Every week Take Away English reports on interesting events and fascinating people in the UK and around the world, but this week we are talking directly to you to tell you all about our Christmas and New Year Plans.

Firstly, let鈥檚 hear from Alison, the editor of the China Team, who is having a family Christmas followed by a wild New Year:

"For New Year, I'm taking a trip to Hamburg in Germany. I am going to a New Year's party in a restaurant, there'll be a gourmet menu with champagne and then dancing and fireworks at midnight outside. In Germany they like to let off fireworks that bang loudly," says Alison.

Emily, our broadcast assistant, is looking forward to some traditional Christmas fare with her family after exchanging presents.

"Before dinner we give each other presents around the Christmas tree. For dinner we eat all the traditional food such as turkey, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and Christmas pudding; and after dinner we play party games, eat chocolates, sweets, nuts, and drink wine," says Emily.

But what about our Chinese colleagues, how do they celebrate at this time of year? Producer Helen has a baby boy, who can complicate Christmas.

"I'm spending this Christmas with my family at my home in London. It's going to be my son Leonard's second Christmas, so we have made a bit of effort putting up a few baby-friendly decorations in our flat.

"We've got a few pots of poinsettias which are big red flowers with a very Christmas feel, and there are no prickly needles, so Leonard is safe from causing disasters," says Helen.

As for our writer Diarmuid, he is flying to France to visit his family there for a gastronomic yuletide celebration.

"Having Christmas in France means there will be a fantasticvariety of delicious French wines to enjoy. Who knows? I might even bring some back for the team," he says.

• fascinating [´fæsineitiŋ]   a.迷人，使神魂颠倒的   (初中英语单词)
• restaurant [´restərɔnt]   n.饭店，菜馆   (初中英语单词)
• midnight [´midnait]   n.午夜；漆黑   (初中英语单词)
• assistant [ə´sistənt]   n.助手；助理；助教   (初中英语单词)
• turkey [´tə:ki]   n.火鸡   (初中英语单词)
• celebrate [´selibreit]   vt.庆祝；表扬；赞美   (初中英语单词)
• writer [´raitə]   n.作者；作家   (初中英语单词)
• variety [və´raiəti]   n.变化；多样(性)；种类   (初中英语单词)
• delicious [di´liʃəs]   a.美味的，可口的   (初中英语单词)
• broadcast [´brɔ:dkɑ:st]   v.&n.散布 a.广播的   (高中英语单词)
• pudding [´pudiŋ]   n.布丁   (高中英语单词)
• producer [prə´dju:sə]   n.生产者；演出人   (高中英语单词)
• celebration [,seli´breiʃən]   n.庆祝(会)；庆典   (高中英语单词)
• fantastic [fæn´tæstik]   a.奇异的；荒谬的   (高中英语单词)
• traditional [trə´diʃənəl]   a.传统的，习惯的   (英语四级单词)
• brussels [´brʌslz]   n.布鲁塞尔   (英语四级单词)
• taking [´teikiŋ]   a.迷人的 n.捕获物   (英语六级单词)
• hamburg [´hæmbə:g]   n.汉堡   (英语六级单词)
• champagne [ʃæm´pein]   n.香槟酒；微黄色   (英语六级单词)
• fireworks [´faiəwə:ks]   n.爆竹，焰火   (英语六级单词)