Text 4 popov’s family

Exercise 1. Read the text, write down the plan of the text, get ready to render the text according to your plan.

We are a large and friendly family. There are six of us: grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, my younger sister and I.

I have an elder sister, too, she is 22 years old, but she doesn’t live with us. She is married. She has got a little family of her own: a husband and a son, my nephew.

Our grandfather is a scientist. He is on the wrong side of sixty, but he does not want to retire. Our grandmother is retired. She was a teacher and worked at school. She keeps house. Of course we help her about the house.

Father is a doctor. He works at a large hospital. Mother is an economist and she works at a bank. Both our parents are very busy.

My sister and I go to school. We spend most of the afternoons doing our homework.

At the weekends we are not so busy as on week days, and we can relax: visit or receive relatives. Sometimes we are sitting in our large and comfortable living room, talking, discussing our everyday affairs drinking tea.

Text 5 andrew’s family

Exercise 1. Read the text get ready to answer the questions.

I enjoy the honest and open relationship in my family - but I think discipline must be used when necessary. There’s never been a division between us, the children, and them, our parents. Freedom has made us close. I knew a girl whose parents were very strict and it made her a liar. There is a proverb:” When children stand still they have done some ill”. I wouldn’t do anything to upset my parents.

My mother and my father are very different people. Mum is always very calm; not exactly easy-going, because she does take things very seriously sometimes, but she doesn’t get excited. When we were small (my brother and me) she almost never shouted at us. When we did something wrong she talked with us about it very firmly but in a calm tone of voice. If we shouted and cried she made us go and sit in her room until we calmed down.

So when the news came, she reacted in her usual way, quietly seeing what she could do to prepare for changes that were coming. Dad, on the other hand, shouted, kicked a chair, and went for a long walk to try to cool off. During the next few days he was cross with us a lot of time that upset us, as nothing was our fault. Both of us kids were worried about what was going to happen, and a bit afraid, but we didn’t talk with our parents much. Most of all we were worried about having to leave all our school friends.

Exercise 2. Answer the questions:

1. What were the relations between the members of the family?

2. What are the relations in your family?

3. What were the punishments in the family?

4. Do you think that the punishments are necessary?

Text 6

Alex’s family

Exercise 1. Read the text and draw the family tree.

The Simons are a large family. There are four generations of Simons today. The oldest person in Alex’s family is his grandfather, Mr. Frank Simon. He is 78 and he is still full of life and energy. His wife is 5 years younger than him.

David and Karen Clark are Alex’s uncle and aunt. Karen is 48 years old but she looks 10 years younger than she is. She is a rather talented actress. David, her husband, is a film director.

Alex’s parents are in their fifties. His father is a bank manager. In Alex’s opinion his father’s best point is his good sense of humor. Alex’s mother is a nurse. She works with her son-in-law in a Medical Center on the outskirts of Bristol.

Alex’s first cousin is a pilot. His name is Michael. Though Alex is six years younger than him, they are very close. In fact, they are best friends. Michael’s wife is a house wife. She keeps house and takes care of her daughter, Alex’s niece.

Alex’s second cousin is studying biology. Now she is at the University of London in her last year. She isn’t married yet as she thinks that education is more important for her now than family life. Pamela is very serious and industrious. She is fond of animals and at home. She’s got three pets: two dogs and a cat.

Alex’s sisters are very talented. His elder sister Lis is keen on languages. Lis is 26 and she isn’t married yet: she is too independent. She lives in a small house not far from her parents in the same neigborhood. Her sister Rachel, who is 2 years younger than her, is not like Lis at all. There’s quite a difference between Lis and Rachel but they look very much alike.

Alex’s nephew Patric is a schoolboy. Like most of his friends he is crasy about cartoons and computer games. He is good at most subjects at school, near the top of the class, except in Mathematics. Patric is a good boy but he can be very naughty at times.

This is the entire family. They are all friendly, nice and very interesting people.