Here are 3 new words from the lesson: 1. Nostalgia 2. Diaspora 3. Austere Here are 3 difficult to pronounce words: 1. Quintessentially 2. Culinary 3. Pronunciation

1. Christmas cake: the traditional Sri Lankan
treat uniting an island and its diaspora
English Level 8-9
Listen, Learn & Speak
12/28/2022

2. 2
Word bank
Let us deposit new words in our ENGLISH
 TRADITION
 WIDESPREAD
 NOSTALGIA
 AUSTERE
 DIASPORA

3. 3
Here are the words from the article for your daily vocabulary empowerment.
1. TRADITION (NOUN)
a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are
commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable
It is their tradition to give thanks before they start eating.
tra·di·tion trə-ˈdi-shən
Meaning
Example
PRONUNCIATION

4. 4
Here are the words from the article for your daily vocabulary empowerment.
2. WIDESPREAD (ADJECTIVE)
widely extended or spread out
There is widespread public interest in the election.
wide·spread ˈwīd-ˈspred
Meaning
Example
PRONUNCIATION

5. 5
Here are the words from the article for your daily vocabulary empowerment.
3. NOSTALGIA (NOUN)
the state of being homesick : HOMESICKNESS
He was filled with nostalgia for his college days.
con·spir·a·cy | kən-ˈspir-ə-sē
Meaning
Example
PRONUNCIATION
nos·tal·gia nä-ˈstal-jə

6. 6
Here are the words from the article for your daily vocabulary empowerment.
4. AUSTERE (ADJECTIVE)
stern and cold in appearance or manner
The austere look of Zen gardens can be achieved at larger scales in the
home landscape.
Meaning
Example
PRONUNCIATION
aus·tere , ȯ-ˈstir

7. 7
Here are the words from the article for your daily vocabulary empowerment.
5. DIASPORA (NOUN)
the movement, migration, or scattering of a people away from an
established or ancestral homeland
The Turkish diaspora in Europe is broadly comparable to the South Asian
diaspora in Europe in several respects.
Meaning
Example
PRONUNCIATION
di·as·po·ra dī-ˈa-sp(ə-)rə

8. 8
THINGS YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON:
 Read and comprehend the questions
 Listen to the audio attentively
 Take notes the important information
 Answer the questions

9. 9
1. How old is the traditional Christmas cake?
2. What are the ingredients of the Sri Lanka Christmas cake?
3. What is Fernando hopeful in the Christmas cake making?
4. What was the most recent problem Sri Lanka had faced?

10. 10
Christmas cake: the traditional Sri Lankan treat uniting an island and its diaspora
As a child in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Oryan Cumaraiah-Misso remembers excitedly readying himself in front of a handheld meat grinder to
crush cashews. It was his part in his family’s annual tradition of preparing a 60-year-old recipe for Christmas cake that had been passed
down for generations. Christmas cake – a moist, decadent treat filled with nuts and fruit – usually kicks off the holiday season on the island
nation, and for immigrants in the US, has become a way to preserve traditions from back home.
Sri Lanka’s Christmas cake is similar to the fruit cake, a quintessentially British dish, but has since evolved from its colonial roots. Like
the British version, Christmas cake includes raisins and cherries, but also preserved ginger, the green vegetable chayote (or chow chow, as
Sri Lankans call it) in sugar syrup, preserved melon (known as puhul dosi), candied peel, sultanas and aromatics like nutmeg.
In Sri Lanka, as the country’s hotels gear up for the holiday season, some host cake-mixing parties, where people get a view of culinary
staff combining the fruit and nut mixture with the wet ingredients in a custom-built, 9ft-deep barrel. The mix weighs more than 4,000lb. This
year, one even took place aboard a naval ship. Fernando said she was watching the Galle Face Hotel’s recent Christmas cake mixing
ceremony and thought to herself, “Oh, I’m so glad in spite of all that’s going on, they are still doing it.”
These traditions were in jeopardy this year as the nation battled its worst economic crisis since independence in 1948. Government
corruption, financial mismanagement, sluggish economic growth since the pandemic, the depletion of foreign reserves and the war in
Ukraine led to widespread blackouts, shortages of essential goods and school closures earlier this year. Islandwide protests ultimately led to
the ouster of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the resignation of his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister.
Inflation hit an all-time high of 69.8% in October before dropping slightly to 61% in November.
While Fernando is hopeful that the nostalgia of Christmas cake-making will provide some joy to celebrations, Cumaraiah-Misso worries
about how the increased prices of ingredients will affect this longstanding tradition. On local Facebook groups, bakers lament the rising cost
of ingredients, with some commenting that they have chosen not to make the treat this year and are readying themselves for an “austere
Christmas”.

11. 11
Directions: Read each question and state the correct answer based on the
article you have listened
1. How old is the traditional Christmas cake?
HOW OLD ?

12. 12
Directions: Read each question and state the correct answer based on the
article you have listened
1. How old is the traditional Christmas cake?
ANSWER
IT IS ALREADY 60 YEARS OLD

13. 13
Directions: Read each question and state the correct answer based on the
article you have listened
2. What are the ingredients of the Sri Lanka Christmas cake?
WHAT ?

14. 14
Directions: Read each question and state the correct answer based on the
article you have listened
2. What are the ingredients of the Sri Lanka Christmas cake?
ANSWER
CHRISTMAS CAKE INCLUDES RAISINS AND CHERRIES, BUT
ALSO PRESERVED GINGER, THE GREEN VEGETABLE CHAYOTE
(OR CHOW CHOW, AS SRI LANKANS CALL IT) IN SUGAR SYRUP,
PRESERVED MELON (KNOWN AS PUHUL DOSI), CANDIED PEEL,
SULTANAS AND AROMATICS LIKE NUTMEG.

15. 15
Directions: Read each question and state the correct answer based on the
article you have listened
3. What is Fernando hopeful in the Christmas cake making?
WHAT?

16. 16
Directions: Read each question and state the correct answer based on the
article you have listened
3. What is Fernando hopeful in the Christmas cake making?
ANSWER
FERNANDO IS HOPEFUL THAT THE NOSTALGIA OF CHRISTMAS
CAKE-MAKING WILL PROVIDE SOME JOY TO CELEBRATION

17. 17
Directions: Read each question and state the correct answer based on the
article you have listened
4. What was the most recent problem Sri Lanka had faced?
WHAT?

18. 18
Directions: Read each question and state the correct answer based on the
article you have listened
4. What was the most recent problem Sri Lanka had faced?
ANSWER
ISLANDWIDE PROTESTS ULTIMATELY LED TO THE OUSTER OF PRESIDENT
GOTABAYA RAJAPAKSA AND THE RESIGNATION OF HIS BROTHER
MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA AS PRIME MINISTER.

19. 19
Directions: Read the news article aloud, you may use the slashing technique as a guide.
ニュース記事を音読しましょう。文中の意味のまとまりを表すスラッシュ (/) までを一息で読
んでみましょう。
As a child/ in Colombo, /Sri Lanka, /Oryan Cumaraiah-Misso/ remembers excitedly/ readying himself /in front of /a handheld/ meat
grinder/ to crush cashews./ It was his part/ in his family’s/ annual tradition /of preparing/ a 60-year-old recipe/ for Christmas cake/ that had
been/ passed down/ for generations./ Christmas cake /– a moist, /decadent treat/ filled with nuts/ and fruit/ – usually kicks off /the holiday
season/ on the island nation/, and for immigrants/ in the US,/ has become/ a way/ to preserve traditions/ from back home./
Sri Lanka’s Christmas cake/ is similar /to the fruit cake,/ a quintessentially/ British dish,/ but has since evolved/ from its colonial roots/.
Like/ the British version,/ Christmas cake /includes raisins/ and cherries, /but also/ preserved ginger,/ the green vegetable/ chayote (or chow
chow, as Sri Lankans call it) in sugar syrup,/ preserved melon/ (known as puhul dosi),/ candied peel,/ sultanas/ and aromatics/ like nutmeg./
In Sri Lanka,/ as the country’s hotels /gear up/ for the holiday season,/ some/host cake-mixing parties,/ where people /get a view/ of
culinary staff/ combining the fruit/ and nut mixture/ with the wet ingredients /in a custom-built,/9ft-deep barrel./ The mix weighs /more than/
4,000lb. /This year,/ one even took place/ aboard /a naval ship. /Fernando said /she was watching/ the Galle Face Hotel’s /recent Christmas
cake mixing/ ceremony/ and thought to herself, /“Oh,/ I’m so glad/ in spite of/ all that’s going on,/ they are still doing it.”/
These traditions /were in jeopardy/ this year/ as the nation/ battled its/ worst economic crisis /since independence/ in 1948. /Government
corruption,/ financial mismanagement,/ sluggish economic growth/since the pandemic,/ the depletion/ of foreign reserves/ and the war/ in
Ukraine/ led to/ widespread blackouts, /shortages of essential goods /and school closures /earlier this year. /Islandwide protests /ultimately
led /to the ouster /of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa/ and the resignation/ of his brother/ Mahinda Rajapaksa/ as prime minister./
Inflation /hit an all-time high /of 69.8% in October/before dropping/ slightly to 61% in November./
While Fernando /is hopeful /that the nostalgia/ of Christmas cake-making/ will provide /some joy /to celebrations,/ Cumaraiah-Misso/
worries /about/ how the increased prices / of ingredients / will affect this longstanding tradition./ On local Facebook groups, bakers / lament
the rising cost of ingredients,/ with some commenting / that they have chosen/ not to make/ the treat this year /and are readying/ themselves
for an “austere Christmas”./
Christmas cake: the traditional Sri Lankan treat uniting an island and its diaspora

20. 20
You may answer the questions based on your ideal thoughts.
Expressing yourself freely is encouraged either in a positive or negative
language.
ANSWER IN TWO OPTIONS:
POSITIVE THOUGHTS NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

21. 21
QUESTION 1
DO YOU AGREE THAT CHRISTMAS MUST BE CELBRATED
BY EVERYONE?

22. 22
DO YOU AGREE THAT CHRISTMAS MUST BE CELBRATED BY
EVERYONE?

23. 23
DO YOU AGREE THAT DURING ELECTION CAMPAIGN MUST BAN
GUNS AND DEADLY WEAPONS?
Yes, I agree, because it is joyful and people always
sharing their gifts and love to others.
No, I don’t agree because we need to respect other
religion who don’t believe in Christmas besides, they
have their own thanksgiving.

24. 24
QUESTION 2
DO YOU AGREE THAT CELBRATION OF CHRISTMAS MUST
BE INHERITED BY THE FUTURE GENERATIONS?

25. 25
DO YOU AGREE THAT CELBRATION OF CHRISTMAS MUST BE
INHERITED BY THE FUTURE GENERATIONS?

26. 26
DO YOU AGREE THAT CELBRATION OF CHRISTMAS MUST BE
INHERITED BY THE FUTURE GENERATIONS?
Yes, I agree, because Christmas is all about love, with
this we can establish peace and harmony.
No, I don’t agree, because every child has the right to
choose whether he/she will follow the traditions. It
creates confusion that leads to conflict to other beliefs.

27. 27
QUESTION 3
DO YOU AGREE THAT EVERY SRI LANKAN FAMILY MUST
MAKE THE TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CAKE ?

28. 28
DO YOU AGREE THAT EVERY SRI LANKAN FAMILY MUST MAKE THE
TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CAKE ?

29. 29
DO YOU AGREE THAT EVERY SRI LANKAN FAMILY MUST MAKE THE
TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CAKE ?
Yes, I agree, because it would show how united they are
and the willingness to bring back the joy despite the
challenges they had gone through
No, I don’t agree, because not all are Christians and
believe in Christmas. If this is mandated, then it violates
the others’ beliefs.

30. 30
 Three new words and phrases in this lesson
このレッスンでの新出単語やフレーズを 3 つ
 Three difficult -to -pronounce words
あなたの苦手な発音を 3 つ
Teacher will choose the word/ phrases then read it.
You will repeat after your teacher 3 times.

31. 31
TO-DO-LIST
 Study your vocabulary and its meaning
 Practice the pronunciation
 Try to make you own sentence using the vocabulary
 Read it aloud