Brothers regift same hard candy for decades

印刷用画面を開く

Posted

Category: Education/Family

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. regift / riˈgɪft / (v.) – to give someone a gift that one has received previously
    Example:

    I received a lot of scented candles last Christmas, so I regifted the unused ones.


  2. back and forth / bæk ænd fɔrθ / (adv.) – between two places, people, situations, etc.
    Example:

    I work in Tokyo but live in Yokohama, so I keep going back and forth.


  3. caroler / ˈkær ə lər / (n.) – a person who goes from one place to another to sing Christmas songs
    Example:

    The carolers who came to our house sang “Jingle Bells.”


  4. as far as (something) / æz fɑr æz / (prep.) – when it comes to something
    Example:

    People management is Tom’s strongest skill as far as work goes.


  5. give in / gɪv ɪn / (phrasal v.) – to surrender or agree to what another person wants
    Example:

    My son has been asking me to buy a new bike for months now, so I finally gave in.


Article

Read the text below.

Two U.S. brothers have gotten their holiday regifting skills down to an art — they’ve been passing the same hard candy back and forth for over 30 years.


It started in 1987, when Ryan Wasson gave a 10-roll Frankford “Santa’s Candy Book” with assorted fruit flavors to his brother, Eric, as a joke for Christmas, knowing Eric wouldn’t like it.


“I didn’t eat them,” Eric Wasson told New Hampshire’s WMUR-TV. “And so the next year I thought, ‘Hey, I think I’m going to give it back to him. He’ll never remember.’”


But Ryan immediately recognized it. They’ve been taking turns ever since, keeping a log of their exchanges. They’ve gotten creative about it.


He told the station that Eric “one time sewed it into a teddy bear.” Last year, it was presented to Ryan on a silver platter at a restaurant.


This year, Ryan turned to a group on social media for ideas, which included having it arrive via a pizza delivery or Christmas carolers, hiding it in a book or cake, or holding a scavenger hunt with clues.


“If you ask which one has ever done the best as far as giving these, we’re both going to say it’s ourself, right?” Ryan Wasson said. “We’re never going to give in.” (AP)


This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Eric received a gift as a joke for Christmas from his brother, Ryan. He decided to regift it to Ryan the following year. If you were Ryan, would you have continued the back-and-forth exchange? Which of the ideas do you find most creative (ex. sewing the gift into a teddy bear, serving it on a silver platter)? Discuss.
  • People can have different reactions towards regifted presents. If you can make rules about regifting, what would they be (ex. the gift can only be given if unused, it can’t be given to the person you received it from)? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • What types of gifts do you appreciate most? Would you rather receive a material gift (ex. a book, a new smartphone) or an experience (ex. a trip to another country, a chance to watch a live show)? Why? Discuss.
  • Is gift-giving always necessary for every occasion? Do you think how much a gift costs is important? Why or why not? Discuss.