Vovô
He was........ with some liver spots on his head. He had a massive.........., thick and bristly, a bit like a........ I remember looking at the crocodile on his shirts. He had to take........ with every meal. Grandma said he wasn’t...... to have things with sugar in them, so he took sweeteners instead. I once caught him sneaking chocolate from the....... He gave me a piece and he said, “não diga a avó.” So I didn’t, I felt........ I enjoyed sitting.......him in the car, watching him check his teeth in the........ He’d share cream crackers with me. He smelt like them sometimes. We’d go feed the fish in the river by the house where he........... up. He’d hold my hand so I wouldn’t fall in. When we’d sit down for food, he’d often doze off into a........... He’d say he was just .............. his eyes. One day, he called me into his room to show me............. I was............, so I told him I’d be there in a minute. I never went. And that night, he woke up, got.........., and told my grandma he needed to go to hospital. I didn’t see him.......... until 3 days later. They dressed him in a suit and ...... his hair. I watched him lying on the cushion. He looked ........... than I remember. I wondered if he was ........... I stared at his face for a while, his............ neatly covering his top lip, and I ........... his hand. I wonder what it was that he wanted to .......... me? I’ll ask him another time. He’s just........... his eyes.
SPEAKING - QUESTIONS: 1. Did your grandparents look after you when you were a child? 2. What memories do you have of your grandparents when you were a child? 3. In your country do grandparents spend a lot of time looking after their grandchildren? 4. How is the relationship between parents and their children, and grandparents and their grandchildren different? 5. Have you ever lived with any of your grandparents? 6. Do you take after any of your grandparents? 7. What’s the best thing about being a grandparent? 8. What’s the best thing about being a grandchild?
WRITING: Write a description of your grandfather/mother and a story about something which he/she did / used to do when you were a child.
Vovô (KEY) He was bald with some liver spots on his head. He had a massive moustache, thick and bristly, a bit like a broom. I remember looking at the crocodile on his shirts. He had to take pills with every meal. Grandma said he wasn’t allowed to have things with sugar in them, so he took sweeteners instead. I once caught him sneaking chocolate from the fridge. He gave me a piece and he said, “não diga a avó.” So I didn’t, I felt guilty. I enjoyed sitting behind him in the car, watching him check his teeth in the mirror. He’d share cream crackers with me. He smelt like them sometimes. We’d go feed the fish in the river by the house where he grew up. He’d hold my hand so I wouldn’t fall in. When we’d sit down for food, he’d often doze off into a sleep. He’d say he was just resting his eyes. One day, he called me into his room to show me something. I was busy, so I told him I’d be there in a minute. I never went. And that night, he woke up, got dressed, and told my grandma he needed to go to hospital. I didn’t see him again until 3 days later. They dressed him in a suit and combed his hair. I watched him lying on the cushion. He looked smaller than I remember. I wondered if he was comfortable. I stared at his face for a while, his moustache neatly covering his top lip, and I held his hand. I wonder what it was that he wanted to show me? I’ll ask him another time. He’s just resting his eyes.