Random Idea English: Two Christmas cracker quizzes

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Two Christmas cracker quizzes

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Two gapfill quizzes on the subject of Christmas crackers

Remember you can check the meaning of any word by copying and pasting it into the Dictionary Box on the right, and then looking it up in the dictionary of your choice.

Click and drop - Fill the gaps by clicking on a word or expression in the top box (in grey) and then on its corresponding box. If you change your mind just repeat the process.

Christmas Crackers Part 1. Read through the text first, ignoring the gaps, then select suitable words to fill the boxes.

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Christmas crackers have been an part of Christmas celebrations in the United Kingdom since 1847, when they were invented by Tom Smith, almost by .

A traditional cracker consists of a cardboard wrapped in a brightly decorated of paper, making it look like an oversized . Which was in fact what Mr Smith, a sweetmaker, originally it to be.

The cracker is pulled by two people, and splits . As it splits there is a small bang produced by the effect of on a chemically card strip, which is inside the tube.

Usually the whole family will pull their crackers everyone has sat down, just before the beginning of the meal. They often arms and pull two crackers at the same time, the other of the two crackers being held by the people on either side.

Christmas Crackers Part 2. Read through the text first, ignoring the gaps, then select suitable words to fill the boxes.

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Typically the cracker contains a coloured paper hat in the shape of a ; a small toy or other and a stupid , motto or piece of information on a small piece of paper.

The first thing you must do is put on your hat, the idea being to look suitably during the meal. The British Christmas meal is not a affair, but rather a time to 'eat, drink and be ' and celebrate the family being all together.

Next, everyone reads out their jokes. These are traditionally rather corny; in other words, not very and a bit stupid, and they usually heavily on dreadful puns, or word play. Some examples: "What does Santa call his reindeer?" "No-eye-deer!", "What do you get if you cross a sheep with a kangaroo?" "A woolly !". After a chorus of and at how awful the jokes are, the can be begin in earnest.

Based on information from Wikipedia