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Welcome to
The ESL Help Desk
We're Interactive!
VOCABULARY
FOR THIS WEEK'S PODCAST
(to) wrap up - (to) conclude, (to) finish
preparation(s) - things you do to prepare for something
(a) travel advisory - a public announcement warning
people about dangers of current road and travel conditions
(to) warn - (to) advise about the dangers and risks
of something
heavy volume (of) - large numbers (of)
public transportation - transportation that the public
uses, such as trains, buses and airplanes
secular - a non-religious holiday; a holiday whose
roots are not in any particular religion.
(to) proclaim - (to) make an official announcement
publicly
(a) centerpiece - something that is central to an event
cranberry sauce
pumpkin pie
American Thanksgiving
Hello, and welcome to today's episode of the
ESL Help! Desk.
Here in the United States, people are busy getting ready for our national
holiday, Thanksgiving, which we celebrate on Thursday. Students
are wrapping up their classes, getting ready to go
home. Families are busy shopping or beginning their cooking
preparations. Travel advisoriesare warning people to drive carefully, and airports
and train stations are getting ready for the heavy volume
of people using public transportation.
Thanksgiving is a secular holiday. In 1863, it
was proclaimed a national holiday by President Abraham
Lincoln, to take place on the fourth Thursday in October . The
four-day weekend that includes the Thursday of Thanksgiving has become
also the most heavily traveled holiday period of the year for Americans.
Canada also has a Thanksgiving holiday and it takes place the second
Monday in October.
On the American Thanksgiving Day, people will sit down together and
have a meal whose centerpiece is usually turkey.
Traditional side-dishes include cranberry sauce
and stuffing, and the traditional desert is pumpkin pie.
People will express gratitude for the gifts of plenty that they are
privileged to have. After the meal, men often watch football on
television. Everybody is thankful for what they have been given.
The ESL HELP! Desk is also traveling this week.
And then we hope to return next week and look forward to continuing
our full lessons for learners of English.
QUESTIONS FOR
YOU
Do you have a particular holiday in your country whose purpose is
to give thanks for what you have? Are there any holidays in your
country that are secular holidays?
Yours,
The ESL Help! Desk
Music Copyright,
permission of Luca De Bernardi
Photo of Headphones Copyright Karl-Erik Bennion
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