The Reading / Listening - Santa Claus - Level 1

Scientists say they have a bone from Santa Claus. His real name is St Nicholas. He was a holy man who lived in the 4th century. Many stories say he did many miracles, so the Christian church made him a saint - the saint of children. A scientist said: "This bone…suggests that we could possibly be looking at remains from St Nicholas." There are stories that he secretly gave presents to poor people. This is the story behind today's Santa Claus.

Santa Claus is also called Father Christmas. He brings presents to well-behaved children on Christmas Eve. Badly-behaved children get some coal. He delivers his presents on a sleigh. The sleigh is pulled through the air by flying reindeer. Santa Claus is a fat, happy man with a white beard. He wears a red coat with a white collar, red trousers, a black belt and black boots. He lives in the North Pole and has a toy-making workshop there.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Santa Claus - Level 0 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. His real
  2. a holy man who lived
  3. he did many
  4. the Christian church
  5. the saint of
  6. we could possibly be looking
  7. he secretly gave presents
  8. This is the story behind
  1. at remains
  2. made him a saint
  3. today's Santa Claus
  4. in the 4th century
  5. to poor people
  6. name is St Nicholas
  7. children
  8. miracles

Paragraph 2

  1. Santa Claus is also
  2. well-
  3. Badly-behaved children
  4. He delivers his presents
  5. The sleigh is pulled through
  6. a fat, happy man with
  7. He wears a red coat with
  8. a toy-making
  1. get some coal
  2. a white collar
  3. the air
  4. behaved children
  5. workshop
  6. called Father Christmas
  7. a white beard
  8. on a sleigh

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists say they (1) ___________________ from Santa Claus. His real name is St Nicholas. He (2) ___________________ man who lived in (3) ___________________. Many stories say he did many miracles, so the Christian church made (4) ___________________ - the saint of children. A scientist said: "This bone…suggests that we could possibly (5) ___________________ remains from St Nicholas." There are stories that he secretly gave presents (6) __________________. This is the story behind today's Santa Claus.

Santa Claus is also called Father Christmas. (7) ___________________ to well-behaved children on Christmas Eve. Badly-behaved children (8) _________________. He delivers (9) ___________________ a sleigh. The sleigh is pulled through the (10) ___________________ reindeer. Santa Claus is a fat, happy man with a white beard. He wears a red coat with a white collar, red trousers, a (11) ___________________ black boots. He lives in the North Pole and (12) ___________________-making workshop there.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ScientistssaytheyhaveabonefromSantaClaus.HisrealnameisStNich
olas.Hewasaholymanwholivedinthe4thcentury.Manystoriessayhedi
dmanymiracles,sotheChristianchurchmadehimasaint-thesaintofc
hildren.Ascientistsaid:"Thisbone…suggeststhatwecouldpossiblybel
ookingatremainsfromStNicholas."Therearestoriesthathesecretlyga
vepresentstopoorpeople.Thisisthestorybehindtoday'sSantaClaus.S
antaClausisalsocalledFatherChristmas.Hebringspresentstowell-beh
avedchildrenonChristmasEve.Badlybehavedchildrengetsomecoal.H
edelivershispresentsonasleigh.Thesleighispulledthroughtheairbyfly
ingreindeer.SantaClausisafat,happymanwithawhitebeard.Hewears
aredcoatwithawhitecollar,redtrousers,ablackbeltandblackboots.Hel
ivesintheNorthPoleandhasatoy-makingworkshopthere.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You