A Christmas Read

IELTS For Achievers
Ms Nguyên – 0563 003 788
A CHRISTMAS READ
Christmas is traditionally a time of celebration and gift giving, both in the UK and
also in many places all over the world. But Christmas is not the same everywhere,
and there are some traditions which are common in the UK but not in other cultures.
However, many things about the way Christmas is celebrated in the UK may be very
familiar to those from other parts of the world.
First, of course, in the northern hemisphere, Christmas is more or less in the middle
of winter, and Christmas Day is just three days after the winter solstice, the shortest
day, so there is not much daylight in the UK at this time of year and the weather can
be quite cold, with snow and ice, and Christmas is connected in people’s minds with
winter traditions. Much of the imagery and many of the customs which are followed
over Christmas are related to the fact that it is the winter.
Lights and colors are very important during this season; people like to fill their
houses with brightly colored decorations and lights, which help to make the dark
winter seem brighter and warmer. It’s common to bring a small tree, either a real or
artificial one, into the house, and cover it with small presents for children, and
colored balls or figures, and this tree often becomes the centerpiece in people’s
living rooms over the Christmas holiday.
Gift giving is very important, and under the Christmas tree is often the place where
people put presents, wrapped in brightly colored paper and ribbons, in anticipation
of Christmas Day, when they are all opened. Children look forward to opening them,
and Christmas is often a chance for parents and relatives to spend a lot of money on
buying things the young ones in their families love. Another famous tradition
connected to gift giving is the stocking, a large sock, usually a red color,
which children hang up in front of the fireplace in the living room. On Christmas Day
the children find that this stocking is full of gifts, and they believe that Santa Claus,
riding on a sleigh pulled by reindeer, has visited the house, entered the room
through the chimney, and filled the stocking.
People tend to eat very rich foods over the Christmas period and eating and
drinking are very important parts of the customs at this time of year. On Christmas
Day itself, families usually get together for a large meal, the main course of which is
usually turkey served with potatoes and a variety of vegetables. This is often
followed by a large, sweet pudding made of fruit and a lot of sugar, called Christmas
pudding, and in the afternoon or evening, people may eat mince pies, and drink hot
mulled wine. Of course, many people eat too much on Christmas Day, and all over
the holiday period, and quite often they begin the new year by promising to go on a
diet or planning to get much more exercise!
The Christmas holiday period is often a whole week in total, usually starting on
Christmas Eve (December 24th), when people may finish work early and go to
parties, where they will meet friends or family. Music is important at these parties;
sometimes people sing traditional carols, which tend to be older traditional songs
about Christmas, or they may prefer to listen and sing along to more modern
Christmas pop songs, which are now becoming a very important part of Christmas
customs.
Christmas Day itself (December 25th) is mostly spent with the family, and people do
not tend to go out as there is not usually any public transport and the shops are all
closed. The following day is called Boxing Day, which was traditionally a day for
visiting neighbors and relatives, but it is becoming increasingly common for this to
be a shopping day in the UK, as many of the shops open and have sales starting on
Boxing Day. Many people have the whole week between Christmas Day and New
Year as a holiday, and New Year’s Day itself is also a public holiday when most shops
and services in the UK are closed.
Questions:
1. TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN: Christmas Day is the shortest day of the year.
2. To change the appearance of their houses at Christmas, many people hang up

colorful decorations and lights____________________. (NO MORE THAN 3 WORDS)
3. TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN: It’s a tradition to bring two sorts of Christmas tree
into people’s houses.
4. TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN: The Christmas tree is often put in the center of the
living rooms.
5. People __put presents______________ under the Christmas tree. (NO MORE THAN 3
WORDS)
6. TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN: Santa Claus is believed to spend money buying
things children love.
7. TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN: Christmas foods are unhealthy.
8. Following a common regret about the food at Christmas, people often plan to
either put themselves on ___a diet_____________ or do ______exercise_________. (NO
MORE THAN TWO WORDS)
9. Which genre of music is becoming part of the modern Christmas tradition? (ONLY
ONE WORD) _____POP________________
10. Over the Christmas period, when are shops in the UK open?
A. From Christmas Day to Boxing Day
B. On Boxing Day only
C. Before New Year’s Day
D. The other days except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

A Christmas Read

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IELTS For Achievers

Ms Nguyên – 0563 003 788

2. To change the appearance of their houses at Christmas, many people hang up

7. TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN: Christmas foods are unhealthy.

A. From Christmas Day to Boxing Day

B. On Boxing Day only

C. Before New Year’s Day

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