THE FLATMATES

Quiz:
Christmas and New Year
Vocabulary
BBC Learning English – The Flatmates

The Flatmates – Quiz – Christmas and New Year Vocabulary

You can try the quiz online at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode23/quiz.shtml

Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.

1. I love … ! I got a beautiful scarf and I still don't know who gave it to me.
a) Santa Secret
b) Secrets Santas
c) Secret Father Christmas
d) Secret Santa

2. Quick, run! It's that awful guy from the accounts department. I don't want to get
snogged …
a) under the mistleto by him
b) under the mistletoe by him
c) in the mistletoe with him
d) under the wreath with him

3. Let's decorate the tree with …, … and ….

a) fairy lights, tinsel and ornaments
b) light fairies, tinsel and ornaments
c) fairy lights, Christmas pudding and ornaments
d) fairy lights, tinsel and wrapping paper

4. Every New Year I make the same … but this year I really am going to … smoking!
a) revolution/give up
b) resolution/take up
c) resolution/give up
d) resolution/stop up

5. I love to see snow anytime during the … but it's especially nice to have a …
a) festive period/white Christmas
b) period festive/white Christmas
c) festive period/white Boxing day
d) festive period/white Hogmanay

6. After we sing … I'm going round to my friend's house to … her

a) The Bells/first foot
b) Hogmanay/foot first
c) Auld Lang Syne/first foot
d) Auld Lang Syne/foot first

The Flatmates © BBC Learning English

Page 2 of 4
bbclearningenglish.com/flatmates/archivelanguagepoint.shtml
BBC Learning English – The Flatmates

The Flatmates – Quiz – Christmas and New Year Vocabulary

Answers

1. I love … ! I got a beautiful scarf and I still don't know who gave it to me.
a) Santa Secret – wrong – the words are in the wrong order.
b) Secrets Santas – wrong – you need the singular of both of these words.
c) Secret Father Christmas – wrong – you need another word for 'Father Christmas'
here.
d) Secret Santa – correct - this person gives you a present but doesn’t reveal
his or her identity.

2. Quick, run! It's that awful guy from the accounts department. I don't want him to
snog me …
a) under the mistletoe – wrong - check your spelling
b) under the mistletoe– correct, we usually kiss people at Christmas under the
mistletoe.
c) in the mistletoe with him – wrong – you need a different preposition here.
d) under the wreath with him – wrong we usually kiss people under something else,
not under a Christmas wreath.

3. Let's decorate the tree with …, … and ….

a) fairy lights, tinsel and ornaments – correct – these are things that we
usually brighten up our tree with at Christmas.
b) light fairies, tinsel and ornaments – wrong – the second and third answers are
correct but the words are in the wrong order in the first one.
c) fairy lights, Christmas pudding and ornaments – wrong – the first and third answers
are correct but we eat Christmas pudding, not use it decorate a Christmas tree.
d) fairy lights, tinsel and wrapping paper – wrong – the first and second answers are
correct but we use wrapping paper to wrap up presents, not to decorate a Christmas
tree.

4. Every New Year I make the same … but this year I really am going to … smoking!
a) revolution/give up – wrong – the second answer is correct but you need to change
one letter in 'revolution' to get the correct answer.
b) resolution/take up – wrong – the first answer is correct but we usually promise to
stop a bad habit at New Year, not start a new one.
c) resolution/give up – correct – we usually promise to stop a bad habit or
start a good one at New Year.
d) resolution/stop up – wrong – you can say 'give up' or 'stop' but not 'stop up', in this
context.

The Flatmates © BBC Learning English

Page 3 of 4
bbclearningenglish.com/flatmates/archivelanguagepoint.shtml
BBC Learning English – The Flatmates

5. I love to see snow anytime during the … but it's especially nice to have a …
a) festive period/white Christmas – correct – white collocates with Christmas
(it's a set expression)
b) period festive/white Christmas – wrong – the second answer is correct but the
words are in the wrong order in the first one.
c) festive period/white Boxing day – wrong – the first answer is correct but White
Boxing Day doesn't collocate (this is not a set expression).
d) festive period/white Hogmanay – wrong – the first answer is correct but White
Hogmanay doesn't collocate (this is not a set expression).

6. After we sing … I'm going round to my friend's house to … her.

a) The Bells/first foot –wrong – the second answer is correct but 'The Bells' isn't a
song.
b) Hogmanay/first foot – wrong – the second answer is correct but Hogmanay is a day,
not a song.
c) Auld Lang Syne/first foot – correct –singing Auld Lang Syne and first footing
our families and friends are things some people do at New Year.
d) Auld Lang Syne/foot first – wrong the first answer is correct but the words are in the
wrong order in the second answer.

Would you like to look at the language point that this quiz was based on? Go to:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode23/languagepoint.shtm

Or you can download the language point from:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode23/languagepoint.pdf

The Flatmates © BBC Learning English

Page 4 of 4
bbclearningenglish.com/flatmates/archivelanguagepoint.shtml