The active vocabulary on topic The most important that everyone has is the family

family ties	to practice	great fun
parents	to be easy being	the best/worst thing
relatives	to have somebody to play/ to talk/ to go out with	to get divorced
cousin	to share room with somebody	friendly atmosphere
stepbrother/ stepsister	to annoy	respect
half brother/ half sister	to be spoilt	relationships
stepfather/ stepmother	to be quite lonely	to get married
father in law/ mother in law	to spend free time on the computer	marriage
son in law/ daughter in law	to keep in touch	to get on well
an orphan	to complain	to care about someone
an only child	to be divorced	to be adopted
to be lucky	to remarry	to treat somebody
biological father	real brother	ordinary family

Appendix 2

Vocabulary Complete the sentences using the words box.

spoilt • only child • divorced adopted • half brother • loving remarried • stepsister

1. My cousin Sam always gets whatever he wants, even if it is really expensive. He is so ….

2. Tom was at the age of seven, but his parents treat him just like their other children.

3. Julie, who lives next door, is an ……... She has no brothers or sisters.

4. My best friend Margaret has just discovered that her father had a baby boy with another woman before he married her mother, so that means she has a ……. somewhere.

5. When John's wife died he thought he would never fall in love again, but now he has met a wonderful woman and he is going to get……...

6. The couple who live in the apartment above us are always fighting. I think they are probably going to get ……..

7. Even though my grandparents have been married for 50 years, they still have a very ……. relationship.

8. When my father remarried, his new wife already had a daughter. I didn't get on well with my ……. at first, but it's okay now.

Appendix 3

Use of English

For questions I -10, read the text below and decide

which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

There is an example at the beginning (0).

Example:

0A nobody B somebody C one D they

1. A includes B consists C has D contains

2. A need B ask C wish D request

3. A on B in C at D out

4. A listen B look C watch D see

5. A so B no C not D what

6. A reaching B going C coming D making

7. A think B imagine C wonder D understand

8. A having B growing C bringing D rising

9. A look B watch C glimpse D stare

10 A however B in spite C despite D although

Appendix 4

The list of some idioms related with the topic “Family ties”.

Try to match them with their definitions

Idioms	the definitions of the idioms
the apple of one’s eye;	pleasure and fun;
to share joys and sorrows;	an ideal man;
to come of good kin;	a relative;
next of kin;	some unpleasant mystery (secret);
smb’s nearest and dearest;	the dearest person;
Mr Right;	members of the family and close people;
a black sheep;	to be born in a good friendly family;
a skeleton in the family cupboard;	a person who is in the centre of conflicts;
a bed of roses.	i) to exchange happy and unhappy moments

Appendix 5

Three generations under the same roof

I have a big family. We all live with our grandparents in a three-bedroom house. However, this is not so easy. Many conflicts occur within our family for the simple reason that three generations live under the same roof. Unfortunately, this situation is typical of Poland where many families have to live together because of the shortage of flats.

Both my parents work. My mother is a psychologist and she does not like housework very much. My father is an engineer and he spends most of his time at work. For many years my grandparents have cared for our family. Both my sisters got used to it a long time ago. Whenever they have problems, they go to our grandmother and they know that they can always count on her help.

My parents and grandparents quarrel very often. There are problems which cannot be solved easily. My mother, for example, does not want to obey the rules laid down by our grandmother. She has her own ideas about raising children or housekeeping. Unfortunately, our mother does not have too much time for ^because she works a lot. My grandmother, on the other hand, is a very strong-minded and Bossy woman. She thinks that she has the right to decide about everything in her own house. My mother objects to it and they often argue about such things as sharing the kitchen, helping around the house or spending money.

Similar problems exist in many families I know. Young people are not willing to obey blindly what is told to them. They would like to be treated as partners but at the same time they would like to rely on the elders for help and advice.