In winter the ground is covered with snow.

There is ice on the river.

December is the first winter month.

Santa Claus is very old

Santa Claus`s land is cold.

In his sleigh with two reindeer

He brinds present every year/

Across  13. a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present.  16. a Christian holiday that is celebrated on December 25. 19. a promise or goal that people hope to accomplish during the coming year

Down 1. a large, open vehicle that is usually pulled by a horse over snow or ice.

5. a traditional English dessert made of dried fruit, eaten on Christmas day. 7. a display of small objects with chemicals inside them that burn with coloured flames, spark and make colourful explosions and loud noises in the sky. 11. the name of the lead reindeer in Santa’s sleigh. 12. 12 o'clock at night. 15. the evening or the day before a special day. 16. a document, chart, etc., that shows the days, weeks, and months of a year. 17. a large type of deer that lives in nothern parts of the world.

Across  13. gift   16. Christmas  19. resolution  20. champagne  21. ornament  23. celebration 24. firecracker  

Down  1. sleigh  5. pudding 7. fireworks 10. party  11. Rudolph 12. midnight  15. eve. 16. calendar  17. reindeer  

Quiz

1. Whose birthday do people celebrate on the 25th of December? (Jeses Crist)
2. What do people traditionally decorate their houses with? (with holly)
3. What do children hang near the fireplace? (stocking)
4. Where does Santa Claus come from? (from the North Pole)
5. How does he travel? (in the sleigh)
6. Where can you see the biggest Christmas tree in Great Britain? (in London, in Trafalgar Square)
7. Who gives the Christmas tree to Londoners? (Norway)
8. What is a traditional Christmas dinner? (turkey, potatoes, vegetables, cake, pudding, tea)
9. Who delivers the traditional Christmas message to the UK? (the Queen)
10. What is the name of the day after Christmas? (Boxing Day)
11. How do they call the night before Christmas? (Christmas Eve)
12. What London sightseeing’s did you see?  There are 8 sightseeing’s (1) Trafalgar square 2) National gallery 3) Nelson’s column 4) National gallery 5) Big Ben 6) the houses of Parliament 7) London Eye 8) Tower Bridge)  

We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
And a happy New Year.
Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin;
Glad tidings for Christmas
And a happy New Year!

We want some figgy pudding
We want some figgy pudding
We want some figgy pudding
Please bring it right here!
Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin;
Glad tidings for Christmas
And a happy New Year!

We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some
We won't go until we get some
So bring it out here!
Glad tidings we bring
To you and your kin;
Glad tidings for Christmas
And a happy New Year!

We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year.
Glad tidings we bring

Текст песни

Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Bells on bob tails ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A sleighing song tonight

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh

A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride
And soon, Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side,
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank
And then we got upsot

A day or two ago,
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow,
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one-horse open sleigh,
He laughed as there I sprawling lie,
But quickly drove away.

Now the ground is white
Go it while you're young,
Take the girls tonight
and sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bobtailed bay
Two fortyc as for his speed
and Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack! you'll take the lead.

Переводы песни

Неизвестный автор (Перевод смысла)

Мчась сквозь снег
На открытых санях с одной лошадью
Мы едем по полям
Смеясь всё время
Колокольчики на хвостах лошадей
Поднимают настроение
Как весело смеяться и петь
Эту песенку

Звените колокольчики, звените колокольчики
Звените всё вермя
Как весело кататься
на открытых санях с лошадкой

Автор: Александр Дольский (Вольный перевод)

Снег сегодня сладок
и не мерзнет нос,
запрягай лошадок
в сани сена брось.
На дорогу кружку,
можно по второй,
рядом усади подружку,
ноги ей укрой.

Припев: Динь-динь-дон,
динь-динь-дон
под резной дугой.
всполошился зимний лес,
потерял покой.
Динь-динь-дон,
динь-динь-дон
шапку набекрень.
Снег летит из-под копыт,
ох, и славный день.

Мчимся мы лесами,
поворот - и стоп.
Вверх ногами сани,
мы летим в сугроб.
Вылез из сугроба
я под смех девчат,
а из снега у зазнобы
сапоги торчат.

Припев.

Было дел немало,
прожит год сполна.
Мы нальем в бокалы
крепкого вина.
Бьют часы двенадцать,
Новый год настал.
Это просто чудо, братцы,
как звенит хрусталь!
Динь-динь-дон,
динь-динь-дон
чтоб любили нас.
Чтоб с друзьями Новый год
встретить нам сто раз!
Динь-динь-дон,
динь-динь-дон
этот мирный час
пусть встречают на земле
триста тысяч раз!

Автор: Геннадий Аминов (Эквиритмичный перевод)

Бубенцы звенят

Опять блестит снежок
У елок на ветвях,
И мы с тобой опять
Катаемся в санях.
Сугробы по краям
Мелькают все быстрей,
Все громче бубенцы звенят,
И нам все веселей!

Припев: Динь-динь-динь, динь-динь-динь,
Бубенцы звенят,
Снег летит из-под копыт,
И сани вдаль летят!
Динь-динь-динь, динь-динь-динь,
Звонче бубенцы,
И веселый смех летит,
Летит во все концы!

И пусть кусает нос
Задиристый мороз,
От смеха нам тепло,
От радости светло.
Несется с нами вскачь
Снежинок хоровод,
Вдруг резкий поворот,
И вверх тормашками в сугроб!

Припев: Динь-динь-динь, динь-динь-динь,
Бубенцы звенят,
Снег летит из-под копыт,
И сани вдаль летят!
Динь-динь-динь, динь-динь-динь,
Звонче бубенцы,
И веселый смех летит,
Летит во все концы!

Уж месяц в облаках,
И нам пора домой,
А завтра мы еще
Прокатимся с тобой.
И будут бубенцы
Заливисто звенеть,
И эту песенку про них
Мы снова будем петь!

Припев: Динь-динь-динь, динь-динь-динь,
Бубенцы звенят,
Снег летит из-под копыт,
И сани вдаль летят!
Динь-динь-динь, динь-динь-динь,
Звонче бубенцы,
И веселый смех летит,
Летит во все концы!

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien

The Hobbit

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats — the hobbit was fond of visitors.

The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill — The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it — and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining-rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left-hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep-set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river.

This hobbit was a very well-to-do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours’ respect, but he gained — well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.

Family

1. Grandfather (grandpa)
2. Grandmother (grandma)
3. Father (dad)
4. Mother (mum)
5. Uncle
6. Aunt
7. Sister
8. Cousin
9. Twins
10. Parents
11. Grandparents
12. Son
13. Daughter
14. Wife
15. Husband

Let me show you a photo of my family.

I took this photo last summer when we visited our grandparents

 in the countryside. It was my granny's birthday.

Look, she is wearing a polka-dot T-shirt. She has grey hair. Her name is Lora. The man in white trousers is her husband, Tom. He is my grandfather. He is smiling. They are kind and caring. I love spending time with them.

On the right, you can see my parents, Rick and Jane. My mother

 is wearing a pink top and a striped skirt. My father is hugging my mum and my grandmother. He is wearing blue jeans and a shirt. They were so happy at that moment.

On the left, there is my little sister Sue. She has got long fair hair. She is only six, but she is so clever and curious.

Behind my grandmother, there is my father's brother. His name is Mark. My uncle

 is married to Carry. Look at her, she is so beautiful. My aunt is wearing a bright yellow blouse. They don't have any children, but I think they'll be great parents. When they come, we have a lot of fun.

My name's Rick. Look at the photo of my family. I'm the boy who is unpacking a present on the right. It's my grandfather's birthday. He's an old man in a white T-shirt. His name's John. John and Mary are my grandparents.

Lily, my little sister, is their granddaughter. She's clapping her hands and wearing a T-shirt with blue stripes.

My mother, Jane, is sitting next to me. Near her, there is my father. His name is John. He's wearing a pink polo shirt.

He's got a brother. His name's Sam. Look, he is on the left wearing a purple T-shirt. My uncle Sam is smiling.

The girl with a glass of orange juice is my aunt Liza. She is my mother's sister. She's married to Sam. Her husband is my uncle. They have a son, Tim. He is wearing a white T-shirt in the picture. I love spending time with my family.

A. 

Cousins

My mother's brother has got two children. Their names are Sue and Rick. Sue is six, and Rick is eight. My brother and I love playing with them when we visit them or when they visit us.

B. 

Uncle

Pete is my mother's brother. He doesn't visit us very often because he lives in another country. When he comes to visit us, he always brings a lot of presents for my brother and me.

C. 

Grandparents

My sister and I spend all summer in the village with our grandma and grandpa. They have a lot to do in the garden but they always find time to play with us. We love them very much.

D. 

Twins

My grandfather John has got two sisters. He says that they look almost the same. Sometimes he can't understand who is who. I want to see them very much and try to guess.

E. 

Aunt

She is the funniest person in our family. Her name is Liz, and she is my father's sister. She lives next door with her husband and two children. When she comes, we always laugh a lot.

Hi, everybody! Today I'm going to tell you about my family. I live with my mother and father. Unfortunately, I don't have any brothers or sisters, but in total my family is quite big. I have a lot of relatives. Some of them live in my city, others live in other cities or abroad. Today I'm going to tell you about some of them. I have two aunts. They are my mother's sisters. They live in Moscow. They have children, so I have several cousins. I also have one uncle. He lives abroad. He works in a foreign company. He is an engineer. I also have a grandmother and a grandfather. They are retired. My grandmother is 65. My grandfather is 68. I visit them every weekend as they live not far from me. I will not tell you about all my relatives because it will take a lot of time.

A Day in the Life of the Gladson Family

Noel and Liz Gladson live in a large house in the south of Scotland. They need such a big house because they have ten children! The oldest daughter is 19 and the youngest is just five months old!

Every day Noel starts the day from going to work to the nearest supermarket where he works as a senior manager. His older daughter Sandy and son Ted go with him, as they work in the supermarket too.

His wife Liz is a housewife but from time to time she has temporary part-time jobs which help the family make ends meet. Liz wakes her younger children up and makes an enormous breakfast! Then she takes the minibus to get children to school. The youngest daughter, Sammy, is everywhere with her.

In the evening Liz does the housework: she loads the dishwasher, cleans the house and does the ironing. The children help her set the table and look after the youngest members of the family. Every child should tidy his or her room on the weekend. When Noel comes, at nearly 7 o'clock, the whole family sits at the table to have dinner.

Do you have a brother or a sister? Do you get on well with each other?

If the answer is "yes", then you are lucky. But if the answer is "no", remember: you are not alone.

A lot of brothers and sisters argue quite often when they are teenagers. Their personalities can be really different. Some teenagers say that their sibling can use his or her personal things without asking or use the phone to read messages. Sometimes it is impossible to be alone because you share the same room with your sibling. There are cases when siblings fight! That's terrible!

Psychologists say that this situation can change when you become adults. Many brothers and sisters can have a lot in common and have a great time together.

So, if you have bad relationships with your sibling, just wait for 10 years and you will see!