Episodio 30
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¡Hola! Soy Georgiana, tu profesora de inglés. Mi misión es ayudarte a hablar inglés con fluidez y confianza.
En el episodio de hoy:
Voy a contarte cómo se celebra la Navidad en Estados Unidos y cómo disfrutaba yo de estas fechas cuando era niña.
Después practicarás vocabulario y, sobre todo, mejorarás tu inglés hablado con una mini-historia divertida.
¡Genial! Empecemos.
Una Navidad multicultural
En Estados Unidos, cada 25 de diciembre se celebra la Navidad de muchas maneras distintas debido al carácter multicultural del país.
La Navidad moderna y comercial empezó a tomar forma en el siglo XIX, entre otras cosas con la costumbre de comprar regalos para los niños.
Muchas actividades navideñas cambian de una familia a otra y suelen depender de la herencia cultural de sus miembros.
Algunas costumbres se parecen a las del Reino Unido, Francia, Italia, Polonia o México.
Una celebración típica del día de Navidad en Estados Unidos puede combinar tradiciones irlandesas, austriacas, polacas y belgas.
A pesar de la variedad cultural, la mayoría de los estadounidenses coincide en que la Navidad es una época familiar. Para muchas familias es uno de los pocos momentos del año en que todos se reúnen para comer, beber y pasar tiempo juntos.
El árbol de Navidad
El árbol de Navidad ocupa un lugar central en muchas tradiciones. Se hizo popular en Estados Unidos durante el siglo XIX.
Algunas familias conservan adornos de varias generaciones. Los árboles suelen decorarse con luces y, para mucha gente, cuantas más, mejor.
La mañana del 25 de diciembre aparecen los regalos debajo del árbol.
Según la tradición, Santa Claus aterriza en el tejado con sus renos y su trineo y baja por la chimenea.
La comida:
La comida tiene un papel esencial en la Navidad estadounidense.
Las familias preparan menús muy variados. Una cena navideña típica puede incluir pavo, stuffing o dressing, patatas, gravy, salsa de arándanos, verduras, ensalada y algún postre.
Las compras
Semanas antes del día de Navidad, muchas personas decoran sus casas y jardines con luces, árboles y otros adornos.
Por eso las compras navideñas se han convertido en un periodo muy importante para muchos comercios. De hecho, la Navidad se ha extendido hasta convertirse casi en una temporada completa.
Aun así, estas fechas son mucho más que comprar. Para muchos estadounidenses también son un periodo de buena voluntad y una ocasión para participar en actividades solidarias o de voluntariado.
Cuando era niña, me encantaba la idea de recibir regalos por Navidad, como a cualquier niño.
Pero lo que más valoraba era pasar tiempo con mi familia.
Mis primos y yo pasábamos el día cantando villancicos y comiendo un montón de cosas deliciosas.
¿Y tú? Piensa en cómo celebrabas la Navidad cuando eras pequeño.
¿Quieres mejorar tu habla? Continúa con un curso completo de audio.
MEJORA TU EXPRESIÓN ORAL
Mini-historia: practica tu inglés hablado
Responde a las preguntas en voz alta con respuestas cortas y rápidas. Repite la mini-historia varias veces para mejorar tu expresión oral y tu comprensión.
Last year, shopping for Christmas presents had become too exhausting for granny.
Did shopping for Christmas become exhausting for granny?
Yes. Shopping for Christmas became exhausting for granny last year.
Was granny excited or exhausted?
Exhausted. Granny wasn't excited. She was exhausted.
Granny thought that shopping for presents was exciting. Right?
No. No. Granny didn't think that shopping for presents was exciting. She thought it was exhausting.
Who felt exhausted?
Granny or mommy?
Granny. Not Mommy. It was granny who felt exhausted.
When did shopping become exhausting for granny?
Yesterday?
Not yesterday. Last year. Shopping became exhausting for granny last year.
So, she came up with an idea. She would send checks to everyone in the family instead of buying presents.
What did granny do?
Come up with an idea or buy presents?
She came up with an idea. Granny didn't buy any presents.
Would granny send checks to her family members?
Yes. Her idea was to send checks to her family instead of buying gifts.
What would granny do instead of shopping for Christmas presents?
She would send checks to everyone.
Who would send checks?
Dad?
No. No. Not dad. Granny. Granny would send checks instead of buying presents.
On each card, she wrote, "Buy your own Christmas present!" and mailed to her family members.
Did granny write on each card, “I wish you a Merry Christmas”?
No. No. She didn't write, "I wish you a Merry Christmas." Granny wrote, "Buy your own Christmas present!"
Was it mom who mailed the Christmas cards?
No. Not mom. Granny. She mailed the Christmas cards.
What did granny write on each card?
She wrote, "Buy your own Christmas present!"
Who did granny mail?
Her family members or her dogs?
Her family members. Not her dogs. Her dogs can't read.
After the holidays, granny noticed she had received very few cards in return.
When did granny notice that she received very few cards?
Before or after the holidays?
After the holidays, Granny noticed she received very few cards after the holidays. Not before.
How many cards did granny receive in return?
A few or a lot?
A few. Not a lot. Granny received very few cards in return.
Did granny receive only a few presents?
No. No. She received very few cards, not presents.
What did granny notice after the Christmas holidays?
That she got robbed?
No. Granny didn't notice that she got robbed. She noticed that she received very few cards in return.
Puzzled, she went to her room and started to write to her relatives to ask what had happened.
Was granny certain, or was she puzzled?
Puzzled. Granny was puzzled. She was really confused. Not certain.
Where did she go?
To her room or the bar?
To her room. She went to her room. Not to the bar!
Did she write to her friends or her relatives?
Not her friends. Granny wrote to her relatives.
Why did granny start to write to her relatives?
To ask what had happened. She wanted to know what had happened.
But as she cleared off her cluttered desk, she became aware of something terrible.
Did granny clear off her cluttered desk, or did she add more things on the desk?
Granny didn't add more things to the desk. She cleared her desk.
Was the desk cluttered or clean?
Not clean. The desk was cluttered.
Did she become aware of something wonderful or terrible?
Not wonderful. She became aware of something terrible.
Who became aware of something terrible?
Granny. She became aware of something terrible.
It turned out that granny forgot to include the checks with the Christmas cards. What a disaster!
What did granny forget to include together with the Christmas cards?
Money or checks?
Checks. Not money. Granny forgot to include the checks.
Who forgot to include the checks?
Grandpa?
Not grandpa. Granny. She forgot to include the checks.
What a funny story! Last year granny wanted to try something new at Christmas. She decided to send checks instead of Christmas presents. However, after the holidays, she realized that she forgot to include the checks. So, she immediately sent new Christmas cards, and this time she made sure to enclose the checks.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Repaso
Vocabulario
Repasa las palabras y expresiones más útiles antes de volver a escuchar.
Multi-cultural
Relacionado con varias culturas o influido por ellas.
Cultural heritage
Tradiciones, costumbres y antecedentes transmitidos por una familia o comunidad.
Ornament
Objeto decorativo, especialmente uno que se coloca en un árbol de Navidad.
Sleigh
Trineo; vehículo que se desplaza sobre la nieve.
Chimney
Chimenea; conducto por el que sale el humo de un edificio.
Retailer
Comercio o empresa que vende productos directamente al consumidor.
Goodwill
Buena disposición, amabilidad o espíritu de ayuda hacia otras personas.
Charitable
Relacionado con ayudar, donar dinero o dedicar tiempo a personas que lo necesitan.
¿Quieres mejorar tu habla? Continúa con un curso completo de audio.
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