Family in New York sets world record for Christmas lights

Nick's ESL News Lessons

A printable worksheet for news-based English conversation classes.

Date: 2023/12/15

Difficulty: Elementary A2

PDF: Family in New York sets world record for Christmas lights
YouTube: Family in New York sets world record for Christmas lights

Vocabulary Match

record -   - achievement
neighbors -   - group
traffic -   - value
board -   - people living nearby
rules -   - laws
worth -   - cars

Article

In Union Vale, New York, the Gay family has set a world record for their Christmas lights. This year, they have 720,426 lights! They first broke the record in 2012 and have been adding more lights ever since.

But not everyone is happy about it. Some neighbors are upset because the lights are very bright and many cars come to see them. This causes traffic and leaves trash in the area. One neighbor, Edward Kasche, is so upset that he wants to join the town board to change this.

The town doesn't have rules to stop the lights. The town leader, Betsy Maas, asked, "Who wants to stop Santa?" Tim Gay, from the Gay family, said he's okay with some people not liking it. He thinks making 50,000 people happy is worth it, even if a few are not.

Quiz

  1. When did the Gay family first break the record for having the most Christmas lights?
  2. Why are some neighbors upset?
  3. What does Edward Kasche want to do?
  4. What does Tim Gay think about people not liking the lights?

Conversation

A: I love driving around the neighborhood at Christmas.
B: Me too. Oh, look at the lights down this street. So pretty!
A: Wait, turn left here. Why are there so many people?
B: Gah! My eyes! I can't see anything, it's so bright!
A: Here, take my sunglasses! Woah! Look at that!!
B: Oh, wow! It's like a Disney Christmas parade!

Discussion

  1. Do you put up any decorations for Christmas? How long do you keep them up?
  2. What is your favorite food to eat during a holiday or festival?
  3. During the holidays, do you exchange gifts? What kind of gifts?
  4. How do you usually spend New Year's Day? Are there any special traditions?

Vocabulary Answers

record → achievement
neighbors → people living nearby
traffic → cars
board → group
rules → laws
worth → value

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. They first broke the record in 2012.
  2. Because the lights are very bright and cause traffic.
  3. He wants to join the town board to change this.
  4. He thinks making 50,000 people happy is worth it, even if a few people do not like the lights.

Source Material

https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2023/12/12/Christmas-lights-irk-neighbors-Union-Vale-New-York/9991702417613/

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