Christmas is coming - all the way from China
Level 1 l Elementary
1 Key words
Fill the gaps using these words from the text.
cargo goods cracker decorations import
gift container port waste export
1 A is a decorated paper tube that makes a noise when you pull it apart. It contains a small
toy, a paper hat and a joke inside. It s used traditionally at Christmas in the UK.
2 In countries which celebrate Christmas, people often put up in their house.
3 A is something you use for keeping or storing things, for example a box.
4 A is an area of water on the coast where ships stop.
5 are objects produced for sale.
6 is the useless material you have after you ve used something.
7 If you something, you send it to another country to sell it.
8 If you something, you buy a product from another country and bring it to your country.
9 A is something you give to someone as a present.
10 are things that are sent by ship, airplane or truck.
2 Find the information
Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible.
1 What is the Emma Maersk 3?
2 Where is it from?
3 Where is it going?
4 What is on the Emma Maersk 3?
5 Are people happy about this?
Christmas is coming - all the way from China
by John Vidal
Christmas is coming this year on the biggest ship in the world, on its first voyage from China. Mountains of
crackers, toys and games as well as decorations, wrapping paper, food and every imaginable gift are on the
way to Felixstowe, Suffolk, on the Emma Maersk 3.
If anything happens to this 400m-long, 61 metre-high boat then Christmas might have to be cancelled.
It is delivering 3,000 giant containers for Britain. These containers have the largest amount of Christmas
goods ever delivered. Crackers, poker tables, bingo sets, electronic toys and pre-school building blocks will
be delivered in amazing quantities: 1,886,000 Christmas decorations are loaded in one container, 40,000
rechargeable batteries and 22,280kg of Vietnam tea in another. In another are 12,800 MP3 players.
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2006
NEWS LESSONS / Christmas is coming / Elementary
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Christmas is coming - all the way from China
Level 1 l Elementary
There are things to cook with, leather sofas to sit on, and pyjamas to go to bed in. Pets will be very happy;
138,000 tins of catfood and mountains of dogfood are on their way. But the ship and its cargo was the
subject of an intense argument over the increasing number of imports from China. Caroline Lucas, Green
Member of European Parliament (MEP) for southeast England, said it was a  microcosm of globalisation
gone mad .  All these goods could have been made in Europe, said Ms Lucas  China now dominates many
sectors of global trade. The real cost of the goods that the Emma Maersk is bringing in should include the
environment, the markets destroyed in developing countries and the millions of jobs lost. Britain exported
more than GBP 2.8bn of goods to China last year but imported nearly GBP 16bn  30 times more than in
1980. The UK is Europe s third-biggest trading partner with China but represents less than 2% of China s
trade with the world.
The Emma Maersk is carrying about 11,000 containers and is the largest container ship in history. The ship
left from Yentian port, which now exports around 30,000 containers every day.
Last year Ms Lucas led an EU study into trade with China and was terrified by its implications.  Europe
made these goods in the past. China is a country that now has a big advantage in more and more sectors.
This is a triumph for multinational capital. It s not a triumph for Chinese workers, who suffer from some of the
worst labour exploitation in the world and are also losing many jobs. she said.
The Emma Maersk will soon return to China. It will take back the waste of Christmas. One of Britain s big-
gest exports to China is now waste plastic - which is made into soft toys and decorations.
GBP: Great Britain Pounds
bn: billion
© Guardian News & Media Ltd 2006
3 Comprehension check
Match the beginning and ending of the sentences.
1 The Emma Maersk 3 is... trade sectors
2 The ship contains & 30,000 containers every day
3 There are large quantities of goods& a Chinese ship
4 The real cost of the ship should include & on the Emma Maersk 3.
5 Yentian port exports around... waste plastic from Britain.
6 China has an advantage in more and more... the environment, destroyed markets and lost jobs.
7 When the Emma Maersk 3 returns to China, it will contain... 3,000 containers for Britain.
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2006
NEWS LESSONS / Christmas is coming / Elementary
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Christmas is coming - all the way from China
Level 1 l Elementary
4 Vocabulary Noun+noun collocations
Match the words in the left-hand column with words in the right-hand column to make words from the text.
1 poker decorations
2 Christmas sofa
3 leather tables
4 cat plastic
5 dog food
6 container ship
7 waste food
5 Vocabulary Phrases
1 Complete the sentences with phrases from the box.
in history as well as on the way more and more in the past
1 The ship is to Felixstowe, Suffolk, on the Emma Maersk 3.
2 It s the largest container ship .
3 Mountains of crackers, toys and games decorations, wrapping paper are on the ship.
4 China is a country that now has a big advantage in sectors.
5 Europe made these goods .
6 Vocabulary Globalisation Puzzle
1 Rearrange the letters to make words connected to globalisation.
1 prexot 5 sgodo
2 trimpo 6 broaul
3 daret 7 kramet
4 lapitac
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2006
NEWS LESSONS / Christmas is coming / Elementary
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Christmas is coming - all the way from China
Level 1 l Elementary
KEY
1 Key words 4 Vocabulary: Noun+noun collocations
1 cracker poker tables
2 decorations Christmas decorations
3 container leather sofa
4 port catfood
5 goods dogfood
6 waste container ship
7 export waste plastic
8 import
9 gift
5 Vocabulary: Phrases
10 cargo
1 on the way
2 in history
2 Find the information
3 as well as
1 A boat 4 more and more
2 China 5 in the past
3 Britain and Europe
4 Christmas gifts, decorations and other goods
6 Vocabulary: Globalisation Puzzle
5 Not everyone  some think it s bad for the
1 export
environment and the economy.
2 import
3 trade
3 Comprehension check
4 capital
1 e 5 goods
2 g 6 labour
3 d 7 market
4 f
5 b
6 a
7 e
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2006
NEWS LESSONS / Christmas is coming / Elementary
"
TOCOPIABLE
WEBSITE
PHO
FROM
"
CAN BE DOWNLOADED