Lesson 2

1. Family Relations. Traditions.

• Reading and speaking.

You are going to read about the family traditions.

Pre-reading task.

1). Check the meaning of these words

<united ><— ><згуртований ><family ><circle ><— ><родинне ><коло>

<to ><relax ><— ><відпочивати ><common ><— ><спільний>

Reading

1.I am attending language courses now.2.I live with a foreign student and I want to tell him about my family traditions.3. My family is like thousands other families: it consists of my mother, father, brother and myself.4. My parents are 45 years old, and my elder brother , Sashko, is 20.5. I think our family is very united and we always help each other.6. I usually help my mother to cook and to lay the table, while my father is doing the shopping.7. It is a tradition that every Saturday my brother and I clean our flat.8. We always celebrate together such holidays as New Year, the 8th of March Easter, the holidays in May, and , of course, birthdays. 9.We often invite guests but usually on holidays we gather in the family circle. 10. Some holidays, except the Women’s Day, Sashko celebrates with his friends. 11. On that day my father cooks, does everything about the house and takes care of my Mum and me. 12.Usually in the evenings we get together in the living room and discuss the events of the day. Joke or watch interesting TV programs and films.13. In April and May we often go to the country to visit our grandparents. 14. At such moments everybody relaxes and try to forget about everyday problems. 15. I think our family traditions are the same as in most of the families.16.And how big is your family? 17.Do you celebrate holiday together?18. What holidays do you celebrate?19. Is your family united?20. How do you help each other?21. You see, you don’t celebrate New Year, but Christmas is a great holiday for your family. 22. There are many common traditions in many families. 23. The main common thing is that we help each other and like to be near each other very much.

Comprehension check

1 Are the sentences true (v) or false (X)? Correct the wrong statement.

I am attending language courses now.

I live alone in the room.

I want to tell about family traditions.

My parents are 45 years old.

My older brother Sashko is 25.

I think our family is very united and we always help each other.

I always help my mother to cook.

My brother lays the table.

It is a tradition that every Saturday my brother and I clean our flat.

Speaking

1. Answer the following questions.

<><>

1. <How ><many ><members ><are ><there ><in ><your ><family?>

2. <What ><holidays ><do ><you ><like ><to ><celebrate ><most ><of ><all?>

3. <How ><do ><you ><spend ><time ><with ><your ><relatives?>

4. <Do ><you ><like ><to ><invite ><friends?>

5. <Who ><usually ><does ><the ><work ><about ><the ><house?>

A Dialogue:

2 Read the dialogue in pairs and compose your own.

Mike: I want to ask about your family traditions. How many members are there in your family?

Victor: My family is like thousands other families: it consists of my mother,father, brother and myself.

M.: What holidays do you like to celebrate most of all?

V.: We always celebrate together such holidays as New Year, the 8th of March, Easter, the holi­days in May, and, of course, birthdays. We often invite guests but usually on holidays we gather in the family circle.

M.: How do you spend time with your relatives?

V.: Usually in the evenings we get together in the living-room and discuss the events of the day, joke or watch interesting TV programs and films. In April and May we often go to the country to visit my grandparents. At such moments everybody relaxes and tries to forget about everyday problems.

M.: <Do ><you ><like ><to ><invite ><friends?>

V.: Oh, yes! We play computer games with my best friend Serhiy practically every Saturday. And I invite my friends to my birthday.

M.: <Who ><usually ><does ><the ><work ><about ><the >house?

V.: 1 usually help my mother to cook and to lay the table, while my father is doing the shopping. It is a tradition that every Sat­urday my brother and I clean our flat.

Speak on:

Your family traditions. Imagine that you live in one room with a foreign student during the studies at the language courses. He\ She is interested in your family traditions.

1). Tell about members and age of your family, family traditions.

2).Ask about family traditions of your friend.

3). Express your opinion what common is and what difference is in traditions of your families.

Act out the following situations:

1).You are sharing your impression on a visit to the courses to Great Britain.

2).You went to the summer camp. Ask your new friend about his\ her family.

3). Ask about the holidays they like to celebrate in their family.

• Choose the correct continuation to complete the following statements:

1.Conflicts are

a) part of my family life

b) part of its development

c) very often in the society.

2. In literature we find conflicts in

a) poems

b) stories

c) novels.

3). We try to solve the conflicts by

a) discussion or joke

b) force

c) insistent request

4). I am happy to say that my parents

a)do not know about my problems

b)do not interfere with me

c)understand me

5). Sometimes I go to

a)disco or to the school party

b)the café

c)the restaurant.

6).At last everybody

a)is angry

b)agrees

c)quarrels

• Read the text and ... smile.

A Very good Son

“ Have you a family, madam?

“Yes, one son.”

“Does he smoke?

“No, he doesn’t.”

“That’s very good. Tobacco is a poison. Your son must be a very good young man.How old is he?”

“Four month today.”

Word list and expressions.

<United - ><>згуртований

<to ><relax ><- >відпочивати

<family ><circle ><- ><родинне ><коло>

<common - >< >спільний

to lay the table - накривати стіл

is doing the shopping – робить покупки

to celebrate – святкувати

Easter - Паска

to take care - піклуватися

to joke - жартувати

to relax - відпочивати