Researchers work out Santa Claus' salary

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

People wonder what Santa does and how he does it for free. Researchers have an answer to these questions. An insurance company calculated a figure of $139,924 for Santa's annual salary. This is 1.5 per cent more than last year. Many people around the world are getting low pay raises. Researchers created a list of Santa's many jobs. They looked at the total time he spends on each task to get the final figure for his salary.

Santa is multi-skilled. He has to be good at everything. He works with reindeer, gifts, chimneys, maps and elves. Most of his salary is for managing his toy factory. He spends 2,912 hours a year organizing this. His toys must be of the right quality. He gets $40.09 an hour for this. His highest pay rate is for being a sleigh pilot. This is similar to being an airline pilot. Researchers believe a sleigh pilot gets $62.31 an hour.

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

http://time.com/money/3623343/santa-claus-mom-dad-salary/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/12/08/santa-index-pay-value-insurecom/20083897/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2870079/Flying-round-world-tending-elves-checking-list-twice-Santa-earn-paid.html

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.	People wonder what	a.	pay raises
2.	how he does	b.	salary
3.	Researchers have an answer	c.	figure
4.	Santa's annual	d.	Santa does
5.	This is 1.5 per cent more	e.	on each task
6.	getting low	f.	it for free
7.	the total time he spends	g.	than last year
8.	get the final	h.	to these questions

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ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	Santa is multi-	a.	for this
2.	He has to be good	b.	organizing this
3.	toy	c.	an hour
4.	He spends 2,912 hours a year	d.	at everything
5.	His toys must be	e.	an airline pilot
6.	He gets $40.09 an hour	f.	skilled
7.	This is similar to being	g.	factory
8.	a sleigh pilot gets $62.31	h.	of the right quality

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

People wonder what Santa (1) ___________________ does it for free. Researchers (2) ___________________ to these questions. An insurance company (3) ___________________ of $139,924 for Santa's annual salary. This is 1.5 per cent more (4) ___________________. Many people around the world are getting (5) ___________________. Researchers created a list of Santa's many jobs. They looked at the total time he spends on each task to get (6) ___________________ for his salary.

Santa is multi-skilled. He (7) ___________________ at everything. He works with reindeer, gifts, chimneys, maps and elves. Most (8) ___________________ managing his toy factory. He (9) ___________________ a year organizing this. His toys must be of the right quality. He gets $40.09 (10) ___________________. His highest pay rate is (11) ___________________ pilot. This is similar to being an airline pilot. Researchers believe a sleigh pilot (12) ___________________.

SANTA CLAUS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Santa Claus in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about Santa Claus for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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