A big store in Japan said sorry because many Christmas cakes with strawberries did not look good when they got to people’s homes. The store is like a very fancy shop where people buy special things. People were not happy and showed pictures of the bad cakes on the internet. The store said it was their fault. They tried to find out what went wrong, but they could not.

Christmas is a time when people in Japan like to give presents and have special food, even if not many people there go to church. The cakes are supposed to be pretty with red berries and white sweet stuff on top. But the cakes did not look pretty when people got them. The berries and sweet stuff were not in the right places. The store said they are very sorry and they will try to do better so this does not happen again.

Original news source: Japan: Takashimaya apologises for 807 collapsed Christmas cakes (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write the names of different Christmas-related objects or actions on small pieces of paper and put them in a hat. One student from each team will take turns picking a paper from the hat and acting out the word without speaking. Their team members have to guess what they are acting out within a certain time limit. The team with the most correctly guessed words wins.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a set of vocabulary words related to the article. One student will choose a word and draw a picture to represent it while their partner tries to guess the word. They can only use drawings, no speaking allowed. After a certain amount of time, switch roles. The pair with the most correctly guessed words wins.

– Headline Creation
Instructions: Give each student a blank piece of paper. In pairs or individually, students have to come up with a catchy headline for the article. Encourage them to use their creativity and include key information from the article. After a few minutes, have students share their headlines with the class and discuss which ones they like the best.

– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Have each student write down two true statements and one false statement related to the article. They can be about the content of the article or their own opinions about it. Students take turns sharing their statements and the rest of the class has to guess which statement is the lie. This activity helps students practice speaking and listening skills while also reviewing the article.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will discuss and come up with predictions about what might happen in the future regarding the article. They can predict how the store will improve their cakes, how people will react, or any other related topic. After a few minutes, have each group share their predictions with the class and discuss the likelihood of each scenario. This activity encourages critical thinking and conversation skills.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why did the big store in Japan say sorry?
2. What did people do when they were not happy with the cakes?
3. What is Christmas?
4. What are the cakes supposed to look like?
5. What did the store say they will try to do better?
6. Why do people like to give presents and have special food at Christmas in Japan?
7. Why did the store say it was their fault?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A big store in Japan said sorry because many Christmas cakes with strawberries did not (1)______ good when they got to (2)______’s homes. The store is like a very fancy shop where people buy special things. (3)______ were not happy and showed pictures of the bad (4)______ on the internet. The store said it was their fault. They tried to find out what went wrong, but they could not.

Christmas is a time when people in Japan like to give presents and have (5)______ food, even if not many people there go to church. The cakes are supposed to be pretty with red berries and (6)______ sweet stuff on top. But the cakes did not look pretty when people got them. The berries and sweet stuff were not in the right (7)______. The store (8)______ they are very sorry and they will try to do better so this does not happen again.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a Christmas cake?
2. How would you feel if you bought a cake that didn’t look good?
3. Do you like giving presents at Christmas time? Why or why not?
4. What do you think went wrong with the cakes?
5. How do you think the store can do better next time?
6. Do you like strawberries? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever had a bad experience with food? What happened?
8. How do you think the people felt when they saw the bad cakes?
9. What is your favorite kind of cake? Why do you like it?
10. Do you think the store should give refunds to the people who bought the bad cakes? Why or why not?
11. Have you ever had a cake that didn’t look good but still tasted good? What was it like?
12. Do you think the store will be more careful next time? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. difficult
2. apologize
3. fancy
4. special
5. internet
6. fault
7. presents
8. supposed
9. berries
10. better

Meanings:
(A) Hard to do or understand
(B) Not like other things, very important or nice
(C) Meant to be or expected
(D) To do something in a good way, nicer than before
(E) Things you give to others to make them happy
(F) Small, juicy fruits that can be red or blue or other colors
(G) To say you are sorry
(H) When something is wrong because of you
(I) Very nice and expensive
(J) A place on a computer where you can see lots of things and talk to people far away
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why did the big store in Japan say sorry?
(a) They ran out of strawberries for the cakes.
(b) Many Christmas cakes with strawberries did not look good when they got to people’s homes.
(c) The cakes were too expensive.
(d) People didn’t like the taste of the cakes.

2. What kind of shop is the big store in Japan?
(a) A grocery store.
(b) A toy store.
(c) A clothing store.
(d) A fancy shop where people buy special things.

3. What did people do when they were not happy with the cakes?
(a) They returned the cakes to the store.
(b) They ate the cakes anyway.
(c) They showed pictures of the bad cakes on the internet.
(d) They complained to the police.

4. What time of year do people in Japan like to give presents and have special food?
(a) Halloween
(b) Christmas
(c) New Year’s Day
(d) Valentine’s Day

5. What are the cakes supposed to look like?
(a) Pretty with red berries and white sweet stuff on top.
(b) Ugly with green berries and brown sweet stuff on top.
(c) Small with no berries or sweet stuff on top.
(d) Big with blue berries and yellow sweet stuff on top.

6. What did the store say about the bad cakes?
(a) It was the customers’ fault.
(b) It was the delivery driver’s fault.
(c) It was their fault.
(d) It was the bakery’s fault.

7. What did the store promise to do?
(a) Try to do better so this does not happen again.
(b) Stop selling Christmas cakes.
(c) Close down the store.
(d) Raise the prices of the cakes.

8. Do many people in Japan go to church during Christmas?
(a) Yes
(b) Sometimes
(c) Only on Sundays
(d) No

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The store is an ordinary shop where people buy regular things.
2. The store didn’t bother to find out what went wrong, so they couldn’t figure it out.
3. The cakes are supposed to be pretty with red berries and white sweet stuff on top.
4. The store admitted that it was their fault.
5. People were not happy and showed pictures of the bad cakes on the internet.
6. The store promised not to do better next time so this happens again.
7. A store in Japan said sorry because the Christmas cakes they sold did not look good when people took them home.
8. Christmas is a regular time in Japan when people give presents and eat special food.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. Why were people not happy with the Christmas cakes?
2. What did people do when they saw the bad cakes?
3. What did the store say about the bad cakes?
4. What are Christmas cakes supposed to look like?
5. What did the store promise to do in the future?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why did the big store in Japan say sorry?
Because the Christmas cakes they sold didn’t look good when people got them.

2. What did people do when they were not happy with the cakes?
They showed pictures of the bad cakes on the internet.

3. What is Christmas?
Christmas is a special holiday when people give presents and have special food.

4. What are the cakes supposed to look like?
The cakes are supposed to be pretty with red berries and white sweet stuff on top.

5. What did the store say they will try to do better?
The store said they will try to make sure the cakes look good and don’t have any problems.

6. Why do people like to give presents and have special food at Christmas in Japan?
Because it’s a special holiday and people like to celebrate and make each other happy.

7. Why did the store say it was their fault?
The store said it was their fault because they made the cakes and they didn’t look good.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) look
(2) people
(3) People
(4) cakes
(5) special
(6) white
(7) places
(8) said
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. difficult
Answer: (A) Hard to do or understand

2. apologize
Answer: (G) To say you are sorry

3. fancy
Answer: (I) Very nice and expensive

4. special
Answer: (B) Not like other things, very important or nice

5. internet
Answer: (J) A place on a computer where you can see lots of things and talk to people far away

6. fault
Answer: (H) When something is wrong because of you

7. presents
Answer: (E) Things you give to others to make them happy

8. supposed
Answer: (C) Meant to be or expected

9. berries
Answer: (F) Small, juicy fruits that can be red or blue or other colors

10. better
Answer: (D) To do something in a good way, nicer than before
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why did the big store in Japan say sorry?
Answer: (b) Many Christmas cakes with strawberries did not look good when they got to people’s homes.

2. What kind of shop is the big store in Japan?
Answer: (d) A fancy shop where people buy special things.

3. What did people do when they were not happy with the cakes?
Answer: (c) They showed pictures of the bad cakes on the internet.

4. What time of year do people in Japan like to give presents and have special food?
Answer: (b) Christmas

5. What are the cakes supposed to look like?
Answer: (a) Pretty with red berries and white sweet stuff on top.

6. What did the store say about the bad cakes?
Answer: (c) It was their fault.

7. What did the store promise to do?
Answer: (a) Try to do better so this does not happen again.

8. Do many people in Japan go to church during Christmas?
Answer: (d) No
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The store is an ordinary shop where people buy regular things. (Answer: False)
2. The store didn’t bother to find out what went wrong, so they couldn’t figure it out. (Answer: False)
3. The cakes are supposed to be pretty with red berries and white sweet stuff on top. (Answer: True)
4. The store admitted that it was their fault. (Answer: True)
5. People were not happy and showed pictures of the bad cakes on the internet. (Answer: True)
6. The store promised not to do better next time so this happens again. (Answer: False)
7. A store in Japan said sorry because the Christmas cakes they sold did not look good when people took them home. (Answer: True)
8. Christmas is a regular time in Japan when people give presents and eat special food. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧