Text 1: Family

I am Alex Novikov. Alex is my first name and Novikov is my surname. I am 17 years old. I want to tell you a few words about my family. My family is large. I have got a mother, a father, a sister, a brother and a grandmother. There are six of us in the family. First of all some words about my parents. My mother is a teacher of biology. She works in a college. She likes her profession. She is a good-looking woman with brown hair. She is 44 but she looks much younger. She is tall and slim. My father is a computer programmer. He is very experienced. He is a broad-shouldered, tall man with fair hair and grey eyes. He is 46. My father often sings and when we are at home and have some free time, I play the guitar and we sing together. My father knows all about new radio sets and likes to repair old ones. He is also handy with many things. Now he can fix almost everything: a vacuum cleaner, a washing machine, a fridge and what not. He's got a few shelves where he keeps everything he needs. On the table there is always a radio in pieces. My parents have been married for twenty-six years. They have much in common, but they have different views on music, books, films, sports. For example, my father likes horror films and my mother likes "soap operas". My mother doesn't go in for sports. But my parents have the same opinion about my education and upbringing. My parents are hard-working people. My mother keeps house with her hands. She is very practical. My father and I try to help her with the house work. I wash the dishes, go shopping, tidy our flat. I want to become a student. I'd like to learn foreign languages. I think I take after my father. I'm tall, fair-haired and even-tempered. I always try to be in a good mood. We have got a lot of relatives. We are deeply attached to each other and we get on very well.

Questions:

1. What is your first name?

2. What is your surname?

2. How old are you?

3. When is your birthday?

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

5. Have you got any brothers or sisters?

6. What are your parents?

7. Where do they work?

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

9. What sorts of things do you do together?

10. Who runs the house in your family?

Vocabulary:

name (first name, Christian name) имя

patronimic, middle name отчество

surname, second name фамилия

namesake тезка

maiden name девичье имя, фамилия

nickname прозвище

pet name ласкательное имя

call называть

call smb. after назвать чьим-то именем

change one's name back взять прежнюю фамилию

good-looking красивый, миловидный

wife жена

husband муж

experienced опытный, квалифицированный

to have much in common иметь много общего

to be fond of smth увлекаться чем-то

to go in for smth заниматься чем-то

opinion мнение

upbringing воспитание

to take care of smb заботиться о ком-то

to tidy убирать

pensioner пенсионер

to run the house вести хозяйство

joint venture company совместное предприятие

relative родственник

to be an only child быть единственным ребенком

twins близнецы

family pedigree семейная родословная

grandchildren внуки

ancestor предок

Godfather крестный отец

to be single быть холостым, неженатым

well-educated хорошо-образованный

ex (former) бывший

to wish smb. all the happiness in the world желать самого лучшего

sister-in-law золовка

brother-in-law деверь

mother-in-law свекровь, теща

father-in-law свекор, тесть

daughter-in-law невестка

son-in-law зять

to lose one's temper for no reason выходить из себя без причины

uncle дядя

aunt тетя

nephew племянник

niece племянница

cousin двоюродный брат, сестра

to miss smb. badly скучать сильно по ком-нибудь

nursery school детский сад

to take after быть похожим на

fair-haired светловолосый

even-tempered уравновешенный

to be in a good mood быть в хорошем настроении

to be deeply attached to smb быть глубоко привязанным

to get on well ладить

marriage женитьба

make a date назначить свидание

a boy- (girl) friend друг (подруга)

court smb ухаживать за кем-то

fall in love влюбиться

propose to smb сделать предложение

be engaged to smb быть помолвленным

fiance(e) жених, невеста

marry for love выйти замуж, жениться по любви

be married/ get married жениться, выходить замуж

marriage certificate свидетельство о браке

marriage for convenience брак по расчету

illegal marriage незаконный брак

misalliance неравный брак

batchelor холостяк

wedding свадьба, бракосочетание

civil marriage гражданский брак

matrimony супружество, брак

spouse супружеская чета, супруг(а)

prenuptial agreement брачный договор

bride's maids подружки невесты

best-man свидетель со стороны жениха

new(ly)-weds молодожены

honey-moon медовый месяц

divorce развестись

argue, have a row, quarrel ссориться, ругаться