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GENERAL ENGLISH · GENERAL ISSUES · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

SURVIVING
CHRISTMAS

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1 Warm-up

What do you like about Christmas? What don’t you like?

2 Key words

Match the following words with their correct definitions.

1. entertaining a. a larger amount than is acceptable

2. memorable b. during the whole of a period of time

3. alternate c. enjoyable or fun

4. throughout d. happening during the night

5. nocturnal e. quick and energetic

6. excess f. to happen one after the other, in a repeated pattern

7. brisk g. to provide the place and things for a special event

8. host h. worth remembering

3 Reading

You are going to read an article about how to survive Christmas. Match the headings to the paragraphs
in the article on the next page.

Sleep Don’t be on your own Do things in moderation

Don’t try to do everything Exercise the morning after
Don’t have high expectations Try something different Take time off

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

SURVIVING CHRISTMAS

Tips for surviving Christmas

1.
Christmas. Eating, drinking, celebrating with family
and friends. Sounds great doesn’t it? But for many
people, there is a lot of pressure to make Christmas
entertaining, memorable, and above all, perfect.
best advice is not to eat or drink too much. Alternate
alcohol with soft drinks, and when eating just have a
little of what you fancy.
4

2.
If you’re smart, you will have planned ahead to make
life easier. You’ve bought presents throughout the
year, planned what to cook for dinner, and made sure
that all the family will sit next to someone that they
like at the dining table.
8.
Christmas is a time when many of us have a lot of late
nights and drink and eat too much. This can really
affect our nocturnal cycles, so make sure you give
yourself some time to recharge your batteries.
5

3.
But this is Christmas. There are some things you 9.
A brisk walk, a light jog or an early morning swim
can’t plan for. The dog might eat the turkey. There
will really help you feel human again after a night
might be a lot of snow and you can’t drive anywhere.
celebrating. You might also feel like you have cabin
You might accidentally set the Christmas tree on fire.
fever at this time of the year, so getting outside will
(Well...it could happen.)
also help to ease this tension.
4.
So, here are some tips to survive the festive season, 6

but also enjoy it!

10.
1
5.
Don’t try to create the ‘perfect’ Christmas. If you
spend a lot of money on expensive gifts it might land
you in debt next year. Spending time with people is
often a more valuable present. And if things don’t go
Some people have to go to work over the festive
period, but if possible plan to have some time off
around Christmas. A lot of people burn the candle
at both ends with work and parties, and often feel
stressed and exhausted as a result.
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to plan, then don’t worry about it.

11.
2
6.
If you are the person in charge of cooking and hosting,
then don’t try to do it all yourself. Don’t be afraid to
ask relatives to cook and bring something such as a
dessert or snacks. Make sure you get some time for
Christmas can be a lonely time for a lot of people.
If you can’t spend it with family, plan to get people
together that might be in the same boat as you. Go to
some festive events, but make sure you give yourself
time to recover if you have more than one!
8

yourself, even just to sit down for half an hour and

12.
If Christmas turns into a disaster, or you are really
watch your favourite TV show.
3 bored with doing the same thing every year, think
about an alternative for next year. Getting away from
7.
Christmas is often about excess, but, at the end of the
it all is a solution, but then you have to plan that
day, no one wants to feel so full they can’t move! The
holiday.....

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UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

SURVIVING CHRISTMAS

4 Find the words

Find the words and phrases in the text which mean....

1. events don’t happen like you want (phrase, P.5):

2. a small amount of what you like (phrase, P.7):
3. ultimately (phrase, P.7):
4. work too hard as well as try to do other things (idiom, P.10):
5. the feeling of being bored and irritable when you have been inside for a long time (noun, P.9):

6. in the same unpleasant situation (phrase, P.11):

7. going somewhere different for a holiday or to relax (phrase -ing , P.12):

5 Collocations

Match the verbs on the left to the words on the right to form phrases from the text.

1. set into a disaster

2. survive (somebody) in debt

3. recharge (something) on fire

4. ease the festive season

5. turn the tension

6. land your batteries

6 Talking point

Discuss any of the questions below in pairs or small groups.

1. Do you do any of these things to help you survive Christmas? Which ones?
2. Do you think Christmas is something you have to ‘survive’ or do you enjoy it?
3. Do you personally have any memorable Christmas stories, either good or bad?

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TEACHER MATERIALS · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

SURVIVING CHRISTMAS

Key

1. Warm-up

Encourage a short discussion.

2. Key words

Students can work individually and then check in pairs.

1. c 2. h 3. f 4. b 5. d 6. a 7. e 8. g

3. Reading

Students can work in pairs and then check with the teacher.
1. Don’t have high expectations 2. Don’t try to do everything 3. Do things in moderation
4. Sleep 5. Exercise the morning after 6. Take time off
7. Don’t be on your own 8. Try something different

4. Find the words

1. things don’t go to plan 2. a little of what you fancy

3. at the end of the day 4. burn the candle at both ends
5. cabin fever 6. in the same boat
7. getting away from it all

5. Collocations

1. set −→ (something) on fire 2. survive −→ the festive season 3. recharge −→ your batteries
4. ease −→ the tension 5. turn −→ into a disaster 6. land −→ (somebody) in debt

6. Talking point

Monitor the activity. Make a note of any typical errors and write up useful language on the board.

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