English Essay by Brian Southwick
2７ The Holiday Season ＲＥＡＤＩＮＧ (slow) (fast)　

　 Have you ever heard of the American holiday called Thanksgiving?  Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November.  On this day we thank God for the many wonderful things we have, and we get together with our family members or friends for a big Thanksgiving dinner.  My mother always baked a large ham or turkey for Thanksgiving.  She made many vegetable dishes, and she also baked bread and a dessert.  I still remember the many wonderful smells coming from the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day.  I also remember eating Thanksgiving dinner leftovers for several days.
　　　The day after Thanksgiving is the first day of the Christmas holiday season. The stores have Christmas sales, and the shopping malls are very crowded with shoppers.  Large trucks carrying Christmas trees start to arrive in the city, and we can buy a tree to put in our home.  Christmas lights and other decorations are sold in the stores, and people hang the colorful lights on their house and tree.  At night the lights look very beautiful.
　　　For the next month, until Christmas Eve, people are busy.  There is much shopping for Christmas presents and gift- wrapping to do.  There are parties and other events to attend. Many people make plans to visit family members who live in other cities.  Every Christmas my family visited my grandparents, in Texas.  The busy holiday season from Thanksgiving until Christmas is bright and cheerful.  It is a little stressful, too.

＜注＞　
Thanksgiving（感謝祭），get together（集まる）
bake（焼く）,ham（ハム），turkey（七面鳥）
vegetable（野菜），dish（料理，皿）,bread（パン）
dessert(デザート)，smell（匂い），leftover(食べ残し)
several（いくつかの），shopping mall（商店街）
shopper（買い物客）,carry（運ぶ），arrive（到着する）
decoration（飾り付け）,colorful（色とりどりの）
eve(前夜),gift（贈り物），wrap（包む）,event（行事）
attend（出席する），grandparents（祖父母）
Texas(テキサス州),cheerful(陽気な),stressful(ストレスの多い)
ThanksGiving Dinner (Photo: Wikipedia)


Question and Answers:  Please answer the following questions in English in a complete sentence, with a subject and　a verb.


Q1. When is Thanksgiving?

A1.


Q2. What do people do on Thanksgiving?

A2.


Q3. Why are the shopping malls crowded on the day after Thanksgiving?

A3.


Q4. Where do people hang Christmas lights?

A4.


Q5. Did Brian visit his grandparents for Christmas?

A5.


＜解答例＞

A1. It is the fourth Thursday in November.

A2. They thank God for the many wonderful things they have, and they get together
　　 with their family members or friends for a big Thanksgiving dinner.

A3. Because the stores have Christmas sales(, the shopping malls are very crowded
　　with shoppers).

A4. They hang the (colorful) lights on their house and tree.

A5. Yes, he did.