The e-Book

1,000 IDEAS & ACTIVITIES FOR
LANGUAGE
TEACHERS

News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Reindeer Safety
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

Home
Donate

E-mail this lesson to
a student /colleague

COPYRIGHT:
Please write to
me for permission.

Traffic Safety for Christmas Reindeer (22nd December, 2010)

There is an increasing number of cars on roads in Norway, home to many of Santa’s reindeer. About 500 reindeer are killed each year in car crashes. Officials from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration have come up with a great idea to keep Santa’s helpers safe this Christmas – reflective yellow tags that are put on the reindeer’s antlers. The leader of the project, Kristian Oevernes, told the Reuters news agency: “It really works….This is the first time it has happened.” Oevernes told the reporter that Santa might also use this idea.

Advertisements

Very few people think about the problems Santa and his reindeer have at Christmas. It must be difficult to fly around the world in one night to deliver so many presents. It gets more and more dangerous every year because there are so many planes in the sky and cars on the road. Santa and his reindeer need as much protection as they can get. Another problem with delivering presents is the disappearance of chimneys. Santa has to think of new ways to get inside houses that do not have a chimney. Apartments are particularly tricky.

Advertisements

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	an increasing number	a.	car crashes
2	killed each year in	b.	tags
3.	come up	c.	of cars on roads
4.	reflective yellow	d.	it has happened
5.	The leader	e.	with a great idea
6.	the first time	f.	of the project

Paragraph 2

1.	fly around the world	a.	in the sky
2	It gets more and	b.	delivering presents
3.	so many planes	c.	in one night
4.	Another problem with	d.	tricky
5.	houses that do not	e.	more dangerous
6.	particularly	f.	have a chimney

LISTENING GAP FILL

There ______________________ of cars on roads in Norway, home to many of Santa’s reindeer. About 500 reindeer are killed ______________________. Officials from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration have ______________________ idea to keep Santa’s helpers safe this Christmas – reflective yellow tags ______________________ reindeer’s antlers. The leader of the project, Kristian Oevernes, told the Reuters news agency: “It really works….This ______________________ has happened.” Oevernes told the reporter that Santa ______________________ idea.

Very ______________________ the problems Santa and his reindeer have at Christmas. It ______________________ fly around the world in one night to deliver so many presents. It gets more and ______________________ year because there are so many planes in the sky and cars on the road. Santa and his reindeer need as much protection ______________________. Another problem with delivering presents is the disappearance of chimneys. Santa ______________________ ways to get inside houses that do not have a chimney. Apartments are ______________________.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

There is an (1) ____ number of cars on roads in Norway, home to many of Santa’s reindeer. About 500 reindeer are killed (2) ____ year in car crashes. Officials from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration have come (3) ____ with a great idea to keep Santa’s helpers safe this Christmas – reflective yellow tags that are put on the reindeer’s antlers. The (4) ____ of the project, Kristian Oevernes, told the Reuters news agency: “It really (5) ____ ….This is the first time it has happened.” Oevernes told the reporter that Santa might also (6) ____ this idea.

Very (7) ____ people think about the problems Santa and his reindeer have at Christmas. It must be difficult to fly around the world in one night to (8) ____ so many presents. It gets more and more dangerous every year because there are (9) ____ many planes in the sky and cars on the road. Santa and his reindeer need as (10) ____ protection as they can get. Another problem (11) ____ delivering presents is the disappearance of chimneys. Santa has to think of new ways to get inside houses that do not have a chimney. Apartments are particularly (12) ____.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	increase	(b)	increasing	(c)	increases
2.	(a)	whole	(b)	each	(c)	throughout
3.	(a)	down	(b)	along	(c)	up
4.	(a)	leader	(b)	lead	(c)	leaded
5.	(a)	working	(b)	works	(c)	workers
6.	(a)	use	(b)	useful	(c)	uses
7.	(a)	several	(b)	few	(c)	numerous
8.	(a)	delivery	(b)	delivering	(c)	deliver
9.	(a)	so	(b)	such	(c)	as
10.	(a)	many	(b)	more	(c)	much
11.	(a)	by	(b)	for	(c)	with
12	(a)	tricky	(b)	tricks	(c)	tricked

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	an increasing ernmbu
2.	car shercsa
3.	a egrta idea
4.	The leader of the oectrjp
5.	news yecang
6.	It really rwsko
Paragraph 2
7.	fly rdonua the world
8.	dreviel so many presents
9.	more nrdegoasu
10.	nspeal in the sky
11.	get eidsni
12.	particularly ycikrt

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	Very few people think about the problems Santa and his reindeer have
( )	tags that are put on the reindeer’s antlers. The leader of the project, Kristian Oevernes, told the Reuters news
( )	reporter that Santa might also use this idea.
( )	ways to get inside houses that do not have a chimney. Apartments are particularly tricky.
( 1 )	There is an increasing number of cars on roads in Norway, home to many of Santa’s reindeer. About 500
( )	up with a great idea to keep Santa’s helpers safe this Christmas – reflective yellow
( )	at Christmas. It must be difficult to fly around the world in one night to deliver so many presents. It gets more
( )	delivering presents is the disappearance of chimneys. Santa has to think of new
( )	and more dangerous every year because there are so many planes in the sky and cars
( )	agency: “It really works….This is the first time it has happened.” Oevernes told the
( )	reindeer are killed each year in car crashes. Officials from the Norwegian Public Roads Administration have come
( )	on the road. Santa and his reindeer need as much protection as they can get. Another problem with

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

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

1.	number on There increasing cars an of roads is.
2.	About year each killed are reindeer 500.
3.	with great up a idea Come.
4.	happened the has is it This time first.
5.	idea Santa also this might use.
6.	problems the about think people few Very.
7.	world difficult must around to be the fly It.
8.	more It dangerous gets every more year and.
9.	cars and sky the in planes many So road the on.
10.	Another presents delivering with problem.

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 reindeer 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. SANTA AND REINDEER: Search the Internet and find more information about reindeer. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about reindeer. Include imaginary interviews with some reindeer and what they think about Christmas and Santa. 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 Santa. Ask him three questions about reindeer and safety. Give him three of your opinions on how to keep reindeer safe. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

Back to the top

News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Reindeer Safety (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)