Unit 12 Text I Christmas Lost and Found

Pre-reading Question  What does the title of this text suggest to you?

Structural Analysis  Part I (paragraphs 1-5): talks about the joy and happiness brought by the coming of Christmas Boy.  Part II (paragraphs 6-8): gives an account of the sorrow and sadness caused by the sudden death of Christmas Boy.  Part III (paragraphs 9-24): describes the return of the joy and happiness to the family.

Paraphrase 1  We had not reckoned on the possibility of infertility. … we had not expected that we were unable to bear a child.

Paraphrase 2  In rapid succession we added two biological children to the family … We produced two children of our own one after another.

Paraphrase 3  … in her gray-green eyes and impudent grin I saw the reflection of our Christmas Boy. … my granddaughter resembled her father so much in her gray-green eyes and cheeky grin that I say in her my Christmas Boy.

Paraphrase 4  … it’s time to shape up! …. it’s time to get back on the right track and have a Christmas tree.

Paraphrase 5  … it occurred to me that a true family is not always one’s own flesh and blood. … I realized that a true family could include people other than one’s own children.

More Exercises  We are a large profit.  He felt completely by the difficulties that faced him.  His words came out.  She tightly her few remaining possessions.

More Exercises  We are reckoning on a large profit.  He felt completely by the difficulties that faced him.  His words came out.  She tightly her few remaining possessions.

More Exercises  We are reckoning on a large profit.  He felt completely daunted by the difficulties that faced him.  His words came out.  She tightly her few remaining possessions.

More Exercises  We are reckoning on a large profit.  He felt completely daunted by the difficulties that faced him.  His words came out in rapid succession.  She tightly her few remaining possessions.

More Exercises  We are reckoning on a large profit.  He felt completely daunted by the difficulties that faced him.  His words came out in rapid succession.  She clung tightly to her few remaining possessions.

More Exercises  The car outside the station.  You’d better, young man, or you will be punished.  The kind old lady offered to the poor homeless stranger.

More Exercises  The car pulled up outside the station.  You’d better, young man, or you will be punished.  The kind old lady offered to the poor homeless stranger.

More Exercises  The car pulled up outside the station.  You’d better shape up, young man, or you will be punished.  The kind old lady offered to the poor homeless stranger.

More Exercises  The car pulled up outside the station.  You’d better shape up, young man, or you will be punished.  The kind old lady offered to take in the poor homeless stranger.

Dictation  The celebration of Christmas is a joyful mixture of customs that have developed in many different lands over thousands of years. Integrated into our customs are ancient Roman traditions, early Christian practices, medieval pagan rituals and Victorian nostalgia.

 Many customs – caroling, Santa, stockings, and gingerbread –originated in Europe. Americans have embraced these customs and added their own special traditions to them as they have been passed down through the generations.

 The Germans introduced the Christmas tree to America. Many years before the celebration of Christmas began the Germans used evergreens to decorate their homes. They believed that these trees represented life and immortality and would protect their homes from evil during the coming year.

 There are many different stories about how the tree first appeared in America – but the result is the same – rare is the home that does not decorate a tree at Christmas.

The end!