The New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: The New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square

Warm-up

Have you ever celebrated New Year's Eve? (Yes, I have... / No, I haven't...)

Vocabulary Match

concerns •• started
crystals •• sparklers
redesigned •• worries
fireworks •• change
introduced •• remade
replace •• gems

Vocabulary Answers

concernsworries
crystalsgems
redesignedremade
fireworkssparklers
introducedstarted
replacechange

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

In 1907, New York City ________ a new way to celebrate the New Year. Before this, ________ were used, but they were banned because of safety ________. To ________ them, a bright ball was created to mark the countdown to midnight.

The first ball was made of wood and iron, weighed 320kg, and had 100 light bulbs. It was lowered from a flagpole at the top of the Times Tower. Thousands of people gathered to watch the event, and it was an instant success.

The tradition continued every year, except during World War II, when a moment of silence and church bells replaced the ball drop. Over time, the ball has been ________ with new materials and technology.

Today, the ball is covered in Waterford ________ and uses energy-efficient lights. Millions of people watch the ball drop on New Year's Eve, making it one of the most famous celebrations in the world.

In 1907, New York City introduced a new way to celebrate the New Year. Before this, fireworks were used, but they were banned because of safety concerns. To replace them, a bright ball was created to mark the countdown to midnight.

The first ball was made of wood and iron, weighed 320kg, and had 100 light bulbs. It was lowered from a flagpole at the top of the Times Tower. Thousands of people gathered to watch the event, and it was an instant success.

The tradition continued every year, except during World War II, when a moment of silence and church bells replaced the ball drop. Over time, the ball has been redesigned with new materials and technology.

Today, the ball is covered in Waterford crystals and uses energy-efficient lights. Millions of people watch the ball drop on New Year's Eve, making it one of the most famous celebrations in the world.

Quiz

  1. What year did New York City introduce the new way to celebrate New Year?
  2. Why were fireworks banned?
  3. How many light bulbs did the first ball have?
  4. What is the ball covered with today?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. 1907
  2. Because of safety concerns
  3. 100 light bulbs
  4. Waterford crystals

True or False

  1. The first ball was made of plastic and iron. T F
  2. The ball drop was stopped during World War II. T F
  3. The ball is covered in water balloons and uses energy-efficient lights. T F

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. True
  3. False

Conversation

A:What are your plans for New Year's Eve?
B:I'm going to Times Square to watch the ball drop!
A:Wow, that sounds exciting! Have you been there before?
B:No, this will be my first time. I can't wait!
A:Isn't it super crowded there, though?
B:Yes, but the atmosphere will be amazing. It's worth it!

Discussion

  1. What do you usually do to celebrate New Year?
  2. Do you like fireworks or light shows better?
  3. Have you ever been to New York City?
  4. Where in the world would you like to celebrate New Year?

Further Reading

https://www.balldrop.com/article/history-of-times-square-ball-drop#:~:text=The%20very%20first%20drop%20was,100%2Dplus%20years%20of%20partying.

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