A store in Japan called Takashimaya said sorry because they sent out 807 bad Christmas cakes. These cakes had strawberries on them and were supposed to be special for Christmas. People who got the bad cakes put pictures on the internet to show how the cakes were smashed. The store felt bad and said it was their fault, but they don't know why the cakes were ruined.
Even though not many people in Japan are Christians, they still like to celebrate Christmas. They give each other presents and have special food. One of the favorite foods is a cake with strawberries that are red and white, the colors of a party. The store sold these cakes for about $38, but some people got cakes that didn't look good. The strawberries and cream were all messed up.
The store is very sorry about the bad cakes and wants to make sure it doesn't happen again. They sent out almost 3,000 cakes, but a lot of them were not okay. The store is going to work better with the people who make and send the cakes. They want everyone to be happy with their Christmas cakes next time.
Original news source: Japan: Takashimaya apologises for 807 collapsed Christmas cakes (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small teams. Give each team a slip of paper with a word related to the article (e.g. cake, strawberry, Christmas) written on it. One student from each team will come to the front and act out the word without speaking, while their teammates try to guess what the word is.
– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students take turns summarizing the article to their partner. They should try to include the main points and key details. After both partners have had a chance to summarize, they can compare their summaries and discuss any differences.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: As a class, create a list of questions related to the article (e.g. Do you like strawberry cake? How do you celebrate Christmas?). Students will go around the room and ask their classmates the questions, recording their answers. Afterward, they can share their findings with the class and discuss any interesting responses.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. store, Christmas, cake). One student from each group will choose a word and draw a picture to represent it, while their teammates try to guess the word. The group with the most correct guesses wins.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Have students think individually about the following question: "What would you do if you received a bad Christmas cake?" After a few minutes, they can pair up with a partner and share their ideas. Finally, as a class, discuss some of the different responses and reasons behind them.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
The store sent out 807 bad Christmas cakes.
They put pictures on the internet to show how the cakes were smashed.
The store felt bad because it was their fault that the cakes were ruined.
They give each other presents and have special food.
One of the favorite foods is a cake with strawberries that are red and white.
The store sold the cakes for about $38.
The store is going to work better with the people who make and send the cakes to ensure that everyone is happy with their Christmas cakes next time.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
A store in Japan Takashimaya sorry because they sent out 807 bad cakes. These cakes had strawberries on them and were supposed to be special for Christmas. People who got the bad cakes put pictures on the internet to show how the cakes were smashed. The store felt bad and said it was their fault, but they don't know why the were . Even though not many people in Japan are Christians, they still like to celebrate Christmas. They give each other presents and have special . One of the favorite foods is a cake with strawberries that are red and white, the of a party. The store sold these cakes for about $38, but some people got cakes that didn't look good. The strawberries and cream were all up. The store is very about the bad cakes and wants to sure it doesn't happen again. They sent out almost 3,000 cakes, but a lot of them were not . The store is going to work better with the people who make and send the cakes. They want everyone to be with their Christmas cakes next time.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is a Christmas cake?
2. How would you feel if you received a bad cake for a special occasion?
3. Do you like celebrating Christmas? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever had a cake that didn't look good? How did you feel?
5. What is your favorite food to eat during a special celebration?
6. Do you think it's important for stores to apologize when they make a mistake? Why or why not?
7. How do you think the people who received the bad cakes felt?
8. Have you ever had a bad experience with a store? What happened?
9. What do you think the store should do to make sure this doesn't happen again?
10. How do you think the store can work better with the people who make and send the cakes?
11. What would you do if you received a bad cake as a gift?
12. Why do you think the store wants everyone to be happy with their Christmas cakes next time?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.
Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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