listening comprehension – Halloween

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9NW5AFjHFY

Bet you didn’t know:

Halloween
! Work in pairs and answer the following questions.
1. What do you think of when you hear Halloween?
2. What do you know about it?
3. Is it popular in Spain?

" Watch the video and answer the following questions.

1. The origins of Halloween can be traced back 6. In the medieval tradition of souling what
to ____ years ago. would the needy do in return for the
a. 1000 soul cakes?
b. 2000 a. They paid for their food
c. 3000 b. They prayed for dead relatives
2. What day was Samhain (/ˈsɑːwɪn/, c. They talked to dying relatives
/ˈsaʊ.ɪn/) celebrated on? 7. Who brought these old traditions to
a. 31st October America? When?
b. 1st November a. the Irish sailors in the 18th century
c. 2nd November b. the Scottish immigrants in the 17th
3. The Celts believed that on the night before century
Samhain, the dead _____ c. the Scottish and the Irish in the 19th
a. came back to take them away century
b. became a living soul 8. When did Halloween take on its current
c. could eat all their food form?
4. They wore masks before they left the house a. 1940s
so the spirits _____ b. 1950s
a. thought they were spirits c. 1960s
b. did not talk to them 9. What is the estimated cost of celebrating
c. did note at them Halloween each year?
5. When did the Christian Church turn a. $2 million
Samhain into All Saints' Day? b. $3 billion
a. 7th century c. $6 billion
b. 8th century
c. 10th century
 listening comprehension – Halloween
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9NW5AFjHFY

Try this sight for more fun:

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/category/topics/halloween
 listening comprehension – Halloween
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9NW5AFjHFY

Transcript
Bet You Didn’t Know: Halloween
When most people think of Halloween, they think of trick-or-treating, parades,
bobbing for apples, and other family-friendly activities. But bet you didn’t know the true
story behind the ancient origins of Halloween. It all goes back some 2000 years to the
ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced Sal wen) celebrated on
November 1st. On the night before Samhain, people believed that the dead returned
as ghosts. They would leave food and wine on their doorsteps to keep roaming spirits at
bay and wear masks when they left the house, so they would be mistaken for fellow
ghosts. The Christian church turned Samhain into All Saints Day or All Hallows in the 8th
century. The night before became All Hallows’ Eve, later shortened to Halloween. You
heard of trick-or-treating on Halloween, but what about “souling” or “guising”? All three of
these traditions originated in Medieval Britian. On All Souls’ Day, November 2nd, the needy
would bake for pastries known as soul cakes. In return, they would pray for people’s
dead relatives. This was called “souling”. In the Medieval Halloween tradition of guising,
young people would dress up in costume and accept food, wine, money, and other
offerings in exchange for singing, reciting poetry, or telling jokes. In 19th century America,
Irish and Scottish immigrants revived these old traditions; the result was
trick-or-treating. At first, it was much more about the tricks in the form of pranks and hijinks
than the treats. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the custom took on its current family-friendly,
kid-centred form. Today, Halloween is big business, with U.S. consumers spending more
than 2.5 billion on costumes annually, adding the candy, and it’s estimated that Americans
spend up to 6 billion on Halloween each year, making it the 2nd most commercial holiday
after Christmas. So whether you are a fan of tricks, treats, or trivia, there’s a bit of
Halloween history we bet you didn’t know.

VOCABULARY
When you keep somebody or something at bay, you prevent someone or something
unpleasant from harming you. e.g. The soldiers kept the attackers at bay. [=they did not allow the
attackers to come closer]
Roaming means moving or travelling with no particular purpose. e.g. After the pubs close, gangs
of youths roam the city streets.
A spirit is a ghost.
A prank is a trick that is done to someone usually as a joke.
High jinks (US hijinks) (plural noun, informal) = energetic and excited behaviour in which people
do funny things or play tricks on someone