Thanksgiving: An American Tradition

2016 · VOA Learning English

This speaker is a general-american model. Each line below can be recorded and scored against it.

Transcript

1. The American holiday of Thanksgiving is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday in November.

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2. Thanksgiving is an autumn harvest festival like those found in many cultures around the world.

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3. On this day, most Americans gather with friends and family.

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4. Many take time to think about what they are thankful for, cook up a storm and eat. A lot.

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5. The star of most Thanksgiving dinners is a roasted turkey.

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6. The turkey is cooked in an oven for many hours, often with a mix of celery, bread, onions and spices inside the bird.

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7. Anna Matteo here at Learning English says the smell of turkey and stuffing roasting together is the quintessential smell of Thanksgiving.

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8. “Quintessential” means the perfect example of something. After the bird is cooked, the stuffing is taken out and served as a side dish.

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9. Families often make other foods like mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and vegetable casseroles.

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10. A casserole is a dish that cooks slowly in an oven. And do not forget about the gravy.

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11. This rich sauce is made from the fatty liquid that comes off the turkey as it cooks.

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12. People cover their turkey meat, stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy. The meal does not end with the turkey, stuffing, and side dishes, though.

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13. For some people, the best part of the meal is dessert. The quintessential Thanksgiving dessert is pie.

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14. Pumpkin, cherry, apple or pecan pie are all great ways to finish off a Thanksgiving meal...if you are not too full of food by that

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15. In fact, the Sunday after Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the entire year.

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16. This is usually when people return home from family gatherings. Not everyone can make the return home each Thanksgiving.

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17. So, young people living in cities away from their hometowns sometimes celebrate “Friendsgiving” -- a Thanksgiving meal with their friends instead of their family.

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18. They gather at someone’s apartment or house and have a potluck

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19. This is a meal where everyone who is invited brings food to share with others.

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20. One tradition is the television broadcast of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It takes place each year in New York City.

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21. Workers of the Macy’s store on Herald Square organized the first parade in 1924.

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22. Many of the workers were immigrants and wanted to hold a big parade like the ones in Europe. So, they dressed in costumes and borrowed some animals from the zoo.

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23. They also carried small balloons that floated just overhead. Many professional American football games are also played on Thanksgiving.

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24. Fans of the sport enjoy relaxing and watching a game or two after eating a big Thanksgiving meal.

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25. Some start Thanksgiving Day early - and in a healthy way. So-called “Turkey Trot races take place in many towns and cities.

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26. Many Turkey Trots urge runners to bring canned food to donate to local food banks -- non-profit organizations that give food to poor people in a community.

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27. The United States is home to many poor and homeless people. Some cannot afford a Thanksgiving dinner.

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28. Others are without friends or families. Many religious and service organizations around the country try to fill these needs.

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29. Some provide community dinners at churches and other centers.

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30. Some groups also deliver Thanksgiving meals to people too sick or old to leave their homes. The writer O.

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31. Henry called Thanksgiving the one holiday that is purely American. It is not linked to a religion or a certain group.

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32. Anyone in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November is welcome to celebrate Thanksgiving. I'm Caty Weaver.

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