1. New Orleans was colonised by the French. Right. Wrong.
2. What are the two nicknames of New Orleans? Krewes. Nola. The Big Apple. The Big Easy.
3. It’s famous worldwide for its celebration of Mardi Gras. Right. Wrong.

Listen

1

Match the instruments with their names.
Trumpet Sousaphone Trombone Drums a.

b.

c.

d.

2

Listen to the audio and learn about Mardi Gras. Match the corresponding words.

Speak

1

Read the text and find rights words or facts.

a) Title of the article:
b) Name of the hurricane that hit the city:
c) Date when Nola was devastated:
d) Celebration that was maintained:

2

Guess the meaning of these Cajun phrases.

a) Bigarno → (A fat man. / A snail. / A sea shell.)
b) Cho! Co! → ( Wow! / Chocolate! / Hot!)
c) Zirondelle → (A bird. / A dragonfly. / Get out of my way.)

After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in the late summer of 2005, the city held its Mardi Gras tradition. Some objected to holding a celebration after so many people had died and so many remained displaced. For others, it was a way to express the spirit of the city was alive.

“Mardi Gras as History”, New Orleans, www.pbs.org, 2006.

Read

1

Fill in the crossword with the Mardi Gras vocabulary.

a) It’s a season.
b) In the legend, with what costume did a man throw the first beads in the 1880s?
c) A necklace that is thrown during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
d) A private social club that sponsors balls and parades, as part of the Mardi Gras festivities.
e) Fat Tuesday.
f) Krewe named after an Egyptian god.
g) Family parade-watching spot.
h) New Orleans’s nickname. 
i) They get their own parades in New Orleans - the krewe of Barkus.
j) Something attractive, such as candy. 

2

Highlight the correct sentences.

Mardi Gras Indians are the Mardi Gras most people don’t see.

The Mardi Gras colors are Purple, Green and Gold.

×

Each Krewe hosts an elaborate formal ball.

×

Mardi Gras is more than New Orleans.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans is forbidden to people under 18.

You have to pay to see the Mardi Gras Parade.

We only eat pancakes with maple syrup during Mardi Gras.

There are pumpkins everywhere in the streets.

Mardi Gras is a Legal Holiday.

A2 For Mardi Gras, my float will be...
A2+ My float is composed of...
B1 My float has... for I wanted to show...