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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on a Christmas Tree
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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10-Metre Chocolate Christmas Tree on Offer ( 28th November, 2010)

A famous French chocolate maker has built a 10-metre-high chocolate Christmas tree. The Patrick Roger chocolate factory in Paris will sell the tree at an auction and give the money to charity. The edible tree weighs four tons. It needed a special piece of architectural design to keep it standing. Mr Roger explained: “We used a sort of cavity inside to make the chocolate solid enough, because there is very strong vertical pressure." The tree, which took one month to construct, will be a highlight at France's Telethon, an event to raise money for neuromuscular diseases.

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This is a great way of raising money for charity. It will also provide amazing advertising all over the world for the chocolate factory. French chocolate is amongst the yummiest in the world. It is still not clear who might buy the giant tree and what the buyer will do with it. It is certain that many children will watch the telethon on the third and fourth of December wishing they could have some of the tree. The telethon organizers are hoping there will be a world record bid for the chocolate tree. They want as much money as possible for the charity.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	A famous French chocolate	a.	design
2	sell the tree at an	b.	at France's Telethon
3.	architectural	c.	auction
4.	very strong vertical	d.	maker
5.	a highlight	e.	diseases
6.	raise money for neuromuscular	f.	pressure

Paragraph 2

1.	a great way of raising	a.	bid
2	advertising all	b.	in the world
3.	the yummiest	c.	buy the giant tree
4.	It is still not clear who might	d.	money
5.	a world record	e.	as possible
6.	as much money	f.	over the world

LISTENING GAP FILL

A famous French _____________________ built a 10-metre-high chocolate Christmas tree. The Patrick Roger chocolate factory in Paris will sell the tree _____________________ give the money to charity. The edible tree weighs four tons. It needed a special piece of architectural design _____________________. Mr Roger explained: “We used _____________________ inside to make the chocolate solid enough, because there is very strong vertical pressure." The tree, which _____________________ construct, will be a highlight at France's Telethon, an event to raise money _____________________ diseases.

This is _____________________ raising money for charity. It will also provide amazing advertising all over the world for the chocolate factory. French chocolate is _____________________ in the world. It is _____________________ might buy the giant tree and what the buyer will do with it. It _____________________ children will watch the telethon on the third and fourth of December _____________________ have some of the tree. The telethon organizers are hoping there will be a world _____________________ chocolate tree. They want as much money as possible for the charity.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A famous French chocolate maker has (1) ____ a 10-metre-high chocolate Christmas tree. The Patrick Roger chocolate factory in Paris will sell the tree (2) ____ an auction and give the money to charity. The (3) ____ tree weighs four tons. It needed a special piece of architectural design to keep it (4) ____. Mr Roger explained: “We used a sort of cavity inside to make the chocolate solid (5) ____, because there is very strong vertical pressure." The tree, which took one month to construct, will be a highlight at France's Telethon, an event to (6) ____ money for neuromuscular diseases.

This is a great way of raising money (7) ____ charity. It will also provide amazing advertising all over the world for the chocolate factory. French chocolate is amongst the yummiest in the world. It is (8) ____ not clear who might buy the giant tree and what the buyer will do with it. It is (9) ____ that many children will watch the telethon on the third and fourth of December (10) ____ they could have some of the tree. The telethon organizers are hoping there will be a world record (11) ____ for the chocolate tree. They want as (12) ____ money as possible for the charity.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	built	(b)	builder	(c)	builds
2.	(a)	with	(b)	at	(c)	for
3.	(a)	audible	(b)	edible	(c)	dribble
4.	(a)	standing	(b)	stood	(c)	stands
5.	(a)	for	(b)	really	(c)	enough
6.	(a)	up	(b)	raise	(c)	rise
7.	(a)	for	(b)	at	(c)	to
8.	(a)	yet	(b)	for	(c)	still
9.	(a)	certainly	(b)	certain	(c)	curtain
10.	(a)	wishing	(b)	wished	(c)	wishes
11.	(a)	did	(b)	lid	(c)	bid
12	(a)	more	(b)	many	(c)	much

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	chocolate rkaem
2.	chocolate roayfct
3.	give the money to ytchria
4.	architectural segndi
5.	solid goeunh
6.	strong vertical srsepreu
Paragraph 2
7.	a great way of siirang money
8.	the mesiymtu in the world
9.	buy the inagt tree
10.	iiwnshg they could have some
11.	a world roecdr bid
12.	as much money as oeplibss

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	factory in Paris will sell the tree at an auction and give the money to charity. The edible tree weighs four
( )	one month to construct, will be a highlight at France's Telethon, an event to raise money for neuromuscular diseases.
( )	tons. It needed a special piece of architectural design to keep it standing. Mr Roger explained: “We used a sort of
( )	and fourth of December wishing they could have some of the tree. The telethon organizers are hoping
( )	buy the giant tree and what the buyer will do with it. It is certain that many children will watch the telethon on the third
( 1 )	A famous French chocolate maker has built a 10-metre-high chocolate Christmas tree. The Patrick Roger chocolate
( )	the chocolate factory. French chocolate is amongst the yummiest in the world. It is still not clear who might
( )	cavity inside to make the chocolate solid enough, because there is very strong vertical pressure." The tree, which took
( )	there will be a world record bid for the chocolate tree. They want as much money as possible for the charity.
( )	This is a great way of raising money for charity. It will also provide amazing advertising all over the world for

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	chocolate French famous A maker.
2.	tree an the at auction Sell.
3.	architectural a design special piece It of needed.
4.	pressure There very vertical is strong.
5.	money An for event neuromuscular to diseases raise.
6.	a great way of raising money for charity This is.
7.	provide advertising It also amazing will.
8.	French amongst in is yummiest world chocolate the the.
9.	watch telethon Many will the children.
10.	possible as money much as want They.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about Christmas for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. CHRISTMAS: Search the Internet and find more information about Christmas. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about the chocolate Christmas tree. Include imaginary interviews with the maker and the person who bought it. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to a chocolate maker. Ask him/her three questions about chocolate. Give him/her three of your opinions on it. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on a Christmas Tree (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)