A Monthly Newsletter for Teachers of English April 2008

EASTER…
SNOWMAN?
A traditional Easter: eggs, water and… snowmen?
A Traditional Easter Republic, there is another tradition. On A good time for change
When we think of Easter, we think of Easter Monday boys During Lent, it is traditional to stop
spring. The weather is warm, the grass is throw water at girls - doing something - to give up something -
green and there are flowersice of the though these days girls which is a bad habit, such as smoking or
winter is finished and forgotten. This do almost as much drinking alcohol.
year, though, things were a little different. throwing as boys! In many European Lent only lasts for
Instead of warm weather, many places countries people paint eggs in beautiful forty days but
had cold winds, instead of green grass bright colours. many people take
many places saw white snow and the chance to give
instead of flowers there were icicles.
Easter food up smoking, for
Of course, eggs are very important at
example, forever.
Easter fun and games Easter time and they are often coloured,
Easter is a time for eggs. In Britain painted or decorated. Cakes are A not very traditional
this means eggs for breakfast and - later, important too. There is a traditional fast
Easter...
of course – special for forty days before Easter, called Lent,
Easter eggs? Spring weather? This
chocolate Easter Eggs as when many people do not eat meat; on
year Easter was more like Christmas for
presents for children. Easter Sunday, when the fast finishes,
many people, with Easter snowmen on
Traditionally, people in cakes are traditionally
Easter Sunday and snowballs instead of
Britain and America play eaten.
water on Easter Monday. A most unusual
‘egg hunting’ games: eggs are hidden The cakes are
Easter, indeed. Let’s hope that next year
around the house or in the garden and usually very rich, with a
have more traditional holiday weather:
everyone tries to find them. lot of fruit and, perhaps,
snow at Christmas and spring sunshine
In some other countries, such as also some alcohol. One of the most
at Easter.
Poland, Slovakia and the Czech traditional cakes is the hot cross bun: a
sweet bun with a cross on the top.

© Pearson Education Polska 2008 PHOTOCOPIABLE 1

 ACTIVITIES SHEET April 2008

Starting off
What do you usually do at Easter? Talk in small groups and think about:

what you eat where you go what you do who you see

What did you do this year? Was it similar or different?

Before you read

You’re going to read about Easter traditions. Take a look at the words below. Do you know these traditions?
1. Chocolate 3. Paint 5. Fast
2. Hunting 4. Water 6. Cakes

First reading
Read the text quickly and check your guesses.

Second reading
Read again and try to find the answers to the questions below.
1. What is the weather usually like at Easter? 4. Who usually throws water at whom?
2. Where do people play ‘egg hunting’ games? 5. What are the forty days before Easter called?
3. Where do people throw water at each other? 6. Are Easter cakes very simple and plain?

Vocabulary 1
Ten words and phrases in the text are underlined. Match them to the definitions below.
1.to stop doing something, especially something that you 2.a long thin pointed piece of ice hanging down, for
do regularly example from a roof or balcony

4.something that you do regularly or usually which is not a

3.for all future time
good idea and, perhaps, is dangerous

6.when you do one thing and not another,

5.with colours which are strong and easy to see
you do one … the other

7.food with a lot of butter, cream, or eggs, which make

8.use you hands to make something fly through the air
you feel full very quickly

9.difficult to see or find 10.continue for a length of time

(all definitions from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)

© Pearson Education Polska 2008 PHOTOCOPIABLE 2

 ACTIVITIES SHEET April 2008

Vocabulary 2
Complete the sentences using one of the words or phrases from Vocabulary 1. You may need to change the form of the word.

1. The exam starts at 2.00 and finishes at 3.30. It ____________________ for 90 minutes.
2. This film will never end! It will go on ____________________.
3. You ____________________ the ball and I’ll catch it.
4. I always sing when I’m driving my car. It’s a very ____________________.
5. Chocolate cake with cream, ice-cream and brandy - wow! That’s a pretty ____________________ dessert!
6. The city was very ____________________, with neon signs everywhere.
7. Every winter I have to knock the ____________________ off my balcony. They might fall on somebody.
8. I painted it green ____________________ red. I thought it would be less aggressive.
9. This year I promise you I will ____________________ smoking.
10. I think somebody has ____________________ my telephone for a joke. It’s not funny!

Lexis 1
Here is a part of the same text, with some words missing. Work with a partner - what are the missing words?

In some other countries, such as Poland,

A Traditional Easter Slovakia and the Czech Republic, there is
When we think 1. ______ Easter, we another tradition. On Easter Monday boys
think 2. ______ spring. The weather is throw water 7. ______ girls - though these
warm, the grass is green and there are days girls do almost as much throwing as
flowers 3. ______ the parks and gardens. boys! In many European countries people
The snow and ice of the winter is finished paint eggs in beautiful bright colours.
and forgotten. This year, though, things
were a little different. Instead of warm
weather, many places had cold winds, Easter food
instead of green grass many places saw Of course, eggs are very important 8.
white snow and instead of flowers there ______ Easter time and they are often
were icicles. coloured, painted or decorated. Cakes are
important too. There is a traditional fast 9.
Easter fun and games ______ forty days before Easter, called
Easter is a time 4. ______ eggs. In Britain Lent, when many people do not eat meat;
this means eggs 5. ______ breakfast and - 10. ______ Easter Sunday, when the fast
later, of course - special chocolate Easter finishes, cakes are traditionally eaten.
Eggs as presents for children. Traditionally, The cakes are usually very rich, with a lot
people in Britain and America play ‘egg of fruit and, perhaps, also some alcohol.
hunting’ games: eggs are hidden around the One of the most traditional cakes is the hot
house or 6. ______ the garden and cross bun: a sweet bun with a cross on the
everyone tries to find them. top.

© Pearson Education Polska 2008 PHOTOCOPIABLE 3

 ACTIVITIES SHEET April 2008

Lexis 2
Choose the best answer for each gap in Lexis 1.
1. (a) of (b) on (c) to
2. (a) of (b) on (c) to
3. (a) at (b) in (c) on
4. (a) off (b) about (c) for
5. (a) on (b) for (c) at
6. (a) in (b) at (c) on
7. (a) at (b) on (c) in
8. (a) in (b) on (c) at
9. (a) at (b) for (c) from
10. (a) in (b) on (c) at

Now complete the sentences using ‘must’, ‘should’ and ‘can’.\

Speaking
Not all places have Christmas in the winter and Easter in the spring! In Australia, for example, Christmas is a summer holiday,
with warm weather and long days. Imagine you have to plan a summer Christmas and a winter Easter. What will be the same?
What will be different? Work with a partner and prepare to present your ideas to the class.

© Pearson Education Polska 2008 PHOTOCOPIABLE 4