Easter

Easter Sunday is the holiest day in the Christian religion. It always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. This is the day many Christians believe to be the day that Jesus rose from the dead after being nailed to a cross three days before.
Many families dress up and attend mass in the morning before seeing loved ones for Easter dinner. Some people, attend the Easter Vigil Mass, which takes place the night before Easter Sunday. At this mass, people who wish to convert to the Christian religion are welcomed into the church, receiving the sacraments of Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation for the very first time.
Although Easter is a holy day, it has a secular aspect as well. Many children paint eggs several different colors for the Easter bunny. The night before, Easter eve, the Easter bunny visits houses to hide the eggs and Easter baskets that he brings for the children. On Easter morning, children awake and have Easter egg hunts. Once all of the eggs have been found, the children count up their eggs to find out who the victor is. While searching for eggs, children also search for their Easter basket, hoping to find it filled with delicioustreats like chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps.


Vocabulary:

Christian-believing in, or belonging to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus
vigil- the eve, or day and night, before a church festival
mass- religious celebration
convert- to change to a different religion
holy- dedicated or devoted to the service of God, the church, or religion
sacraments- something regarded as possessing a sacred character
victor- person who wins in a competition
delicious- pleasing in flavor

Use the vocabulary that best fits in the sentence.

1. The Jewish man decided to ____________________ to Christianity.

2. The ______________ was so excited that she won her race.

3. Since the family was going away on Easter, they decided to go to the ___________ mass the night before.

4. Many people attend _____________ on Sundays to worship.

5.People of the _________________ religion believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

6. Communion is one of the ____________________ in the Christian religion.

7. Easter is considered to be a ____________ day, since many people believe that is the day Jesus rose from the dead.

8. The vanilla butter cream cake was very ________________.

Grammar Point
Identify all of the prepositions and what type of preposition (preposition of time or place)in the passage.

Oscars 2010

Tonight at 8:30 pm Eastern Standard Time, the 82nd Academy Awards will premiere live on ABC-7. Hollywood’s most accomplished stars will grace the Red Carpet wearing the latest fashions from the world’s top designers. Once everyone takes their seats, hosts, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will commence the show. Awards will be given to the best of the best in a variety of movie categories from best supporting and lead actor/actress to best direction, best screenplay, up to the long anticipated best picture. This year the top ten movies of 2009 have been nominated for best picture including Precious, The Hurt Locker, The Blind Side, Inglorious Basterds, and the surprisingly popular Avatar. Although, all the nominees have been selected as some of the best in their field, only one can truly be the very best after tonight. When the presenters open the envelope, all of the nominees will be holding their breaths awaiting the announcement of the winner.

Vocabulary:

accomplished- highly skilled, expert

commence- to begin, start

nominated- to propose for an honor or award

surprisingly- causing wonder or astonishment

popular- regarded with favor, approval, or affection by people

although- in spite of, even though

announcement- public or formal notice

Use the correct vocabulary word to complete the sentences below:

1. ____________ the boy was very tired, he did not want to miss soccer practice.

2.The singer waited to hear if she was _________________ for an Academy Award.

3. Everyone eagerly awaited the ______________________ of the winner of the contest.

4. The ________________ artist had many of his paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

5. The game will ________________ at seven o'clock.

6. The young swimmer ____________________ beat the World Record Holder in the 200 meter backstroke.

Grammar Point:
In the following sentences underline the tense marker and identify what tense it is being used with.

Yesterday I went to the city to see a show.

Everyday I like to go for a run to stay in shape.

I have worked at the pool since 2003.

Next year, I will be graduating from college.