The Reading / Listening - Letters to Santa - Level 4

Santa's mailbag has revealed the pandemic fears of children across the world. A post office that answers mail it receives for Santa read the fears children have about COVID-19. They have the usual requests for Christmas gifts, but many give an idea of how the pandemic is troubling children. The post office said: "This year, we really feel their fears - for themselves, their grandparents or their parents. It's what really emerges from their letters."

The post office has been getting 12,000 letters a day. Its team of 60 letter writers says children are telling Santa about their biggest fears. Parents are in the dark about this. One child wrote: "This year, more than the others, I need magic and to believe in you." Another gave Santa a mask so he would not spread the virus. The letters to Santa help children in lockdowns, especially those who have not seen their grandparents.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Letters to Santa - Level 5 or  Letters to Santa - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/emotional-toll-wrought-pandemic-jumping-off-pages-in-deluge-dear-santa-letters-v1
  • https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-postal-service-france-coronavirus-pandemic-b6ca8343c7f67aaa4ed9de0915378ddd
  • https://kstp.com/minnesota-news/santas-mailbag-a-look-into-pandemic-worries-children-/5935841/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. fears of children
  2. answers mail it receives
  3. the fears children have
  4. the usual requests for
  5. how the pandemic is
  6. we really feel
  7. their grandparents or
  8. It's what really emerges
  1. about COVID-19
  2. troubling children
  3. from their letters
  4. for Santa read
  5. their parents
  6. Christmas gifts
  7. across the world
  8. their fears

Paragraph 2

  1. getting 12,000 letters
  2. children are telling Santa about
  3. Parents are in the
  4. I need magic and
  5. Another gave Santa
  6. he would not spread
  7. help children in
  8. those who have not seen
  1. to believe in you
  2. the virus
  3. their grandparents
  4. a day
  5. lockdowns
  6. their biggest fears
  7. a mask
  8. dark about this

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Santa's mailbag (1) ___________________ pandemic fears of children across the world. A post office that answers (2) ___________________ for Santa (3) ___________________ children have about COVID-19. They have (4) ___________________ for Christmas gifts, but many give an idea of how the pandemic is troubling children. The post office said: "This year, we really (5) ___________________ - for themselves, their grandparents or their parents. It's what (6) ___________________ their letters."

The (7) ___________________ been getting 12,000 letters a day. Its (8) ___________________ letter writers says children are telling Santa about their biggest fears. Parents are (9) ___________________ about this. One child wrote: "This year, more than the others, (10) ___________________ and to believe in you." Another gave Santa a mask so he would not (11) ___________________. The letters to Santa help (12) ___________________, especially those who have not seen their grandparents.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Santa'smailbaghasrevealedthepandemicfearsofchildrenacrossthew
orld.ApostofficethatanswersmailitreceivesforSantareadthefearschil
drenhaveaboutCOVID-19.TheyhavetheusualrequestsforChristma
sgifts,butmanygiveanideaofhowthepandemicistroublingchildren.Th
epostofficesaid:"Thisyear,wereallyfeeltheirfears-forthemselves,th
eirgrandparentsortheirparents.It'swhatreallyemergesfromtheirlett
ers."Thepostofficehasbeengetting12,000lettersaday.Itsteamof60le
tterwriterssayschildrenaretellingSantaabouttheirbiggestfears.Pare
ntsareinthedarkaboutthis.Onechildwrote:"Thisyear,morethantheot
hers,Ineedmagicandtobelieveinyou."AnothergaveSantaamasksohe
wouldnotspreadthevirus.TheletterstoSantahelpchildreninlockdown
s,especiallythosewhohavenotseentheirgrandparents.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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