Holiday Blues

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

• sucker
• menorah
• build up
• eggnog

• blue
• let down
• commercial
• commercialism

• stockings
• the holiday spirit

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Family. Presents. Food. Decorations. Presents. Oh, and did we mention presents? For all these reasons and more, Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. But not everyone feels merry during the holidays. In fact, many people get depressed or feel blue at this time.

Some people feel sad at Christmas because they can’t afford to buy their friends and family members all the gifts they want. Or they feel let down when the holidays don’t live up to their hopes and expectations. Others feel extra lonely over the holidays if they don’t have anyone to share them with. And some people get depressed by how commercial the holidays have become.

Listen to Marni try to cheer up Devan before the holidays are finished.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Devan

Marni

Devan:  God, I hate the holidays.

Marni:  You don’t like Christmas?

Devan:  No, I’m kind of like Charlie Brown. You know, I hate all the commercialism of the holidays. It’s so far removed from what it’s supposed to be about. It’s all just about money and consuming.

Marni:  Yeah, you have a point. But I still love it. I still love…I don’t know, I just like the spirit of it all. Like I love being downtown and having all the lights and seeing people decorate their homes. You know, I’m just such a sucker for buying a Christmas tree…Or, you know, lighting a menorah. Whatever. I love all traditions.

Devan:  I see what you’re saying, and I think that there is something to be said about, you know…family coming together, and all the lights, and all that stuff. But it just feels like if that’s what it could really be about, about being with your family, then I’d be all about it. But it seems like all people care about is presents and buying.

Marni:  So, it sounds like, for you…Is there just this huge build-up and then you’re always let down?

Devan:  Yeah, I’m always just kind of let down by it.

Marni:  Well, you know, I think what you need to do is just drink a lot of eggnog, get your stockings out, and just, you know, get cheer going on, and…

Devan:  Maybe this year you’ll help me get in the spirit.

Marni:  I’ll try my hardest.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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