Comprehension Test

Seasons and Celebrations

Jackie Maguire

1 Where do they do this? Match a number from A with a letter from B.

A
1 In New York…
2 In London…
3 In Canada…
4 In Britain…
5 In the USA…

B
a … people build big fires on 5 November.
b … thousands of people go to Times Square for the New Year.
c … people have fireworks on 4 July.
d … people celebrate Multiculturalism Day on 27 June.
e … a lot of people go to a big festival of Caribbean music in August.

20 marks

2 When did it happen? Match a number from A with a letter from B.

A
1 Saint Valentine died…
2 Guy Fawkes tried to kill King James…
3 Saint Patrick was born…
4 The American Declaration of Independence was written…
5 The First World War came to an end…

B
a … in 1776.
b … in 1605.
c … in about 385.
d … on 11 November 1918.
e … on 14 February.

20 marks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 1

3 Put the following sentences about Guy Fawkes in the right order. Number them 1–5.
a They put some gunpowder underneath the Houses of Parliament.
b Guy Fawkes gave the names of the other plotters.
c Guy Fawkes and his friends made a plot to kill the king.
d The plotters were killed.
e At about midnight some soldiers found Guy Fawkes.

20 marks

4 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?

a Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Scotland.
b People often play jokes on 1 April.
c Some people in England throw eggs at Easter.
d The forty days after Easter are called Lent.
e The big stones at Stonehenge have been there for about five thousand years.
f In 1773, the people of Boston put a lot of tea into the sea.
g A jack o’lantern is made of wood.
h Americans usually eat turkey at Thanksgiving.
i The Pilgrim Fathers sailed from Spain to America.
j Children can make lots of noise when they go to a pantomime.

20 marks

5 What are they? a carol, Hogmanay, champagne, the Cenotaph, pancakes

1 New Year’s Eve in Scotland. _____
2 Something people eat just before Lent. _____
3 A war memorial. _____
4 A Christmas song. _____
5 A French wine with bubbles. _____

20 marks

Total marks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 2

Multiple-choice Test

Seasons and Celebrations

Jackie Maguire

Places

Choose the best answer.

1 In _____ New Year’s Eve is called Hogmanay.
a [ ] the USA b [ ] Scotland c [ ] Canada d [ ] England
2 Saint Patrick is the patron saint of _____.
a [ ] Wales b [ ] England c [ ] Scotland d [ ] Ireland
3 St Andrews is a city in _____.
a [ ] Scotland b [ ] Ireland c [ ] Wales d [ ] England
4 The Maori were the first people to live in _____.
a [ ] North America b [ ] New Zealand c [ ] Scotland d [ ] Australia
5 There is a very old circle of big, stones in _____.
a [ ] London b [ ] St Andrews c [ ] Avebury d [ ] Boston
6 The first Fourth of July celebrations were in _____ in 1777.
a [ ] San Francisco b [ ] New York c [ ] Philadelphia d [ ] Hawaii
7 Guy Fawkes put gunpowder under _____.
a [ ] the Houses of Parliament b [ ] the Cenotaph
c [ ] Buckingham Palace d [ ] Stonehenge
8 The Pilgrim Fathers sailed across the _____.
a [ ] Pacific Ocean b [ ] Mediterranean Sea c [ ] English Channel d [ ] Atlantic Ocean
9 Immigrants from _____ started the Notting Hill Carnival in London.
a [ ] Bangladesh b [ ] the Caribbean c [ ] China d [ ] New Zealand
10 The pantomime is a Christmas tradition in _____.
a [ ] Canada b [ ] Australia c [ ] Britain d [ ] the USA

20 marks

People

Choose the best answer.

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 3

 11 At the start of the New Year, some people sing a song about old friends by _____.
a [ ] Robert Burns b [ ] Guy Fawkes c [ ] Anna Jarvis d [ ] Lyndon Johnson
12 In Rome in the third century, the _____ said that Valentine had to die.
a [ ] King b [ ] Queen c [ ] President d [ ] Emperor
13 Saint _____ is the patron saint of Wales.
a [ ] George b [ ] David c [ ] Patrick d [ ] Andrew
14 In pictures, Saint _____ is often shown on a horse, killing a dragon.
a [ ] Valentine b [ ] Andrew c [ ] Stephen d [ ] George
15 Anna Jarvis wanted to have a day for _____.
a [ ] fathers b [ ] children c [ ] mothers d [ ] soldiers
16 Two thousand years ago, the _____ who lived in Britain celebrated New Year on 1
November.
a [ ] Romans b [ ] pagans c [ ] Americans d [ ] Christians
17 Guy Fawkes wanted to kill King _____ and his government.
a [ ] George b [ ] James c [ ] William d [ ] Charles
18 Edward George Honey asked people to think about _____.
a [ ] soldiers who died in war b [ ] Jesus c [ ] the Pilgrim Fathers d [ ] their mothers
19 Diwali is a _____ celebration.
a [ ] Christian b [ ] Muslim c [ ] Hindu d [ ] Jewish
20 In Ireland, 26 December is called _____.
a [ ] Queen’s Day b [ ] Boxing Day c [ ] Pantomime Day d [ ] Saint Stephen’s Day

20 marks

Facts

Choose the best answer.

21 Valentine was _____ who lived more than a thousand years ago.
a [ ] an Emperor b [ ] a pagan c [ ] a Christian d [ ] a soldier
22 Waitangi Day is the national day of _____.
a [ ] Wales b [ ] New Zealand c [ ] Australia d [ ] the USA
23 _____ is the home of the Canadian government.
a [ ] Ottawa b [ ] St Andrews c [ ] Sydney d [ ] Washington
24 Good Friday is two days before _____.
a [ ] New Year b [ ] Christmas c [ ] Halloween d [ ] Easter

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 4

 25 In France, King Charles the Ninth changed the New Year from 1 _____ to 1 January.
a [ ] April b [ ] November c [ ] May d [ ] August
26 The summer solstice is the _____ day of the year.
a [ ] shortest b [ ] first c [ ] longest d [ ] coldest
27 There are fifty states in the USA now, but at first there were _____.
a [ ] two b [ ] twenty-eight c [ ] thirteen d [ ] forty-five
28 A lot of people are silent for two minutes at _____ on 11 November.
a [ ] eleven o’clock in the morning b [ ] midnight
c [ ] four o’clock in the afternoon d [ ] midday
29 In the USA, Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday of _____.
a [ ] September b [ ] December c [ ] August d [ ] November
30 The biggest Chinatown outside Asia is in _____.
a [ ] Sydney b [ ] San Francisco c [ ] New York d [ ] London

20 marks

Vocabulary

Choose the best answer.

31 words that one person sends to another
a [ ] present b [ ] memorial c [ ] parade d [ ] message
32 the time when people bring fruit and vegetables in from trees and fields
a [ ] harvest b [ ] Hogmanay c [ ] war d [ ] spring
33 a song that people sing at Christmas
a [ ] parade b [ ] carol c [ ] treat d [ ] festival
34 to put different things together to make something new
a [ ] grow b [ ] decorate c [ ] celebrate d [ ] mix
35 money that you have to pay to the government
a [ ] plot b [ ] box c [ ] tax d [ ] present
36 the first meal of the day
a [ ] breakfast b [ ] dinner c [ ] pudding d [ ] barbecue
37 not moving
a [ ] quiet b [ ] comfortable c [ ] silent d [ ] still
38 when a lot of people walk along the streets, sometimes in colourful clothes
a [ ] barbecue b [ ] parade c [ ] concert d [ ] party

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 5

 39 this is hard and black, and people burn it to give heat
a [ ] spice b [ ] pumpkin c [ ] coal d [ ] card
40 music played for a lot of people
a [ ] concert b [ ] fireworks c [ ] parade d [ ] message

20 marks

Events

Choose the best answer.

41 In _____ a lot of people go down to the sea on New Year’s Eve.
a [ ] New York b [ ] Sydney c [ ] London d [ ] Edinburgh
42 The _____ days before Easter are called Lent.
a [ ] twelve b [ ] forty c [ ] sixty d [ ] ten
43 On Easter Sunday, some children go into the garden to look for _____.
a [ ] rabbits b [ ] cakes c [ ] eggs d [ ] birds
44 On 1 April one year, the BBC showed people taking _____ from trees.
a [ ] spaghetti b [ ] money c [ ] milk d [ ] hamburgers
45 A honeymoon is a holiday that people take after they _____.
a [ ] finish university b [ ] leave their job c [ ] win some money d [ ] get married
46 At the Boston Tea Party in 1773, a lot of tea was _____.
a [ ] sold b [ ] given to the King c [ ] thrown into the sea d [ ] burnt
47 Decorations for Halloween parties are usually black and _____.
a [ ] white b [ ] green c [ ] blue d [ ] orange
48 On _____, people in Britain build big fires in fields and gardens.
a [ ] 5 November b [ ] 25 December c [ ] 21 June d [ ] 1 January
49 A lot of people in Britain wear _____ paper flowers in early November.
a [ ] yellow b [ ] blue c [ ] black d [ ] red
50 On Christmas Eve, children leave a _____ for Santa Claus to fill with presents.
a [ ] box b [ ] stocking c [ ] bag d [ ] shoe

20 marks

Total marks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 6

Seasons and Celebrations
1 1 b
2 e
3 d
4 a
5 c
2 1 e
2 b
3 c
4 a
5 d
3 a 2
b 4
c 1
d 5
e 3
4 a F
b T
c F
d F
e T
f T
g F
h T
i F
j T
5 1 Hogmanay
2 pancakes
3 the Cenotaph
4 a carol
5 champagne

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 7

Seasons and Celebrations
Places

1 b
2 d
3 a
4 b
5 c
6 c
7 a
8 d
9 b
10 c

People

11 a
12 d
13 b
14 d
15 c
16 b
17 b
18 a
19 c
20 d

Facts

21 c
22 b
23 a
24 d
25 a
26 c
27 c
28 a
29 d

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 8

 30 b

Vocabulary

31 d
32 a
33 b
34 d
35 c
36 a
37 d
38 b
39 c
40 a

Events

41 b
42 b
43 c
44 a
45 d
46 c
47 d
48 a
49 d
50 b

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 9