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 Eve
Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before
Christmas Day, the widely celebrated annual holiday. It
occurs on December 24 in the Western Christian Church, and
is considered one of the most culturally significant
celebrations in Christendom and the Western world, where it
is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in
anticipation of Christmas Day.
One reason celebrations occur on Christmas Eve is that the
traditional Christian liturgical day starts at sunset, an
inheritance from Jewish tradition. This practice is based on
the story of Creation in the Book of Genesis: "And there was
evening, and there was morning – the first day." This
structure for the liturgical day is followed for all feast
days throughout the year in the Eastern rite and is retained
for Christmas (as well as for Sundays and other major
festivals) in the West, where the liturgical day ordinarily
begins at midnight. Many churches still ring their church
bells and hold prayers in the evening before holidays; for
example, the Nordic Lutheran churches. In some languages,
such as the Scandinavian, Christmas Eve is simply referred
to as "Christmas Evening".
Since Christian tradition holds that Jesus was born at night
(based in Luke 2:6-8), Midnight Mass is celebrated on
Christmas Eve, traditionally at midnight, in commemoration
of his birth. The idea of Jesus being born at night is
reflected in the fact that Christmas Eve is referred to as "Heilige
Nacht" ("Holy Night") in German, "Nochebuena" ("the Good
Night") in Spanish and similarly in other expressions of
Christmas spirituality, such as the song "Silent Night, Holy
Night".
This holiday is actually not as celebrated as the
following Christmas Day but still considered to be an
important Christian holiday.
Test:Reading Comprehension
Christmas
Eve
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 is Christmas
Eve?
a. the evening or entire day of Christmas Day
b. the evening or entire day after Christmas Day
c. the evening or entire day before Christmas Day
d. Christmas Day
2. Why do celebrations
occur on Christmas Eve?
a. the traditional Christian liturgical day
starts at sunrise
b. the traditional Christian liturgical day is
Christmas
c. the traditional Christian liturgical day is
Christmas Eve
d. the traditional Christian liturgical day
starts at sunset
3. The traditional
Christian liturgical day is an inheritance from which of the
following?
a. Islam tradition
b. Hindu tradition
c. Pagan tradition
d. Jewish tradition
4. The story of
creation is in which of the following?
a. Book of Beginning
b. Book of Traditions
c. Book of Genesis
d. Book of Religion
5. Many churches still
ring their church bells and do which of the following in the
evening before holidays?
a. go crazy
b. read books
c. hold prayers
d. eat challah