Father Frost in Moscow
Vocabulary
| gift | boom (2) | pandemic |
| worry | rage (2) | capital (3) |
| frost | by trade | leave/left/left (2) |
| client | antibody | entertainer |
| prove | at least | temporary |
| alive | pandemic | bring/brought/brought |
| cheer | recover | present (2) |
| frost | immunity | fall/fell/fallen |
| global | decide | transform |
| hope | promise | keep hope alive |
| hefty | symptom | holiday (2) |
| wait | safe (2) | celebration |
| kiss | pandemic | antibodies |
| air | spirit (3) | blow/blew/blown |
| hug | coronavirus |
Video: Christmas Entertainment
Transcript
It’s the holidays in the Russian capital. But with the pandemic still raging here, many families are worrying that Father Frost could leave more than just presents under the Christmas tree.
That’s created a booming market in children’s entertainers who have recovered from covid-19 with the antibodies to prove it. With at least a temporary immunity to the virus, they promise to bring a holiday cheer to their clients’ homes.
Oleg Tarasov and Olga Bogomazova are actors by trade. But come December, they transform into Father Frost or Ded Maroz and his helper Snegurachka.
After recovering from covid-19 earlier this year, they decided that even a global pandemic shouldn’t dampen the holiday spirit.
Oleg Tarasov, Actor and Entertainer: “The first snow fell, and the holiday season started. And I said to Olga, ‘Let’s do it. If we’ve both recovered without any symptoms, why shouldn’t we work? The kids will be safe, and so will we’.”
For Olga, keeping hope alive is the best gift this season.
Olga Bogomazova, Actor and Entertainer: “Everyone needs this celebration. Everyone has been waiting for it. We all hope this will end next year. It’s just 2020; the year was just bad, bad, bad! I really hope it will get better.”
A visit from Father Frost. Thanks to a hefty dose of antibodies, the holiday spirit is alive and well despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Olga Bogomazova, Actor and Entertainer: “Everyone blow air-kisses because we can’t hug each other.”
Questions
1. Christmas 2020 was the same as Christmas 2019. True or false?
2. Do children in Moscow want to celebrate Christmas? How do they want to celebrate Christmas?
3. If families want to hire entertainer, they must look in a phone book and call entertainers by phone. Is this right or wrong?
4 Are there few or many entertainers in Moscow?
5. Are Oleg and Olga website designers and writers?
6. During the winter, what do Oleg and Olga do?
7. At the end of the Christmas party, everyone shakes hands and hug each other. Is this correct or incorrect?
A. Christmas and New Year’s celebrations in 2020 was the same as it was in 2019. Yes or no?
B. Do you have Christmas and New Year’s parties at school, home, restaurants or you friend’s house?
C. I see Father Frost, Saint Nicholas or Santa Clause in my city.
D. What would you like from Father Frost, Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus? I would like . . . . . . from Father Frost, Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus.
E. What will happen in 2021 or beyond in the future?
