ADVANCED GRAMMAR

INTRODUCTION
Discuss with a partner, the topics the teacher puts on the board.

ACTIVITY 1:
Read the text below and find the answersto the following ques;ons:
How has their life changed?
How do their family members help with childcare?
What things do they miss about their old lives?

A WEEKEND OFF!
We rarely have much ;me to ourselves. Our schedule is so busy that we just can’t find the ;me to get out of the house. My
husband and I both work full ;me and also have two small kids to look aOer. I had no idea that my parents were planning a
special surprise for me this weekend. I only discovered what they had planned when I walked in the front door on Friday night. As
soon as I opened the door, they appeared with a boPle of wine and the news that they were taking the kids to the local theme
park for the weekend. Obviously the kids were ecsta;c, they haven’t been to the theme park since they were four years old and
that was just for 1 day, now they were going for a whole weekend! We were so grateful that we gave my mum and dad a massive
hug. However, there had to be some ground rules for the kids. We told them that they shouldn’t annoy grandma and granddad
under any circumstances and that they mustn’t eat too many sweets before going on the roller coasters on any account.

The moment my parents leO the house we opened the boPle of wine and sat on the sofa enjoying the sudden peace and quiet.
We didn’t realize how ;red we were un;l we sat down. We hardly ever get a chance to watch a movie together over a glass of
wine. However, as soon as we had chosen a movie and started watching it, we both fell asleep. It wasn’t un;l the next morning
when we woke up that we truly appreciated how quiet the house was. We hadn’t had the house to ourselves since our second
daughter was born. We didn’t know what to do with ourselves!

ACTIVITY 2
Study about INVERSIONS

“As soon as” Inversions:

No sooner had we got out of the car than it started raining. Time adverbial Inversions
Hardly had I got in the shower when the phone rang. Only when I got home did I realize someone had
stolen my wallet.
Adverb of frequency Inversions: Not since my 10th birthday party have I eaten
Hardly ever do I go out for dinner. marshmallows.
Rarely does he do the washing-up. Not un;l the end of the book do you find out who
Never before have I eaten such lovely food. the murderer is.

Extras Prohibi>on Inversions

So + adjec;ve + that + consequence
So cold was the water that we couldn’t go swimming.
Not only can you take photos with the phone, but also videos.
LiPle did I know that he had planned a surprise.
Under no circumstances should/must you open
this door.
On no account should/must you feed the animals.

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 ADVANCED GRAMMAR
ACTIVITY 3:
There are 10 sentences in the first paragraph of the text that can be changed to include an inversion.

Rarely _______________________________________________________________________
So _______________________________________________________________________
Not _______________________________________________________________________
LiPle _______________________________________________________________________
Only when _______________________________________________________________________
No _______________________________________________________________________
Not since _______________________________________________________________________
So _______________________________________________________________________
Under _______________________________________________________________________
On _______________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 4:
In case there is ;me, work on the 6 sentences from the second paragrapha that can be changed to include an inversion.

Hardly _______________________________________________________________________
Not un;l _______________________________________________________________________
Hardly ever _______________________________________________________________________
Barely _______________________________________________________________________
Not un;l _______________________________________________________________________
Not since _______________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 5:
HOMEWORK: Con;nue the story of the couple on their weekend off; what did they do next? Use as many inversions as you can.

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 ADVANCED LISTENING
CHRISTMAS DRINKS
PRE LISTENING ACTIVITY
What do you usually drink on each meal of an ordinary day?

Breakfast _______________________________________________________________________
Brunch _______________________________________________________________________
Lunch _______________________________________________________________________
Mid AOernoon Snack _______________________________________________________________________
Dinner _______________________________________________________________________
Before going to bed _______________________________________________________________________

If it’s a special day, like some sort of celebra;on (a birthday for example), do you change anything? Tell us!

Breakfast _______________________________________________________________________
Brunch _______________________________________________________________________
Lunch _______________________________________________________________________
Mid AOernoon Snack _______________________________________________________________________
Dinner _______________________________________________________________________
Before going to bed _______________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 1:
Listen to TRACK 01 and discuss the ques;on below with a partner.
What is the podcast about?
Why is this a different look on Christmas Day?
Do you plan your drinks for Christmas?

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

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 ADVANCED LISTENING
ACTIVITY 2:
Listen to TRACK 02 and try to complete the list below.
What does Laura suggest for each moment of Christmas Day?

Breakfast _______________________________________________________________________
Opening giOs _______________________________________________________________________
Pre lunch apéri;fs _______________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 3:
Listen to TRACK 02 again and discuss the following ques;ons.

There are two specific groups of people Sarah talks about at the end of the podcast. Who are they?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What did she suggest they drink?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 4:
Listen to TRACK 03 and discuss the following ques;ons.

At the end of the day, what is the best sugges;on for the guests? Which country is it connected to?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The presenter thinks of a great idea to do with drink as well. What is it?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are the 5 ingredients that are used to make the home made drink?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ACTIVITY 5:
Discuss with your classmates what a typical choice of drinks for a Brazilian Christmas Dinner would be .
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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 WORLD CULTURE

Six Places That Celebrate Christmas Year-Round

For some people, the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day are more than enough ;me to
celebrate the holidays. But the people living near these loca;ons may feel differently. From Alaska to
Tennessee, here are six towns where Yule is a 365-day affair.

1. NORTH POLE, ALASKA

You wouldn’t be faulted for mistaking this 2200-person town for Santa’s home-base. While it’s closer
to Fairbanks, Alaska, than the true North Pole, it does feature several fes;ve landmarks such as Santa
Claus Lane, Kris Kringle Drive, and an expansive Santa Claus house that’s open year-round. In 2015,
residents even elected a local man named Santa Claus to preside over the town as mayor. SePled in
1944, North Pole has a development company to thank for its quirky address. The hope was that a toy
company would be en;ced to move there so they could market their toys as being “made in the North
Pole.” That never came to frui;on, but the town has embraced their jolly ;tle nonetheless. Things get
especially exci;ng around December, when they celebrate with an ice sculpture contest and an annual
winter fes;val. It’s also the ;me of year when the town receives hundreds of thousands of lePers
addressed to “Santa Claus, North Pole, Alaska.” A team of volunteers works each season to ensure
every lePer is answered.

2. MIDLAND, MICHIGAN
There’s no need to journey north of the Arc;c Circle to learn what it takes to be Kris Kringle. The most
pres;gious Santa Claus academy on earth can be found in Midland, Michigan. Since 1934, the Charles
W. Howard Santa Claus School has been aPrac;ng rotund, rosy-cheeked gentlemen to the Midwestern
town. It’s there that they’re taught reindeer handling 101, how to dress like St. Nick, and the history of
the legendary character. Once the holiday season rolls around, the newly trained Santas disperse to
malls across the country—or if they decide to s;ck around, they can march in Midland’s annual Santa
Parade.

3. FRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN
The streets of Frankenmuth feel like they belong on the pages of a storybook. Dubbed “Michigan’s
LiPle Bavaria,” the town is home to covered bridges, charming old-world architecture, and horse-
drawn carriages reminiscent of another era. But the town’s main aPrac;on is what's said to be the
world’s largest Christmas store, Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland. The 320,000-square-foot space
contains 350 decorated trees, 150 styles of nutcrackers, and giOs imported from 70 countries around
the world. A hundred thousand Christmas lights brighten the store’s exterior throughout the seasons
(their electric bill averages $1250 a day).

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 WORLD CULTURE

4. SANTA CLAUS, INDIANA

The residents of Santa Claus, Indiana, didn’t have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads when
they came up with the town’s merry moniker—they were just suffering from a lack of inspira;on. In
1856, back when the town went by Santa Fe, they learned that a town of that name already existed
in Indiana. Wan;ng to at least keep the first half of their address, they reportedly chose the name
Santa Claus simply because they failed to come up with something more crea;ve. More than 150
years later, Santa Claus, Indiana, is the state’s number one des;na;on for year-round holiday
fes;vi;es. Visitors can check out the town’s Holiday World (which pays homage to Thanksgiving,
Halloween, and Independence Day as well as Christmas), pick out sweet treats from Santa’s Candy
Castle, or head over to Santa’s Lodge motel and bask in the glory of the two 12-foot fiberglass St.
Nicks on display outside. Kids looking to reach the community’s famous post office can mail their
holiday wish lists to 45 North Kringle Place, Santa Claus, IN 47579.

5. BETHLEHEM, PENNSLYVANIA
Finding Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, isn’t difficult for those nearby—just follow the electric star that
looks down on the town from its perch on South Mountain. The fes;ve landmark was first erected in
1937 in an effort to aPract tourists to the town in the midst of the Great Depression. That same year,
Bethlehem was officially named “Christmas City, U.S.A.” by the Chamber of Commerce—a fiung ;tle
for a town that was founded on Christmas Eve in 1741. Originally made from incandescent bulbs
strung on plywood, the star of Bethlehem currently consists of steel and LED lights that glow every
night of the year.

6. PIGEON FORGE, TENNESSEE

Looking for a blinged-out nutcracker in the middle of July? The Incredible Christmas Place in Pigeon
Forge, Tennessee, has you covered. The self-proclaimed largest Christmas shopping village in the
South is home to wreaths, lights, ornaments, and any other holiday-themed decor you may need
whatever ;me of year you need it. In 2007, the store opened a fes;ve hotel across the street where
customers could con;nue keeping with the holiday spirit even aOer they’d finished shopping. The Inn
at Christmas Place features performances by a singing Santa three ;mes a week, present-wrapping
workshops, and plenty of holly jolly embellishments. Things get even more intense around the actual
holidays, with 30 or more trees displaying nearly half a million lights on the hotel grounds.

Adapted from: hPps://www.mentalfloss.com/ar;cle/89672/7-places-celebrate-christmas-year-round

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What city from the text is the most appealing to you and your life style?
How do you think your rou;ne would change if you lived in a city like that?
Have you ever celebrated Christmas in a place with snow? Share your experience. If you have not,
how do you think it would be for you and your family or friends?

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