新西兰英语 375 Christmas is coming

　　Christmas is just over two weeks away. New Zealand is a busy place at this time of year. School is nearly finished for the year. Most senior¹ high school students have already finished their NCEA exams. Other high school students finish today or tomorrow, primary schools finish next Thursday or Friday. Then students have the long summer holidays before returning to school in the first week of February. In the last few weeks of school, there are picnics, sports days, concerts, socials, prize giving and so on.
Adults also have their end of year celebrations². There are office parties. Most clubs – sports clubs, Bridge or Chess clubs, walking groups, Art clubs – have a Christmas lunch or dinner. Friends get together for parties before Christmas.
At this time of year, adults usually send Christmas cards to old friends, giving them news of their families. People also shop for Christmas presents and when it gets close to Christmas day, they shop for special food for Christmas. This is a very busy time.
The week before Christmas is a good time to buy a Christmas tree. Usually, you can buy a big branch from a pine tree. The children enjoy decorating the tree.
The local council³ puts up decorations in the street too. There are coloured lights, stars, and angels⁴, and many cities have a tall tree in the centre of the city decorated with lights.
It is true that Christmas is meant to be a Christian⁵ religious⁶ festival. Some people enjoy carol⁷ singing and go to church. However, most people simply enjoy Christmas as a time of year when friends and families get together.
Questions
Do you celebrate Christmas in your country? If so, what are your traditions? If not, what celebrations do you have?

1 senior   

adj.年长的；资格较老的，地位较高的；n.年长者，前辈；大学高年级学生

参考例句：

• My brother is senior to me by two years.我哥哥比我年长两岁。
• They are senior students.他们是高年级学生。

2 celebrations   

n.庆祝( celebration的名词复数 )；庆祝会（仪式）

参考例句：

• The mayor was there to dignify the celebrations. 市长的光临为庆祝活动增辉。
• Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee celebrations 维多利亚女王登基50周年庆典

3 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

4 angels   

n.天使( angel的名词复数 )；可爱的人；品行高洁的人；大好人（感激某人时所说）（非正式）

参考例句：

• Angels are usually shown in pictures dressed in white. 图画中的天使通常身穿白衣。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Angels are celestial beings. 天使是天上的神灵。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

6 religious   

adj.宗教性的，虔诚的，宗教上的；n.修道士，出家人

参考例句：

• She is very religious person who goes to church every Sunday.她十分虔诚，每个星期天都上教堂。
• It is hard for me to reject religious beliefs.要我抛弃自己的宗教信仰是困难的。

7 Carol   

n.赞美诗，圣诞颂歌

参考例句：

• Silent Night is my favourite carol.《平安夜》是我最喜欢的圣诞颂歌。
• The people in the church are singing a christmas carol.教堂里的人们正在唱圣诞颂歌。