HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

GENERAL ENGLISH · VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

HAPPY
NEW YEAR!
QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet

Expemo code:
1F4Z-P1L5-BF0

1 Warm up

Part A: In pairs, use the prompts to reflect on the past year. Choose three titles to talk about.

a memorable moment a fun experience you had

a good decision you made a new friend you made

an important lesson you learned a stupid mistake

Part B: In pairs, discuss the questions below.

1. Is New Year an important celebration where you live?

2. What traditions do you have in your family or country for welcoming the New Year?

3. Do you do anything special on New Year’s Day?

4. Do you enjoy New Year’s Eve?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Lis Maldos's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2 New Year traditions

Part A: Look at the photos of a New Year tradition. What can you see in the photo? Are you familiar
with the tradition?

Part B: Listen to a short text about the New Year tradition and write down keywords and phrases
which will help you remember the text.

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 2/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Lis Maldos's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

3 Reading comprehension

Part A: In pairs, look at some New Year’s traditions from around the world. Discuss what you can see
in the photos. Do you know about any of the traditions? Then read the text and match each picture
(a-h) to a tradition from the passage (1-8).

a. b. c. d.

e. f. g. h.

Happy New Year!

Amazing New Year’s Eve traditions from around the world

1. On the morning of New Year’s Day, some traditional families toss coins into a river. They believe this will bring
them good luck throughout the coming year.

2. When the clock strikes 12, some people celebrate New Year’s Eve by eating twelve grapes - one for each month
of the year, and for each chime of the clock’s bell. Sweet bread is baked with a coin hidden in the dough. New
Year’s Eve is also considered the best time to communicate with dead spirits and ask them for guidance.

3. Farmers wish their livestock a happy New Year. They believe this brings good luck and good health.

4. Some people believe that if the first visitor (especially an unexpected one) on 1st January is a man, the year will
be good.

5. People believe that the colour of their underwear on New Year’s Eve will determine their fate in the coming year.
Yellow underwear will bring happiness and money. Red will bring love and passion. Green is for prosperity, pink
is for friendship and white is for hope and peace. At this time of year, yellow underwear is in big demand.

6. Some people decorate their homes with straw ropes to ward off evil spirits and welcome good luck and happiness.
Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times at midnight.

7. Some people throw crockery at their neighbour’s door. The family with the largest pile of broken plates, glasses
and cups is considered to be the luckiest because it means that they have lots of loyal friends.

8. People wear polka dots and prepare tables with twelve round-shaped fruits, for example, grapes, oranges, melons
and watermelons. They believe that this will bring prosperity as round shapes are associated with coins and wealth.
At midnight, children jump as high as they can because they believe this will make them taller.

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 3/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Lis Maldos's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Part B: Using the definitions below, complete the crossword with words from the text.

Across Down

5) prevent something bad from happening 1) throw casually

6) success and economic well-being 2) the sound that a bell makes

8) farm animals 3) dishes items made of porcelain

9) destiny, things that develop in the future are 4) a mixture of flour and liquid, used for baking
outside of your control bread

7) large round dots forming a pattern or an item

of clothing with this pattern

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 4/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Lis Maldos's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Part C: Work in pairs. Which country do you think the traditions belong to? Match them to the
countries below.

a. Mexico →

b. Russia →

c. Japan →

d. Denmark →

e. The Philippines →

f. Bolivia →

g. Belgium →

h. Romania →

4 Listening comprehension

Part A: Listen to an interview about New Year plans and resolutions and complete the chart below.

1. What are their New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day plans?

2. What are their New Year’s resolutions?

James:

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 5/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Lis Maldos's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sophie:

Part B: Listen again and answer the questions.

1. Which New Year’s Eve traditions does James mention?

2. What does Sophie not like about New Year’s Eve?

3. Why does James want to change his ways?

4. Why is it going to be difficult for Sophie to stick to her resolution?

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 6/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Lis Maldos's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

5 Focus on vocabulary
Part A: Read the sentences from the interviews. Match the underlined words (1-8) and phrases with
their correct meaning below (a-h).

1. With the New Year just a few days away, we took to the streets today to ask people how they
plan to ring in the new year (idiom).

2. Well, I’m Scottish so we call it Hogmanay and it is a big deal (phrase) here.

3. It’s always a good knees-up (phrase).

4. It is unbearably cold, but it certainly cures a hangover (n) pretty quickly.

5. My intention for next year is to be more present in the moment and seize the day (idiom).

6. I go to bed just after midnight and wake up ready to kick off (phr. v) the new year.

7. It’s like you wake up with a clean slate (idiom) and full of good intentions.

8. My plan for next year is to hit the ground running (idiom) with my health goals.

a. something that is considered very important or serious

b. a lively party or gathering

c. start something

d. a feeling of illness as a result of drinking too much alcohol

e. take the opportunity to do something in the present moment without worrying about the future

f. start a new activity with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, and not waste any time

g. wiping away past mistakes, issues or problems and beginning with a fresh start

h. celebrate the beginning of a new year

Part B: In small groups, discuss the questions below.

1. How do you plan on ringing in the New Year?

2. Is New Year a big deal in your family?

3. When was the last time you had a knees-up on New Year’s Eve?

4. What is a good cure for a hangover?

5. Do you often seize the day, or do you tend to miss opportunities?

6. How do you like to kick off the New Year?

7. What can you do to start the year with a clean slate?

8. Do you plan on hitting the ground running with any work, fitness, or personal goals next year?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 7/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Lis Maldos's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

6 Speaking practice

Using the same two questions in the interview, make notes about yourself. Then interview your
partner. Do you have similar or different plans and ideas?

1. What are your New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day plans?

2. Do you have any New Year’s resolutions?

You

Your partner

7 Optional extension: one minute mingle

Have a conversation for one minute on the given topic. Change partners and listen for the next topic.

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 8/8

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Lis Maldos's lessons.