Vocabulary

coincidence n.: You chose exactly the same wallpaper as us – what a coincidence!

pure / sheer coincidence: It was pure coincidence that I remembered his phone number.

by coincidence: Just by coincidence, I met my old school-mate again fifty years later.

coincide v.

to coincide with: I timed my holiday to coincide with the children’s holiday.

coincidentally adv.: Coincidentally, the fires all began within minutes of one another.

conceive v.

resuscitate v.: Her heart had stopped, but the doctors successfully resuscitated her.

resuscitation n.: The patient suffered a cardiac arrest and died, despite an attempt at resuscitation.

mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (= artificial respiration)

pregnant adj.

to become pregnant

to get smb. pregnant: He believes that men who get (= make) young girls pregnant should be severely punished.

to be pregnant with: My sister is pregnant with twins.

Syn.:

to be expecting (a baby): She shouldn’t be lifting those boxes if she’s expecting. / Kate and Dom are expecting a baby.

expectant mothers / fathers / couples

to be in the family way (Amer.)

to be in a delicate condition / state

with child: She is with child.

lady-in-waiting (Amer.)

a mum-to-be (Br.)

a mother-to-be (Amer.)

her time is near (= she’s expecting)

devastated adj.

devastating adj.

devastating consequences / effects

devastate v.

Word combinations:

to work out one’s dates

to keep a straight face

in a row

to get into full swing

to turn 13

to give smb. a bit of a scare

to be due

to loose a baby at five months

to give up one’s dream of doing (having) smth.

to be discharged from hospital

to host a party for

Exercises

1. Comprehension. Answer the questions as briefly as possible:

1. Why is April the most expensive month for Susan Organ’s family?

2. What is the chance of having six babies in a row in the same month?

3. Did Susan Organ plan her babies to be born in April?

4. Are Susan and Clint married?

5. Is Susan referred to as Miss or Mrs. in the article?

6. What is her partner?

7. How old is Susan?

8. Why did she call her sixth baby April?

9. When were all her children conceived?

10. When was the couple’s eldest son born?

11. How many deliveries did she have?

12. Why was Susan eager to get home from hospital when her sixth baby was born?

2. Vocabulary. Find words and expressions that are used in the text to mean:

1. to become pregnant

2. an occasion when two or more things happen at the same time

3. a family who live together

4. to calculate smth.

5. a sudden feeling of fear or worry

6. to bring back to life

7. to be expected to happen at a particular time

8. to remain serious when you don’t want to show that you find smth. funny

3. Vocabulary. Choose the most appropriate explanation for the following words:

devastated

1. excited and happy

2. very angry

3. morbid

4. shocked and upset

recover

1. to push hard

2. to become well again

3. to obtain help

4. to call into use

go through smth.

1. to experience

2. to be accepted

3. to visit

4. to change to smth. new

thrilled

1. having odd feelings

2. extremely pleased

3. very much frightened

4. surprised

exhausted

1. greatly afraid

2. bored to death

3. extremely tired

4. complicated