Earliest recordings of True / False

a) Archaeologists found a recording of a Xmas

family Christmas found from 1,000 years ago. T / F
b) The recordings that have been discovered
The National are of family get-togethers. T / F
Museum of London
c) Historians are very surprised the recordings
has uncovered
survived until today. T / F
what it says is the
first ever recording d) A museum said the sound quality of the
of a family recordings was amazing. T / F
Christmas, dating e) The man who found the recordings didn’t
back 110 years. It know what they were. T / F
is of the 1902
family get- f) The man gave the machine with the
together of the recordings to an antiques shop. T / F
Wall family from g) Experts decided a special brush would
North London. It is part of 24 recordings made by damage the recordings. T / F
the family between 1899 and 1917. The
recordings are from various family gatherings, h) The man who found the recordings is
including comments made during World War I on disappointed with the sound. T / F
sons who were sent to fight. The Wall family used
a
Synonym Match
phonograph machine to put the audio of their 1. uncovered a. contributed
special occasions on wax cylinders. Historians at
the museum say it is amazing the cylinders have 2 get-together b. fall apart
survived as they are very fragile and usually
disintegrate over time. They also say the sound 3. various c. a number of
quality of the century-old recordings is amazing. 4. fragile d. meticulously
The phonograph machine was discovered in the
5. disintegrate e. reunion
year 2000 by David Brown, 71, in his house near
Cambridge. Mr Brown is the great-grandson of Mr 6. donated f. unbelievable
Cromwell Wall, who made the recordings. Brown
saw no use for the machine and donated it to his 7. significance g. unearthed
local museum, which passed it on to the Museum
8. painstakingly h. thin
of London in 2008. It discovered the significance
of the wax cylinders and has spent the past four 9. fine i. importance
years painstakingly restoring them. The museum
said: "We tried to reduce any noise by cleaning 10. incredible j. delicate
the cylinder first with a fine brush that can get in
between the groove and once we had the best
playback from the cylinder we then digitally 1-g, 2-e, 3-c, 4-j, 5-b, 6-a, 7-I, 8-d, 9-h, 10-
cleaned them up". Mr Brown said: "It's incredible f
how clear the recordings are."
Sources: BBC / huntspost.co.uk
Discussion
a) What can you remember of your first
Writing Christmas? No, I can’t remember, I was
too little child.
Christmas in the 21st Century has lost its true
meaning. Discuss. b) What do you think is different between
Christmas today and Christmas 1902?
Much different than today. much more
old traditions and strange customs.

c) What do you think is on the 1902

recording? Wall family memories,
conversations, special occasions
captured.

d) How far back can you go with your family

history? back to my great-grandparents
e) What is the meaning of Christmas today? A g) Would you like to hear the recording? Yes, I
celebration of happiness and the birth would.
of Jesus.
h) How do you think the first family Christmas
f) What do you think your relatives from 100 was spent? Special and strange, but it
years ago were like? Different, less must have been cosy.
modern, and maybe even of count
descent.