1. making workshop
  2. by flying reindeer
  3. Pole
  4. some coal
  5. called Father Christmas
  6. good children
  7. a white beard
  8. with a white collar

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists say they have (1) ___________________ St Nicholas. He (2) ___________________ man who lived 1,600 years ago. He (3) ___________________, so the Christian church made him the (4) ___________________. A scientist said: "We could…be looking (5) ___________________ St Nicholas." Stories that he secretly (6) ___________________ children started today's Santa Claus story.

Santa Claus (7) ___________________ Father Christmas. He brings presents (8) ___________________ on Christmas Eve. Bad children (9) ___________________. He delivers his presents on a sleigh (10) ___________________ reindeer. Santa is a fat, happy man with a white beard. He (11) ___________________ coat with a white collar. He (12) ___________________-making workshop in the North Pole.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ScientistssaytheyhaveabonefromStNicholas.Hewasaholymanwholi
ved1,600yearsago.Hedidmanymiracles,sotheChristianchurchmade
himthesaintofchildren.Ascientistsaid:"Wecould…belookingatremain
sfromStNicholas."Storiesthathesecretlygavepresentstochildrenstar
tedtoday'sSantaClausstory.SantaClausisalsocalledFatherChristmas
.HebringspresentstogoodchildrenonChristmasEve.Badchildrengets
omecoal.Hedelivershispresentsonasleighpulledbyflyingreindeer.Sa
ntaisafat,happymanwithawhitebeard.Hewearsaredcoatwithawhitec
ollar.Hehasatoy-makingworkshopintheNorthPole.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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