A Christmas Carol

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Quiz

Sypnosis

Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly, cold-hearted creditor, continues his stingy, greedy ways on Christmas Eve. He rejects a Christmas dinner invitation, and all the good tidings of the holiday, from his jolly nephew, Fred; he yells at charity workers; and he overworks his employee, Bob Cratchit. At night, Scrooge's former partner Jacob Marley, dead for seven years, visits him in the form of a ghost. Marley's spirit has been wandering since he died as punishment for being consumed with business and not with people while alive. He has come to warn Scrooge and perhaps save him from the same fate. He tells him Three Spirits will come to him over the next three nights.

• What are the moral lessons learned in this story?
• How does Scrooge change from the beginning of the story to the end? Compare & contrast.
• Write a sequel to A Christmas Carol. How will scrooge live his life after this experience?
• How would a visit from these three ghosts impact you & your life? Think of the different visits and the symbolism of each one. How do they relate to your life?
• Discuss the consequences of our choices in life and how they affect others, too.

B1.2 Cloze text practice

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Reading B1.1

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Reading for B1.2

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2B1 Reading

Read the article about childhood. Five sentences have been removed. Choose from the sentences A–G the one which fits each gap (1–5). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

Happy days

Behind the house where I lived as a child, there was an old caravan. There were trees all around it, the windows were filthy, and inside were some smelly old yellow and brown cushions. 0  G  It was our camp, where adults never came, nor wanted to.

There were three of us: Roger, the farmer’s son who was our leader, and Anne, his sister.
1      I’ll always remember the good times we had together.

I know I was younger than nine at the time because that’s how old I was when we moved to a different part of the country due to my father’s job. Even now, 50 years later, I haven’t forgotten the house we left behind. 2     

That house is the safe place I return to in my mind time after time as I recall the happiest of memories. It was there that I saw my first badger and learned to swim in the river and fish for crabs. It was there that I was given my first pet, too. 3     

My parents let me go out and about to explore, and I loved spending time with my friends.
4      And if there was nobody around, I would spend my days in the caravan or down by the river doing whatever I wanted. Best of all, though, was the beach. When the tide was out, there was what looked like a beautiful tablecloth of white sand. It stretched across the huge bay and down to the sea. There, horses would gallop, children would sail dinghies, and people would walk their dogs. At high tide, it was covered in seaweed, driftwood, and shells. I called it my beach.

After I had learned to drive, I returned regularly to have a look at my special place. 5      Some people say it’s a mistake to return to the treasured places of our past because they will probably have changed so much that we won’t recognize them. Now, decades later, do I want to go back to the house? Well, I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s best to leave those memories in my head, untouched and unspoiled. And perhaps it’s best not to chase a dream. After all, I’m an adult now with four grown-up children of my own.

A  Often my mother let my classmates from school come and spend the night at our house.

B  But that wasn’t the problem, I realized.

C  And best of all, I got to be a bridesmaid at a neighbour’s wedding.

D  Then there was little me, the hanger-on, who was allowed, and sometimes even encouraged, to join in.

E  I found myself driving along the country roads every year, just so that I could see the house.

F   There was never another one that meant as much to me.

G  But to the gang of small children I was part of it was a special place.

B1.1 Cloze text

Complete the text with one of the words below:

A recent survey shows that a lot of young people aged between 18 and 25 have considered working in show business. Everyone (1) ___ took part in this survey was asked to give a description (2 ) ____ their ideal job. Almost all of them said that traditional jobs (3) ____ bore them to death. Then, they were asked to specify the kind of work they would like to do. Most of them said that they would love to work in show business because (4) ___ is believed to be glamorous (5) ___ exciting. After examining the findings of the survey more carefully, researchers pointed out that it all comes down to (6) ____ thing: the need for fame and wealth. It seems that a job in showbiz would make them feel on (7) _____ of the world. That’s because young people no longer want to  become doctors, lawyers (8) ___ teachers as they once (9) ___ to. But will this passion last forever? Who knows? Only time (10) ____ tell!

• and
• it
• Of
• one
• or
• top
• used
• Who
• will
• Would

B1.1 Cloze text

Complete the text with one of the following words:

a and connected dialect

eat empty fog from

has highly island May

of offers outside over

stimulation the to traditional

HARRIS - Atlantic hideaway

Harris is one of the most northern islands of the British Isles, a hundred miles 1____  the Scottish coast. It 2 ____ a reputation for being cold, grey 3 _____ hostile. For eight months of  4 ____ year, from October to  5 ____ , it is surrounded by heavy 6 ____  and becomes almost impossible to find without radar. It is covered by sheep, which 7 ____  the sparse vegetation of the island, known in the local 8 ____  as "cotton wool". During the summer months, 9 ____  ferry service connects the island to the 10 ____  world.
However, Harris is a surprisingly successful 11 ____  . Although it  12 ____  little to the average tourist, many people find its 13 ____  spaces and lack of intellectual  14 ____  very refreshing. Originally 15 _____  by a narrow strip of land 16 ____  the neighbouring island 17 ____  Lewis, the island produces a  18 ____  cloth, known as tweed. Harris Tweed has a market all 19 ____  Europe and America, where its durability is  20 ____  appreciated.

KEY

1	2	3	4	5
from	has	and	the	May
6	7	8	9	10
fog	eat	dialect	a	outside
11	12	13	14	15
island	offers	empty	stimulation	connected
16	17	18	19	20
to	of	traditional	over	highly

B1.2 Reading comprehension

Read the article about names. Five sentences have been removed. Choose from the sentences A–G the one which fits each gap (1–5). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

What’s in a name?

The arrival of a baby in the family causes plenty of excitement for all new parents. They have to get a room ready for the little one, buy new clothes, and choose a name. 0  G  Many also go on to pick something a little bit different from their own or those of their family members.

But, according to new research, parents should really go for traditional names such as Michael, John, Ian, or Andrew if they want their sons to be successful in life. 1      There are also more lawyers and politicians with these four names than any other names. And it doesn’t stop there – they are well represented across the country’s police forces too, with eight of the chief constables in the country’s 52 forces named either Michael or Ian.

2      However, at present there is not a single person with this name in a senior position in government or the police force. Many top managers are selected through an interview process, and research seems to support the theory that people with straightforward names are the ones who are contacted and invited to come and meet the panel.

Andrew Watson, an author and parenting expert, said the survey highlighted the importance of traditional names over more unusual, trendy ones. He warned parents that the effects of their choice of name for their child will last a lifetime. 3      And this is not only important in childhood, but also in youth and adulthood. Mr Watson also warned parents to consider the spelling of the name. No child wants to go through life explaining an unusual name over and over again, or repeating it on the phone. The fact is that giving a child a fairly ordinary name can help them do well in life. Mr Watson reminded parents that unusual names come in and out of fashion quite quickly. Names which were trendy 30 years ago are almost unheard of today.

4      According to the most up-to-date data from the Office of National Statistics, Michael, Andrew, and Ian are not even among the 50 most popular names of the last few years. Instead, more unusual ones such as Ethan, Noah, Oscar, and Jayden were all preferred by new parents.

While Jack, Harry, Alfie, and Thomas were the four most popular boys’ names with new parents last year, it is unclear whether they will make a success of their lives when they get older. 5      Earlier this year, it was identified as the most popular name in the record books. In total, more than two million boys have been given this name since records began in Britain in 1837.

A  In the 1970s, one of the most popular boy’s names was Jason.

B  But despite the apparent advantages of solid traditional names, they are currently out of fashion.

C  Most people like it and it has been popular for many years now.

D  Only John, it seems, has managed to stand the test of time.

E  Their name is part of how others see them and feel about them.

F   These ‘power names’ are the most common among the top British businessmen.

G  They spend hours looking through thousands of names in baby books before deciding what to call their child.

Read the article and tick A, B, or C.

While multi-generational living is normal in many cultures, in some countries such as Britain and the US, it isn’t very usual. However, homes where grandparents live with their children and their families in the same house are becoming more common in these countries because of the economic climate. Here, the members of one extended family explain how it works for them.

Georgina – Anna’s grandmother

I was really pleased when my son wanted to move back home. I love spending time with Anna, my granddaughter. She’s a lovely little girl at the minute – so happy and affectionate – everybody who meets her likes her. It will be wonderful to watch her grow up. I think even my unsociable husband is enjoying it! We eat together twice a week and, once a month, we have a family conference – my husband and I, my son and his wife – to discuss how things are going. We try to respect each other’s space. Having my son here makes me less anxious about the future, too. At the moment, we’re healthy, but in a few years we’re going to need more help.

Esther – Anna’s mother

Actually, it’s all working out well! My mother-in-law remembers what it’s like to have young children, so she’s very patient with Anna and sympathetic to me when I’m tired. She often just says: ‘Go and rest. I’ll look after her’. I think she wants to give advice about what Anna eats and what time she goes to bed, but she usually says nothing! And occasionally I ask her opinion and find her ideas are really sensible. We are all learning to be quite honest with each other, which I think is a good thing.

Chris – Anna’s grandfather

I prefer a quiet life and a tidy house, and I think young people should be independent, but my wife loves having the family here. From a selfish point of view, it’s good for me too because Georgina is quite talkative and now she can chat to her daughter-in-law. I think it’s a very satisfactory situation for everyone concerned!

Alan – Anna’s father

I was worried because my mother can be bossy, but actually, she is being sensitive and we’re lucky to have a reliable babysitter in the house! My dad is sometimes moody, but he’s very affectionate with Anna. We’re planning to buy our own house in a couple of years, but I think we’ll stay near my parents because the relationship between Anna and her grandparents is so special.

Example: More people are living in extended families in Britain than before.

A  True  cü    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

1   Georgina thinks that Anna is charming.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

2   The family meets to talk about how they are getting on once a month.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

3   Esther gets very impatient with Georgina because she talks a lot.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

4   Chris is happy that Georgina has a good relationship with Esther.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

5   Chris thinks that they need a bigger house.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

6   Alan is always kind to his mother.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c

7   Alan says that they are going to live with his parents for many years.

     A  True  c    B  False  c    C  Doesn’t say  c