English. Course1

FAMILY

Topical Vocabulary

1.family - семья

one-parent family – неполная семья

nuclear family – семья, только самые близкие родственники extended family – семья, все родственники

2.relatives – родственники

remote relatives–дальние родственники

to be related to – приходиться родственником relatives by birth – родственники по рождению relatives by marriage – родственники по браку

3.parents – родители father/mother – отец/мать dad/mum – папа/мама

4.children – дети child – ребенок daughter – дочь son – сын

twins – близнецы triplets – тройняшки

the only child – единственный ребенок в семье

5.siblings – братья/сестры brother – брат

sister – сестра

6.aunt/uncle – тетя/дядя

7.niece/nephew – племянница/племянник

8.cousin – двоюродный брат/сестра

9.grandparents – дедушка/бабушка grandfather (grandpa) – дедушка grandmother (grandma) – бабушка ancestors – предки

10.grandchildren – внуки granddaughter/son – внучка/внук

11.spouse(s) – супруг(и) husband – муж

wife – жена

wife-to-be –будущая жена husband-to-be – будущий муж

common-in-law partners – партнеры, живущие в гражданском браке

12.marital status – семейный статус married – замужняя/женатый single – незамужняя/неженатый divorced – разведенный bachelor – холостяк

old maid – старая дева widow – вдова

13.stepparents – неродные родители stepmother – мачеха

stepfather – отчим

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guardian – опекун

14.stepchildren – усыновленные/неродные дети stepdaughter – падчерица

stepson – пасынок orphan – сирота

15.mother-in-law – теща, свекровь father-in-law – тесть, свекр

16.son-in-law – зять

daughter-in-law –сноха, невестка

17.marriage – брак, женитьба to marry – жениться

to get married – пожениться

to be married – быть женатым/замужем

to marry into the family – войти в семью после замужества marriage ceremony (wedding) – свадьба

18.divorce – развод

to divorce – разводиться

19.engagement – помолвка

to be engaged – быть помолвленным

20.dating – ухаживания

21.to bring up children –воспитывать детей upbringing – воспитание

22.to spoil a child – избаловать ребенка

23.to adopt a child – усыновить ребенка

24.to respect each other – уважать друг друга

25.to be deeply attached to each other – быть глубоко привязанным друг к другу

26.to take care of – заботиться о

27.to get on well – хорошо ладить

28.to have much in common – иметь много общего

29.to take after – пойти в/быть похожим на кого-либо

30.to look like somebody – быть похожим на

31.to be of age – стать совершеннолетним

Text A

Family Life

A “typical” British family used to consist of mother, father and two children, but in recent years there have been many changes in family life. Some of them have been caused by new laws and others are the results of changes in society. For example, since the law made it easier to get a divorce, the number of divorces has increased. In fact one marriage in every three now ends in divorce. This means that there are a lot of one-parent families. Society is now more tolerant of unmarried people, unmarried couples and single parents.

Another change has been caused by the fact that people are living longer nowadays, and many old people live alone following the death of their partners. As a result of these changes in the pattern of people’s lives, there are many households, which consist of only one person or one adult and children.

One might think that marriage and the family are not so popular as they once were. However, the majority of divorced people marry again, and they sometimes take responsibility for a second family.

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Marriage is considered to be a matter of individual responsibility and decision. Young people frequently fall in love and marry even if their parents disapprove of their choice. Most men marry by the time they are 30, and a husband is usually a few years older than his wife.

Dating – that is young men and young women going out together – usually precedes marriage. Steady dating is often followed by marriage or by a formal engagement – a public statement of the intention to marry. Marriage ceremony may be celebrated in a church or in a register office.

Despite many family problems (high divorce rates, family violence, child-abuse, generation gap), we are much more hopeful when we speak about our own families. Our families give us a sense of belonging and a sense of tradition. Parents teach their children values, daily skills, common practices and customs. The things we need most deeply in our lives – love, communication, respect and good relationships – have their beginnings in the family.

Ex.1 Comprehension questions:

1.What members does a traditional family consist of?

2.How has family life changed in recent years?

3.What caused these changes?

4.What is the average age for most men to marry?

5.What is the difference between dating and steady dating?

6.Where can a marriage ceremony be held?

7.What do we value most of all in a family?

Ex.2 Find English equivalents to the following words and phrases:

вызывать, получить развод, увеличиваться, терпимый, большинство, ответственность, брак, не одобрять выбор (мужа, жены), ухаживания, помолвка, брачная церемония, насилие над детьми, семейные тенденции, традиции, любовь и уважение.

Ex.3 Say if the following statements are true or false:

1.Family changes together with the society.

2.There is an increase in the number of one-parent families.

3.Dating and engagement usually precede marriage.

4.Family life involves few problems.

5.Very few families end in divorce.

6.Families give us things that we value most of all: love, respect and good relationship.

Ex.4 Explain the following terms:

Model: traditional family – a family that consists of a mother, a father and some children.

parent, stepparent, marriage, dating, steady dating, engagement, marriage ceremony, divorce, family values, good relationships.

Ex.5 Point out the differences, characteristic for the Russian family, if there are any. Expand on the problems existing in a modern family.

Text B

My Family

Our family is not very large. I have a father, a mother and a sister. We all live together in a new flat in one of the industrial districts of Smolensk.

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My father Igor Ivanovich is 45 years old. He is a tall and well-built man with short black hair and grey eyes. He works at a big plant as an engineer. He likes his work and spends most of his time there. By character my father is a quite man, while my mother is energetic and talkative. Her name is Olga Petrovna. She is a teacher of music and plays the piano well. My mother always has a lot of work to do about the house and at school. She is a busy woman and we all help her.

My sister’s name is Alla. Like her mother Alla has blue eyes and lovely fair hair. She is a very good looking girl. Alla is three years younger than me. She is a pupil of the ninth form. She does well at school and gets only good and excellent marks. Literature is her favourite subject and she wants to become a teacher, the same as me.

My name is Tanya. Last year I left school and tried to enter the University. But I failed in my exams. For a year I worked at school as a secretary and attended preparatory courses. Now I'm again an applicant for entry to the philological faculty of the University. I hope to be lucky this time.

Our family is very united. We like to spend time together. In the evenings we watch TV, read books and newspapers, listen to music or just talk about the events of the day. Our parents don't always agree to what we say but they listen to our opinion. All of us like to spend our week-ends out of town. We often go to the village where our grandparents live. They are old-age pensioners now but prefer to live in the country. My grand-grandmother is still alive. She lives in my grandmother's family and is always glad to see us. She is in poor health and asks us to come and see her more often. I also have many other relatives: uncles, aunts, cousins and many friends. We are happy when we are together.

Task 1. Answer the questions:

1.What is your first name? What is your surname?

2.How old are you?

3.When is your birthday?

4.Is your family large? How many members are there in the family?

5.Have you got any brothers or sisters?

6.What are your parents? Where do they work?

7.How long have your parents been married?

8.Do they have much in common?

9.Do you spend a lot of time with your family?

10.What sort of things do you do together?

11.Do you go out with your parents?

12.Who runs the house in your family?

13.What are your household duties?

14.What is your father's hobby?

15.Can you describe your mother?

Vocabulary Exercises

Ex.1. Give two or more words falling under the same category:

1. name; 2. family; 3. children; 4. ancestors;

5. stepparents; 6. relatives; 7. stepchildren; 8. people who are not married

Ex.2. Match the words in column A with those in column B:

Ex. 3. Cross-one-out:

1)father, mother, son, daughter-in-law

2)aunt, niece, cousin, orphan

3)bachelor, old maid, widow, spouse

4)upbringing, divorce, marriage, engagement

5)cousin, son-in-law, mother-in-law, daughter

6)guardian, stepdaughter, orphan, twins

Ex.4. Fill in the right words.

1.Your relatives on your wife's side are: your wife's sister is your..., and her brother is your ..., your parents will refer to your wife as their ... while your brothers and sisters will refer to her as.... Your wife's parents will speak of you as their...

2.Your brother's and sister's sons and daughters are your… and... .

3.Your mother's and father's brothers and sisters are your.... The children of your uncles and aunts are your... and the children of your first cousins are your... .

4.Your mother's and father's parents are your... and the latter will refer to you as their....

5.Someone's second wife will speak other husband's children as her..., whereas the latter will speak of her as their.... Someone's second husband will also refer to his wife's children as his...

while the latter will speak of him as their…

Ex.5. Translate the following sentences paying special attention to the italicized parts:

1. He was in his late eighties.

2.Elaine Kent was well in her twenties.

3.They were long past forty.

4.He didn't look his age.

5.We were born in the same generation.

6.Roman was two years my senior.

7.He was seven years her junior.

8.My family on both sides is noted for longevity.

9.Bairne is gone.

10.I made it a rule never to speak ill of the dead.

11.He had a steady girl-friend at the moment.

12.I don't have relations on my mother's side.

13.He had a daughter by his first marriage.

Ex.6. Fill in the gaps with the proper words:

a) 1. Andrew's parents don't live together. They are... 2. Frank has no parents, so he is an... 3. Her... name was Hope. But after the marriage her name is Dickson. 4. He hasn't got a family of

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his own, he is... so far. 5. Are you an... child in the family? - No, I've got an elder brother. 6. My grandparents are... already. 7. He is 19. He... of age last year. 8. Children go to school at the...

of six in our Republic. 9. He is married now but two years ago he was... .

(b) 1. He is in... late sixties. 2. His daughter is in... midteens. 3. Is Kate a relative of...? - No, we are just friends. 4. Do you have a family of ... own? 5. This is Barbara Dickson. She is a colleague of ... 6. They prefer to live by... 7. Does she live with... parents? 8. He is a dear old friend of...

Ex.7. Translate into English.

1.Ему еще нет 18 лет. Он станет совершеннолетним в феврале следующего года.

2.Моя фамилия Джексон. Моя девичья фамилия была Грей. Я замужем за Тедом Джексоном.

3.Это правда, что они развелись? - Не совсем, но они не живут вместе.

4.Мы с мужем одного возраста, нам обоим по 30 лет. Пока у нас нет детей, но мы уже ждем ребенка.

5.У них большая, дружная семья. Они все хорошо ладят и заботятся друг о друге.

6.У меня есть маленькая племянница. Ей нет еще и года. А племянник уже подросток. Он ходит в шестой класс.

Dialogues

I.Read the dialogue and state the relations between the American Presidents:

A:Did you happen to know that George Bush and Bill Clinton are distant cousins?

B:Well, I've never heard of it! Where on earth did you find that out'?

A:I've just read it in "The Japan Times" in the October 23, 1992 issue.

B:What information agency does the paper refer to?

A:Reutor-Kyodo from London.

B:Oh, that's a reliable source. What does the article say?

A:Both presidents share royal ancestors traced back to the 13-th century in England.

B:Any relationship to Queen Elizabeth of Britain?

A: Exactly. Bush is her 13-th cousin. It's a matter of common knowledge now.

B: How very interesting! And who is the common ancestor Clinton and Bush descended from?

A:Both descended from King John of England, Bush through John’s son Henry III and Clinton through his daughter Eleanor.

B:Fancy that! Both have connections to ancient noble families and even to the royal ones!

A:There is one more interesting point. Clinton also descended from Eleanor's husband, Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, who was a great democrat of his days and was called "the champion of Parliament".

B:So, the descendant of a democrat is himself a representative of the Democratic Party of the USA.

A:Yes, exactly! At the same time Bush is a representative of the opposition party, the Republicans.

B:So, Henry III and Simon, brothers-in-law, were opponents in those far away days, and their descendants were presidential contenders in the fall of 1992.

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II. Read the dialogue and make up your own dialogues discussing photos in your family albums:

A:Good afternoon, is your wife in?

B:No, Jane isn't home yet. Won't you sit down?

A:Thank you. It's a fine day, isn't it?

B:Oh, yes, it's very warm and sunny. While waiting would you like to have a look at our family album?

A:Sure. Who are these people?

B:They are our parents. These man and woman are Jane's parents, my mother-in-law and my father-in-law. And here are my parents.

A:I see. Your mother is very young and beautiful in this picture.

B:And father? He is still a very handsome man, isn't he?

A:How old is he now?

B:He is 67, but he is still very handsome. And this is our son Martin. He is nineteen. He is a student.

A:What a lovely face! Who's this?

B:This is Jane's cousin, my sister-in-law. Her mother, Jane's aunt, is a famous actress, and her uncle is an artist, and a very good one. His son is also an artist.

A:This is a very old photograph... Who's this funny little baby? A boy, isn't it?

B:Yes, and a very big boy now.

A:Oh! It's not you, is it?

B:It is!

Communicative Activity

Ex.1. Do you think your family is a happy one? What makes a happy family? What do you think of an ideal family? Is it possible to have such?

Ex. 2. Draw your "family tree" telling who your ancestors were, where they came from, etc. Write the names of your relatives. Next to each name, write down their relationship to you; e.g. mother, sister-in-law, cousin, nephew, etc.

Ex.3. Make up questions to which the following sentences could be the answers:

I. Sure, you can call me Mary.

2.No, he is a bachelor. He is not the marrying sort.

3.Yes, he is 6 years my junior.

4.No, she is my stepmother, that's why she looks so young.

5.No, they don't. They have adopted the child.

6.I was born on the 15-th of May, 1954 in London.

7.No, she is my grandmother.

8.No, I am not from Georgia. I come from Bulgaria, I am Bulgarian.

Ex.4. Interview your partner and find out from him or her:

1)if she/he is an only child;

2)how many brothers and sisters she/he has got;

3)if she/he would prefer more or fewer brothers or sisters;

4)if she/he has very much contact with her/his extended family;

5)if she/he has any problems living at home with her/his family;

6)how many children she/he would like to have (if any).

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Ex.5. What are your ideas about marriage? What is the right age to get married? Is it a good idea to look for a partner using the Internet?

Ex.6. Look at the list of what you might look for in a partner. Decide which are the five

earns a good salary

is a good cook

APPEARANCE

Topical Vocabulary

1.appearance – внешность beautiful/pretty – красивая (о женщине) handsome – красивый (о мужчине) (un)attractive – (не)привлекательный common/plain – заурядный good-looking – приятный, красивый smart – блистательный, красивый

remarkable – выдающийся (о внешности)

2.age – возраст young – молодой

middle-aged – средних лет elderly – в возрасте, пожилой teen-ager – подросток (13-19 лет) adult – взрослый

e.g. He is well in his forties. – Ему где-то 44-45 лет. She is in her early twenties. – Ей около 20 лет.

He is in his late eighties. – Ему уже почти 90. They are long past forty. – Им уже давно за 40.

3.figure – фигура, телосложение slim/slender – стройный stout/fat – полный/толстый well-built – хорошо сложенный graceful – изящный

clumsy – неуклюжий broad-shouldered – широкоплечий

4.height – рост tall – высокий short – низкий

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medium-sized – среднего роста

5.face – лицо round – круглое oval – овальное thin – тонкое

with regular/irregular features – с правильными/неправильными чертами лица freckled – веснушчатое

wrinkled – морщинистое sunburnt – загорелое clean-shaven – чисто выбритое

6.eyes – глаза

blue/grey/green/dark/hazel – голубые/серые/зеленые/темные/карие kind/warm – добрые

7.nose – нос

hooked – крючковатый snub – курносый straight – прямой turned up – вздернутый

8.forehead – лоб broad – широкий narrow – узкий domed – выпуклый

9.cheeks – щеки plump – пухлые hollow – впалые

with dimples – с ямочками ruddy – румяные

pale – бледные

10.chin – подбородок double – двойной massive – массивный protruding – выдающийся pointed – острый

11.hair – волосы golden/red/fair/chestnut/grey/jet-black –

золотистые/рыжие/светлые/каштановые/седые/черные как смоль brown/blond/brunette – шатен/блондин/брюнет

thick – густые

thin – тонкие/жидкие bald-headed – лысый wavy – волнистые curly – кудрявые

Text A

How Important Is Your Appearance?

Task 1. Read the text and discuss the questions.

How important is your appearance? Although everyone wants to be good -looking, are beautiful people always the happiest people? For example, it must be a problem to be a really

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beautiful woman because many men may be more interested in looking at you than in talking to you. They think of you as a picture rather than a person. There are also some people who think that women who are exceptionally pretty and men who are particularly handsome must be stupid. They believe that only unattractive people can be intelligent.

On the other hand no one wants to be really ugly and have a face that even your mother doesn't want to look at; and no one wants to be plain either that is to be neither attractive nor unattractive, and have a face that is easily forgotten.

Being attractive is like being rich: it can help you to find happiness, but it doesn't always make you happy. So may be the best thing is not to worry too much about how you look, but simply try to be an interesting person, for interesting people have interesting faces and interesting faces are almost always attractive.

Task 2. Think about it:

1) Who are the most beautiful woman and the best-looking man you know? 2) Do you think it's difficult to be very good-looking? Why? Why not? 3) How important is it to look attractive'? Why?

4)Look at these common English expressions and decide whether you agree with them.

a)Beauty is only skin-deep.

b)Your face is your fortune.

c)Beauty is the eye of the beholder (i.e. the person who is looking).

Text B

Revealing Faces

Small face

You don't enjoy people intruding into your personal life and invading your privacy. Reflective and intelligent, you are a passionate but firm personality, although you find these two traits in conflict at times. A tendency to be cautious means you don't trust too easily, but you do value a circle of close friends and family members.

Oval face

A good decision-maker, you have strength of character, lots of energy, and usually finish what you start. Affectionate and outgoing by nature, you can be a bit naive and trustful.

Square face

You expect a lot from other people, but give as much in return. You're stubborn, strongwilled and quick to learn, but your staying power runs out when you lose interest. Highly sensitive to criticism, you're aggressive under pressure.

Thin face

You don't suffer fools gladly and have a great sense of humour. Energetic but able to balance action with thought, you're not one who follows the crowd. You enjoy competition in the love stakes and opt for a partner who's companionable as well as attractive.

Heart-shaped

Practical rather than a thinker, you have a degree of charm that can be devastating. Your romantic judgement can sometimes let you down, though. You appear placid and cool in most situations, but this hides a quick temper when crossed. Relationship may suffer if your partner can't live up to your high expectations.

Broad face

A strong sense of your own importance means you like to be taken seriously by friends. You can be kind and sympathetic, but won't waste it on those you feel don't deserve it. Affectionate and loving rather than passionate, yours is an energetic and intelligent nature with optimism high on your list of the important things in life.

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