5-minute listening: White House Christmas decorations recreate the joy of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas
- US First Lady Jill Biden has transformed the building into a winter wonderland
- Practise your English with our short listening exercises: play the audio linked below; answer the questions; and check the answers at the bottom of the page
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Christmas trees stand tall in the East Room of the White House. Photo: AFPQuestions
1. Complete the following sentence using information from the podcast.
The US first lady, Jill Biden, transformed the (i) ____________ into a winter wonderland, adorning its halls with (ii) ____________ Christmas trees, more than 142,000 twinkling lights, and almost (iii) ____________ ornaments. This enchanting display, inspired by the theme of “magic, wonder, and joy”, invites visitors to reconnect with their (iv) ____________ and embrace the holiday spirit.
2. What does the “200th anniversary” in the podcast refer to?
A. the anniversary of the White House’s construction
B. the establishment of Joining Forces
C. the first performance of the Disney musical Frozen
D. the publication of a Christmas poem
3. Which part of the White House displays different editions of a poem from the past 200 years?
A. library
B. Grand Foyer
C. ground floor corridor
D. State Dining Room
4. Which word can replace the word “replica” in the podcast?
A. original
B. duplicate
C. composition
D. representation
5. Which of the following words has a similar meaning to “customary” in the podcast?
A. ordinary
B. peculiar
C. exceptional
D. usual
6. What ingredients are used to make the gingerbread White House?
(1) chocolate
(2) caramel paste
(3) gingerbread dough
(4) sugar cookie dough
A. (1), (2) and (3) only
B. (1), (3) and (4) only
C. (1), (2) and (4) only
D. (2), (3) and (4) only
7. According to the podcast, who were among the first members of the public to see the decorations?
A. National Guard families
B. military veterans
C. the families of White House staff
D. none of the above
8. Which of the following statements are true about the official White House Christmas tree?
(1) It is a Fraser fir.
(2) It is about 5.6 metres tall.
(3) It is located in the Blue Room.
(4) It celebrates neighbourhoods from around the world.
A. (1), (2) and (3) only
B. (1), (3) and (4) only
C. (1), (2) and (4) only
D. (2), (3) and (4) only
9. How many candles were used for the Christmas decorations?
A. less than 100
B. no more than 400
C. as many as 1,000
D. information not given
10. Which room in the White House has been transformed into Santa’s workshop?
A. the library
B. Grand Foyer
C. State Dining Room
D. China Room
11. What tradition does the library honour?
A. storytelling
B. gifting
C. carol singing
D. gardening
12. According to the podcast, who decides the holiday decor theme each year?
A. the National Guards
B. the general public
C. the US first lady
D. information not given
Answers
1. (i) White House / US White House; (ii) 98; (iii) 34,000; (iv) inner child
2. D
3. C
4. B
5. D
6. B
7. A
8. A
9. B
10. C
11. A
12. D
Script
Adapted from Associated Press
Voice 1: Ninety-eight Christmas trees, more than 142,000 twinkling lights and nearly 34,000 ornaments deck the halls of the US White House. The US first lady, Jill Biden, hopes the decorations will inspire visitors to embrace their inner child and experience the magic, wonder and joy of the season.
Voice 2: During a reception to formally unveil the decor last month, Biden shared that each room on display was designed to capture the pure, unfiltered delight and imagination of childhood. She hopes it will help people to see this time of year through the wondrous eyes of children.
Voice 1: The decorations have numerous nods to the 200th anniversary of the poem ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, which was published in 1823. The Library of Congress provided samples of editions from the past 200 years that are on display along the ground floor corridor.
Voice 2: The traditional gingerbread White House recreates the classic story with a sugar cookie replica of the book, along with Santa’s sleigh flying above the grounds. Santa’s sleigh and his reindeer are also suspended above the Grand Foyer. The dining room is the customary stage for the gingerbread White House, made using 40 sheets each of sugar cookie dough and gingerbread dough; 41 kilograms of sugar-paste icing; 14 kilograms of chocolate and 23 kilograms of royal icing.
Voice 1: Before the first lady’s event, the White House allowed the news media to see all the trees, lights and ornaments. National Guard families were among the first members of the public to see the decorations; they were joining Biden as part of her White House initiative called Joining Forces, which shows appreciation for military families. Children of these and other military families were also treated to a performance by the cast of Disney musical Frozen.
Voice 2: The official White House Christmas tree is a 5.6-metre-tall Fraser fir, and it takes its usual place in the Blue Room, where the chandelier has to be taken down to accommodate its height. The decorations on the massive tree this year celebrate cheerful scenes, landscapes and neighbourhoods from across the country.
Voice 1: According to the White House, nearly 4,600 metres of ribbon, more than 350 candles and over 22,000 bells were used for the decorations. Seventy-two wreaths sporting red ribbons adorn the north and south exteriors of the White House. Meanwhile, the State Dining Room has been transformed into Santa’s workshop, with elves’ workbenches, stools and ladders circling the Christmas trees, as well as tools and gifts-in-progress rounding out the decor.
Voice 2: The library honours the tradition of bedtime stories with golden moons and shimmering stars dangling overhead, while the China Room has become a sweet shop featuring flavours and scents of the season wafting from the holiday cakes, cookies and gingerbread filling the space.