10 minute read
LESSON 3: FAMILY MATTERS
Lesson 1 Lesson 3
UNIT 2
FAMILY MATTERS
– What does the word family mean to you? – When do you think we need our families the most?
VOCABULARY
1. What is the difference in meaning between the following?
1) Parents and relatives 2) Nephews and nieces 3) Stepsisters and sisters-in-law 4) Godfathers and great-uncles 5) A close relative and a distant relative
2. What kind of family do you live in?
nuclear / single-parent / foster / adoptive / blended / cross-generation / grandparent 3. What relatives do you have in your...?
extended family / immediate family / close-knit / distant relatives / on mother’s / father’s side / flesh and blood / generation / siblings
4. What do you think is the difference between these people, if there is question mark.
1) A friend and an acquaintance 2) A girlfriend and a female friend 3) A sibling and a cousin 4) A half-brother/sister and a step-brother/sister 5) An aunt or uncle and mother/father-in-law 6) A wife/husband and a partner
5. Complete the sentences with missing words. You can use the words from Ex.2,3,4 or your own.
In some European countries, if you dump your 1) _____ they can sue you for breaking a promise (which is like breaking a contract). The same thing used to be true in the UK.
In some parts of North America it is normal to go round and see your 2) _____ (s) when they move in, usually with a small gift like homemade cookies.
A typical British family has an 3) _____ who is the black sheep of the family.
Most Chinese women nowadays say that they want their first child to be a 4) _____. In China, you rarely use your older or younger 5) _____ s’ names, just calling them “Older 6) _____”, “Younger 7) _____” etc.
British comedians traditionally make lots of jokes about their 8) _____.
In Pakistan, you can’t go for a coffee with your girlfriend unless she is with her 9) _____ or 10) _____.
In Japan it is usual to use family names with your 11) _____ mates and 12) _____ mates, but in the UK you would only use first names.
The Spanish say that your first love is usually your 13) _____.
In Egypt, you cannot ask how a man’s 14) _____ or 15) _____ is.
6. Read the description of Amanda’s relationship with people in her family. Match the phrases (1-6) to the best definitions (a-f).
1) I look like my dad. a) I have a similar personality. 2) I take after my mum. b) I have inherited some of her characteristics. 3) I get on (really) well with my cousin, Paul. c) I have a very good relationship. 4) I’m very close to my twin sister, Alice. d) We share similar interests. 5) I have a lot in common with my brother, Will. e) I have a similar appearance. 6) I am (a bit) like my aunt Julia. f) I have a deep, strong relationship.
7. Choose the phrases in colour from Ex.6 to describe the following relationships.
1) Paul and Rob really enjoy each other’s company, because they both love playing football, talking about cars, and going out._____ 2) Alice has lots of friends, but if she has a problem to solve or a secret to share she always tells her cousin, Sue, first. They grew up together, and can trust each other completely._____ 3) My Aunt Rebecca has the same long nose and high cheekbones as my mum. People often mistake her for her sister. ____ 4) My nephews, Rob and Colin, are both very talkative and outgoing._____ 5) My mum tells me that I get my fiery temper and stubborn nature from my granny._____
8. Divide the phrases into the two groups. Find the appropriate equivalents in your language. Name such people in your life.
1) We’re as different as chalk and cheese. 2) We’re like two peas in a pod. 3) We get on like a house on fire. 4) She’s the spitting image of her mother. 5) I have little to do with her. 6) You just can’t tell them apart.
PEOPLE ARE SIMILAR PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT
Lesson 1 Lesson 3
UNIT 2
LISTENING
9. Listen to the recording and do the test about your family relationships. Count your total score. Listen to your result. HOW STRONG IS YOUR FAMILY?
Put 1 = Almost Never, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Almost Always
10. Do you agree with the result? Discuss it with the class. Is there anything you have to change in yourself or in your family relationships? What exactly? Why?
SPEAKING
11. Tell your classmates about your family. If you have a family photograph, you may wish to show it to them. Ask your classmates about their families.
For example: There are five people in my family. My mom, dad, older brother, younger sister, and me. My mother is a dentist. My father is a veterinarian. I have two brothers and one sister. This is my grandma... This is my dad... This is me, when I was 9 years old. My family usually gets together/has a special tradition…
Lesson 1 Lesson 3
UNIT 2
READING
12. What do you think, you are a good child? What child are you: firstborn, second born, third born or the only-child? Read the text and try to find your description. Match descriptions to the order of birth.
The Firstborn: The Middle: The Youngest: The Only .
a) The Achiever: This child will probably have more in common with others than their own brothers and sisters. Because they have had so much control and attention from their parents from early-on, they are overlyresponsible, reliable, well-behaved, careful, and smaller versions of their own parents.
If you are this one, you are probably a high achiever who seeks approval, dominates, and is that perfectionist who uses up all of the oxygen in the room. You can be found in a leadership career such as law, medicine, or as a CEO.
b) The Life of the Party: If you’re this child, your parents are already confident in their role as caregiver, and don’t necessarily pay attention to your every move. Hence, you’ve learned how to tempt the crowd with charm and likeability. You have more freedom and, in a sense, are more independent. Such children often find careers in the entertainment business as actors, comedians, writers, directors, etc. They also make good doctors and teachers. Because your parents were more tolerant, you expect freedom to follow your own path in a creative style.
c) The Peacemaker: You are probably understanding, cooperative, flexible, and competitive.
You are concerned with fairness. In fact, you are likely to pick an intimate circle of friends to represent your extended family. It is here that you will find the attention likely lacking in your family of origin. You find yourself in power careers that allow you to use your negotiating skills and get that all too-needed attention. Such children develop personality traits that help them succeed in jobs and relationships, even quicker than their siblings. They are team players and those wonderful social skills can prepare them for an entrepreneurial role on a large scene.
d) The Lone Wolf: You grow up surrounded by adults, and therefore are more verbal and often more mature. This allows for gains in intelligence that exceeds other birth order differences. You are resourceful, creative, and confident in your independence. You can enjoy the company of others as well as enjoying your own company. You have the privilege of having all your parents’ support and expectations on your shoulders.
13. Decide whether the sentences are true (T) or false (F) according to the text. Do you agree? Support your opinion.
1) Firstborn children are most alike to their parents. 2) Second born child is under lesser control of the parents. 3) Middle children are closer to their friends than to the family. 4) Third borns tend to be more successful in social life than their brothers and sisters. 5) Peacemakers have an advantage to be supported by their parents. 6) The only child will rarely get on well with the achiever.
GRAMMAR
GRAMMAR BANK
We use NARRATIVE TENSES to talk about the past. We can use them to tell a story or to describe past events, including personal anecdotes, mysteries, or a story of life. Ex.: When I lived on the island, I enjoyed walking on the beach in the early morning with Bonnie – my best friend and my dog. The four narrative tenses are the Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous and one or more of these can be used in a sentence.
Ex.: We were walking as usual one day, when all of a sudden, Bonnie shot off. She started to bark furiously. I saw a man sleeping face down on the sand. Bonnie continued to bark, but the man didn’t wake up. He wasn’t sleeping; he was dead. It was clear that the storm had washed up the body. When we tell a story in the past, we often use linking words or phrases to join two or more sentences or clauses to show a sequence of events or actions. Ex.: Nelson Mandela never gave up on his struggle against apartheid.
As the years went by, his fame spread to every corner of the world. In the end, under enormous global pressure, the government had no option but to release him. Other linking words and phrases that signal order of events are:
first of all, then, next, finally, after that, after several months/days/hours/weeks, by the time, while, all of a sudden, in the beginning, before, after, during, soon, eventually, at last.
14. Choose the correct alternative. Use the Grammar Bank above if necessary. Then, decide if these extracts come from a detective story (D), a folk tale (F) or a biography (B).
15. Fill in the blanks using correct tenses to complete two stories about people’s lives.
1) The old man fished/was fishing as usual when he saw/was seeing something strange. 2) In 2005, Jack was teaching/taught in Canada and became/had become well-known. 3) I‘d known/’d been knowing Paul for many years and when I read/was reading he was/had been in prison, I knew/was knowing there was a mistake. 4) The prince had been searching/was searching in the forest for ten hours and was beginning/ had begun to lose hope. 5) He noticed/was noticing that somebody had left/had been living a briefcase. 6) Ella had been looking/had looked through old photos when she heard/was hearing a knock on the door.
1) Ann 1)____(move) out of her parents’ house three years before her father 2)____(decide) to sell it. However, when she 3) ____(learn) about her father’s decision, she 4)____(feel) sad. Nevertheless, she understood that her parents 5)____(get) older and that they 6)____(not/need) such a big house any more.
2) When I 7)____(be) a little boy, I 8)____(have) a dog, which I 9)____(find) on the street. We 10)____(go) for long walks every day. Once, when we 11)____(walk) back home, a man 12)____(approach) me and 13)____(try) to mug me. My dog 14)____(bite) him in the bottom and the man 15)____(start) running away. As he 16)____(run), my dog 17)____(bark) at him.
