Vocabulary

Similes compare two things using the words like or as.

For example:

The snow was as white as the clouds in the sky.
The snow was like silver beads on my coat.

Fill in the similes below:

1. Snow is like ____________________________________________.
2. The snow was as __________________ as ___________________.
3. The scarf was as __________________ as _____________________.
4. The scarf was like ________________________________________.
5. The hill was as slippery as a _________________________________.
6. I slid down the hill like a ___________________________________.
7. The ice was as ___________________ as _____________________.
8. It is as cold as ___________________________________________.
9. My nose was red like a ____________________________________.
10. The fire in the fireplace was like a ____________________________.

Write some of your own.

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I. How many words can you think of that go with snow? Look up these “snow” words in the dictionary. Are they one word or two? The first two are done for you.

II. Write a sentence for each word.

a. ball snowball            1 word
b. board snow board     2 words
c. fall ___________      ___________
d. pea  ___________    ___________
e. goose_________      ___________
f. flake ___________     ___________
g. bank ___________    ___________
h. angel ___________   ___________
i. storm ___________   ___________
j. drift    ___________   ___________
k. shoes __________    ___________
l. man      __________  ___________
m. leopard _________   ___________
n. plow ___________     ___________

I. Fill in the blanks with the words from the Word Bank and learn them.

Word Bank mittens snow scarf sled snowman

1. Keeping my ___________________ on helps my hands to stay warm.
2. The ______________ around my neck matches my mittens and hat.
3. I built a ____________________ 5 feet tall!
4. Maria hopped on her ____________ and went down the hill.
5. The falling _____________ was beautiful to see.

II. Unscramble the following words. Make use of the Word Bank.

1. nestmit _________________
2. farsc _________________
3. wons _________________
4. namwsno _________________
5. dles _________________

Answer key:

I. 1. mittens; 2. scarf; 3. snowman; 4. sled; 5. snow
II. 1. mittens; 2. scarf; 3. snow; 4. snowman; 5. sled

Writing

Write an acrostic poem about a snowman. Begin each line with a word or phrase that starts with the letter on that line.

S    ____________________________________________
N    ____________________________________________
O    ____________________________________________
W____________________________________________
M ___________________________________________
A ___________________________________________
N ____________________________________________

Colour the snowman.

Complete the story.

I love a big snowfall, but this snowy day was not normal. I woke up to see 25 inches of snow!
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Use the  Word Bank to write a story about the winter season. You may add words to the Word Bank.

Word Bank winter snowcold scarf mittens hat   boots

E

Writing About Winter

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Listening

I. Pre-Listening Exercises

1. What is the meaning of Christmas to those who celebrate this day? Use the Internet to answer these questions, or discuss them with other students.
2. What do you think is the meaning of the title, “The Christmas Gift,” in this story?

We’d like to share with you a remarkable Christmas story: one of courage, life, and love.

Twenty-five years ago, Ray Anderson, a single parent with a one-year-old son, was returning home after running a few errands Christmas Eve when he witnessed a horrendous accident which took place when the driver of a truck ran a red light and collided with the car of Sandra Jenkins. The impact of the collision killed Sandra instantly, but her three-month-old daughter was left trapped upside down in the burning wreckage seemingly doomed to a fiery tomb. While others looked on in horror, Anderson jumped out of his vehicle and crawled into the car through the shattered rear window to try to free the infant. Seconds later, the car was totally engulfed in flames, but Anderson was miraculously able to pull the baby to safety. While the child came out of the accident virtually unscathed, Anderson suffered third degree burns over 80 percent of his body. Two days later, Anderson died, but his heroic act was published widely in the media. Anderson’s son was soon adopted by relative, and the family moved to the East Coast.

The most remarkable part of this story unfolded only last week. Karen and her fiancйe, Aaron, were looking through some old boxes in the attic of Karen’s home when they came across some old newspaper clippings. “This is me when I was a newborn baby. I was rescued from a burning car, but my mother died in the accident,” explained Karen. Although Aaron knew Karen’s mother had died years earlier, he never fully understood the circumstances until he started to skim over the newspaper article. Karen continued to sort through some old books when saw Aaron absorbed in the details of the accident. Then she noticed, to her much surprise, tears swelling up in his eyes, and he began to cry uncontrollably. Then, in between sobs, he went on to reveal that the man that pulled her from the flames was the father he never knew. The two embraced and shed many tears that afternoon, recounting stories told to them about their parents.

What really drew their attention was some other details unknown to both of them until that moment. According to the article, Aaron’s father was on a mission of love that fateful Christmas Eve in the process of distributing care packages to needy families in the area. That was a yearly tradition that he performed unbeknownst to everyone except two close friends. This he did because of his firm conviction that the best Christmas gifts came not from the gift received, but from those given, and that those acts of charity should remain anonymous. As it turns out, Karen’s mother was also involved in similar volunteer work throughout the community.

In honor of their parents and the desire to share the gift of Christmas, Aaron and Karen have committed to carry on similar acts of kindness. While hardship, grief, and tragedy plague our lives, the gift of the love seems to transcend all material obstacles and brings greater hope for those downtrodden and low in spirit.

Merry Christmas to all of you.

Word Bank

horrendous (adjective) terrible
Over twenty people lost their lives in the horrendous accident.
collide (verb) run into, crash into
The boat collided with another ship in the dense fog.
tomb (noun) grave, a place where the dead are buried
The tomb of the unknown soldier is on the hill over there.
engulf (verb) surround or enclose
The smoke from the fire engulfed the entire house.
to be unfolded (verb) to reveal or disclose
The true facts of the case were unfolded after extensive interviews with witnesses.
attic (noun) the area between the ceiling and the roof
We keep our presents in the attic until Christmas Eve so the kids won’t find them.
recount (verb) to retell, like a story
My father used to recount his Christmas memories when I was a child.
charity (noun) love
We should show acts of charity to those less fortunate throughout the year.

II. Listening Exercises

Listen to the story and answer the questions.

1. What event did Ray Anderson witness at the beginning of the story?

A. a home fire
B. an explosion
C. an automobile accident

2. How did Ray save the baby?

A. He pulled the baby out of the window.
B. He put out the flames with a fire extinguisher.
C. He called the police and fire department.

3. What happened to Ray?

A. He had extensive head injuries.
B. He was burned over much of his body.
C. He suffered from smoke inhalation.

4. Who is Aaron?

A. He is Ray Anderson’s son.
B. He is Karen’s older brother.
C. He was adopted by Sandra Jenkins.

5. What was Ray Anderson doing that fateful Christmas Eve?

A. serving at homeless shelter in the community
B. cutting down Christmas trees for families
C. taking goods to needy people

Explanation of Answers:

1. Correct Answer (C). The narrator says that Ray “witnessed a horrendous accident which took place when the driver of a truck ran a red light and collided with the car of Sandra Jenkins.”

2. Correct Answer (A). Ray “crawled into the car through the shattered rear (car) window,” and pulled the baby to safety.

3. Correct Answer (B). “Anderson suffered third degree burns over 80 percent of his body.”

4. Correct Answer (A). “He (Aaron) went on to reveal that the man that pulled her from the flames was the father he never knew.”

5. Correct Answer (C). “Aaron’s father was on a mission of love that fateful Christmas Eve in the process of distributing care packages to needy families in the area.” These care packages could have contained food, clothing, toys, or other household items.

III. Post-Listening Exercises

1. What was the Christmas “gift” Ray gave to others?

2. What did the narrator mean when he said that Ray believed that “the best Christmas gifts came not from the gift received, but from those given, and that those acts of charity should remain anonymous”?

3. Discuss the teachings of other religious or moral lessons when it comes to charity and kindness towards others.

Speaking

Select five questions from the list below and compose a conversation about winter.

• Do you prefer winter or summer? Why?

• What are your favorite winter activities?

• Can you tell me about a time you went skiing or skating?

• What do you usually wear in winter?

• When does your winter vacation usually start and end?

• Can you think of three holidays in winter?

• How do you make a snow angel?

• How do you make a snowman?

• Is your house cold?

• Do you have a fireplace in your house?

• What do you usually do to keep warm in the winter?

• Can you think of any animals that hibernate for the winter?

• Can you think of any animals that migrate for the winter?

• Have you ever gone hiking in the snow?

• Tell me about a snowball fight you had.

• In winter, we see a lot of frozen water. Can you tell me the difference between frost, snow, hail, and slush?

• Have you ever looked at a snowflake carefully?

• Do you know what packing snow is?

• Do you have a sled? Have you been sledding?

• What do you usually do after a big snowfall?

• What’s the best thing about winter?

• What’s the worst thing about winter?

• Have you ever been in a blizzard?

• What are the dangers of winter?

• Can you describe ice for me?

• Have you ever slipped on ice and hurt yourself?

• Have you ever had to shovel snow?

Reading

Read the text and find the answers to the questions below.

Some animals “hibernate” for part or all of the winter. This is a special, very deep sleep. The animal’s body temperature drops, and its heartbeat and breathing slow down. It uses very little energy. In the fall, these animals get ready for winter by eating extra food and storing it as body fat. They use this fat for energy while hibernating. Some also store food like nuts or acorns to eat later in the winter. Bears, skunks, chipmunks, and some bats hibernate.
Insects look for winter shelter in holes in the ground, under the bark of trees, deep inside rotting logs or in any small crack they can find. One of the most interesting places is in a gall. A gall is a swelling on a plant. It is caused by certain insects, fungi or bacteria. They make a chemical that affects the plant’s growth in a small area, forming a lump. The gall becomes its maker’s home and food source.

Answer the questions:

1.    What does the word “hibernate” mean?
2.    When animals hibernate, what changes take place in their bodies?
3.    Why do you very rarely see insects over the winter season?
4.    Why do insects search out “galls” in the fall season?

Read the information below and then try to answer the questions at the bottom.

At Dufferin Grove Park, there is an ice rink that is used for skating lessons, shinny and pleasure skating. The NHL (National Hockey League) donated 50 pairs of skates earlier this year, and they’re spray-painted yellow. You can rent a pair of men’s hockey skates for $1.00 per day. You can also rent women’s ice skates for $1.00 a day. There are skating lessons available all around Toronto. Other cities in Ontario usually have skating rinks and lessons too. Dufferin Rink offers children’s skating lessons, and the teacher’s name is Mayssan. She learned how to skate on an artificial ice rink in Oman when she was a child. Mayssan became a very good skater, and now she teaches at the Dufferin Rink.

When you go skating for the first time, make sure you wear warm socks, a warm hat, and lots of layers. Most rinks have hot drinks and snacks, but you can also bring your own snacks. Weekends are usually the busiest time of the week to go skating. Weekday nights are usually less crowded. If there has been any extreme weather, like rain, or hail, the ice rink may be temporarily closed until the Ice-resurfacer (Zamboni) can resurface the ice. Evening skating can be a lot of fun for the whole family. Most rinks have floodlights. At night the rink is lit up and bright. All Toronto outdoor rinks are free.

Questions:

1. Who donated 50 pairs of hockey skates to the Dufferin Grove Park?
2. How much does it cost to rent these skates?
3. What colour are they painted?
4. When does the skating season usually end?
5. What country did the skating teacher, Mayssan, learn how to skate in?
6. When is a good time to go skating for pleasure?
7. How should you dress for outdoor skating?
8. When might the ice rink be temporarily closed during the winter?

Read the text.

The Chinese New Year is the most important and happiest holiday of the year for Chinese and some other Asian people. For this holiday, families and friends always get together to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new. There were three weeks of celebration in the traditional Chinese community, but it only lasts for one week now. There are many interesting and special activities and events in the Chinese New Year.

The Chinese New Year does not fall on the same date each year, because the date of the Chinese New Year depends on the Chinese Lunar Calendar, which is based on the moon’s cycles. The Chinese New Year is always between late January and mid February.

During the Chinese New Year’s celebration, people have many traditional activities. The Chinese believe that they should do these traditional activities if they want to have a nice whole year. For example, they clean their house, pay off debts, buy new clothes, paint their house and windows and get a new haircut. These activities mean a new life and a new start.

On the Chinese New Year’s Eve, the New Year’s Eve dinner is a very important thing. Chinese families come together for a celebration dinner. This custom is called “surrounding the hearth”. Both children and adults eat together. The dinner is the best if eaten slowly and tasting each dish. There must be several dishes on the New Year’s Eve dinner, such as yearlong vegetables, chicken, fish, clams, New Year cakes and carrots. In my family, my mother always makes 10 or 11 kinds of dishes for the New Year Eve’s dinner. I like all dishes of my mother’s cooking, but my favorite dishes are New Year cakes and yearlong vegetables because they are only cooked on this date.

The Chinese New Year is the biggest holiday for the Chinese. There are many traditional activities and events on this date. Making new things, the New Year’s Eve Dinner, Red Packet, Red Couplets, the Lion Dance and fireworks are important and interesting activities. First, Red Packet is every child’s love at Chinese New Year. Adults always put some money into a red packet and give it to children and elderly people. The symbolic giving of the money represents a wish for luck and wealth in the coming year. Second, Red Couplets are one of the main forms in the Chinese New Year. Red Couplets are Chinese good luck sayings written on red paper and decorated on the walls and doors. Third, the Lion Dance is the greatest event for celebrating the Chinese New Year. The lion is a popular symbol for the Chinese. It symbolyzes is good luck and strength. In the Chinese New Year, some people dress up in the lion clothes, and dance on the streets. They bring good luck to the houses or businesses when the Lion dances visit. Forth, the Chinese like to shoot fireworks in the Chinese New Year. The symbolism is that the noise of the fireworks is supposed to scare away bad things and wake up the dragon that will fly into the sky to bring the spring. As you can see, there are many interesting activities for celebrating the Chinese New Year.

In my childhood, I liked the Chinese New Year much more than now because I should give Red Packet to children and elderly people now, and nobody wants to give money to me. But if someone asks me, “What is your favorite holiday?” I will say, “It is the Chinese New Year.” I believe all the Chinese like the Chinese New Year.

Answer the questions:

1. How long does the Chinese New Year celebration last?

2. What does the date of the New Year celebration depend on?

3. What Chinese custom in called “surrounding the hearth”? Why?

4. What other traditional activities do the Chinese have during the New Year celebration?

5. What are the symbolic representations of the Chinese New Year aimed at?