This is a reading comprehension lesson to test
your ability to understand information written in
English. Read the information below
and then answer the 5 test questions.
Hey
if you cannot understand something on this page,
then use the Fun Easy English
dictionary
(opens in a new window)
Holiday:Christmas Day
Christmas (which means "Feast day of Christ") is a
Christian holiday that honors the birth of Jesus (whom
Christians believe is the Son of God), and a cultural
holiday for non-Christians.
The day known as Christmas Day is celebrated on the 25th day
of December. (This date is different for Orthodox
Christians). It is one of the most important days of the
year for Christians—along with Easter when the death and
resurrection of Jesus are celebrated. The season of
preparing for Christmas is called Advent.
Christmas is celebrated all over the world, as a religious
holiday or as a time of celebration by Christians and
non-Christians alike. The traditions are different from
country to country, but they nearly always include a feast,
giving gifts or cards, and enjoying church or public
festivities such as singing Christmas songs. Santa Claus is
a tradition in many countries of the world.
Christmastime, as it is often called, is in the winter of
the Northern Hemisphere, at a time when there were already
ancient festivals. Some of the traditions that are used for
Christmas are older than Christmas, or come from other
non-Christian traditions such as Yule. Modern traditions of
Christmas often focus on the giving of gifts. The season for
retail stores to sell gifts, food, greeting cards, Christmas
trees, and decorations begins the day after Thanksgiving (in
the U.S.), with advertising beginning over a month before
Christmas Day.
Much of the holiday season in America has lost the
original religious meaning and this holiday is no
exception. The commercialization of this holiday can be
seen all over America especially in retail stores.
Americans seem much more preoccupied with gift giving
than prayer. This is spreading throughout the world.
Places like Japan play traditional holiday music, set up
lighted trees, and give gifts, without knowing anything
about the religion or the holiday they are celebrating.
Test:Reading Comprehension
Christmas
Day
Read
the information above. In the test questions
below choose which is the best answer for each
question. There are 5 questions. Good luck.
1. What does Christmas
mean?
a. Feast day of Christ
b. Feast day of Christians
c. Holiday Feast
d. Holiday Presents
2. Christmas for
non-Christians is which of the following?
a. cultural holiday
b. religious holiday
c. federal holiday
d. national holiday
3. The season of
preparing for Christmas is called which of the following?
a. Advent
b. Dedication
c. Celebration
d. Shopping
4. Modern traditions of
Christmas often focus on which of the following?
a. making money
b. eating matzo
c. giving of gifts
d. eating challah
5. When does the season
for retail stores to sell many things begin?
a. the day after New Years (in the U.S.)
b. the day after Thanksgiving (in the U.S.)
c. the day after Black Friday (in the U.S.)
d. the day after Hanukkah (in the U.S.)
