TASK 5. Sort the words and phrases given in the box into the categories below. Add your own words to each category.
a cot
a grave
a nappy
grief
a wedding
a pram
a wreath
a honeymoon
sympathy
to exchange rings
to get divorced
a best man
a bouquet
a maternity leave
a reception
to bury
a bonnet
mourners
a funeral
a godmother
a cemetery
a widow
christening
a coffin
to get engaged
to have a baby
pregnant
a bridegroom
a bouquet
vows
Categories
BIRTH
MARRIAGE
DEATH
TASK 6. Match word-combinations or idioms with their definitions or explanations.
Part 1
1
marital status
a
a newly married couple
2
newly-weds
b
to legally end one’s marriage
3
a common-law marriage
c
a bride’s dowry
4
a god child
d
a legal document between husband and wife outlining domestic responsibilities, material rights and obligations, and the division of property in the event of break-up
5
to divorce
e
an agreement between two people to marry
6
to separate
f
to find a husband or wife for someone; used in order to show disapproval
7
the black sheep of the family
g
a family relationship
8
a pedigree
h
whether a person is single, married, separated, divorced or widowed
9
to marry smb off
i
the parents and other past family members of an animal or person, or an official written record of this
10
kinship
j
a person for whom smb acts as a sponsor at baptism
11
a prenuptial agreement
k
a person who has bad reputation in a company of people or considered a defect of fault; the worst member of the family
12
an engagement
l
non-legalized marriage
13
a marriage portion
m
to start living apart without legally ending one’s marriage
Part 2
1
bride-maids
a
a chart showing the genealogy of a family
2
a skeleton in the cupboard/closet
b
love in hunter’s cabin made of branches and straw
3
a break-up
c
a person who arranges marriages or introduces prospective brides and grooms
4
a blind date
d
separation of a couple
5
a cousin twice removed
e
similarity of features of the face, such as is often observed in persons of the same family
6
family likeness
f
a marriage in which both husband and wife are happy
7
a golden wedding
g
a man habitually snubbed by his wife
8
a family tree
h
a wife whose husband is temporarily not living with her
9
a grass widow
i
a child between the ages of one and three, who has learned to walk but is still rather unsteady
10
a toddler
j
female attendants of the bride
11
a marriage made in heaven
k
a man on his wedding day
12
a henpecked husband
l
a date when husband and wife have lived together for 50 years
13
love in a cottage
m
date arranged by a third party for two people who are not acquainted
14
a groom
n
an embarrassing or unpleasant secret about something that happened to you or your family in the past
15
a match-maker
o
the grandchild of your cousin's grandfather
TASK 7. You are going to read a text about genealogy.
historical picture
research
pursuit
genetic analysis
identification
kinship ties
backward in time
narrowest
examining
narratives
family relationships
originated
spans
pedigrees
handwritten
newer generations
descendant
keep track
closely resemble
future generations
longest
scattered
lineages
conducting
tree structure
Step 1. Fill in the gaps in the text below with the words and expressions from the box.
Genealogy, whose term _______ (1) from the Greek words ‘generation’ and ‘knowledge’, is the study of families and the tracing of their _______ (2) and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, _______ (3), and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and _______ (4) of its members. The results are often displayed in charts or written as _______ (5).
The _______ (6) of family history tends to be shaped by several motivations, including the desire to carve out a place for one's family in the larger _______ (7), a sense of responsibility to preserve the past for _______ (8), and a sense of self-satisfaction in accurate storytelling.
Genealogists begin their _______ (9) by collecting family documents and stories. This creates a foundation for documentary research, which involves _______ (10) and evaluating historical records for evidence about ancestors and other relatives, their _______ (11), and the events that occurred in their lives. As a rule, genealogists begin with the present and work _______ (12). Historical, social, and family context is essential to achieving correct _______ (13) of individuals and relationships. Source citation is also important when (14) genealogical research. To _______ (15) of collected material, family group sheets and pedigree charts are used. Formerly _______ (16), these can now be generated by genealogical software.
A family tree, or a pedigree chart, is a chart representing _______ (17) in a conventional _______ (18). Family trees are often presented with the oldest generations at the top and the _______ (19) at the bottom. An ancestry chart, which is a tree showing the ancestors of an individual, will more _______ (20) a tree in shape, being wider at the top than the bottom. A descendancy chart, which depicts all the descendants of an individual, will be _______ (21) at the top.
The _______ (22) family tree in the world today is that of the Chinese philosopher and educator Confucius [kqn'fju:sIqs] (551–479 BC) who is the _______ (23) of King Tang (1675–1646 BC). The tree _______ (24) more than 80 generations, and includes more than 2 million members. It is supposed to include some 1.3 million living members who are _______ (25) around the world today.
Step 2. Answer the questions below.
Have you ever tried to trace your genealogy line? Why? Why not?
What does your family name mean? How many family names of your ancestors do you know? Have your ancestors’ names ever been changed?
Do you know what country or countries your ancestors lived or came from? If yes, tell about them to your partner.
What is your family’s background?
Are you related to any historical figures or celebrities? If yes, tell about them to your partner.
Do you know about any ‘skeleton in the cupboard’ in your family history?
Are there any books or films about any member of your family?
Did your ancestors take part in any historical events? If you know about any, tell them to your partner.
Is it interesting for you to look at old family photographs? Why? Why not?
Step 3. Prepare a 3-minute presentation about your family’s genealogy. Include the answers to the questions in Step 2 into your presentation.
TASK 8. Put each of the following words or phrases in its correct place in the passage below.
Part 1
date
approve
mature
attracted
romantic
break off
go out
relationship
drift apart
keen
Ann was a very _________ (1) girl who often dreamed of love and marriage. She was especially_________ (2) to a young man called Michael, who worked in the same office as she did, and he was very _________ (3) on her too. They became friendly, and one day Michael asked her to go out with him. Their first _________ (4) was a visit to the cinema, and they both enjoyed the evening so much that they decided to _________ (5) together regularly. Michael was a bit untidy and rather young, and Ann's parents didn't _________ (6) of him at first, but Ann was a sensible and _________ (7) girl so they had confidence in her. For a year or so everything went well, but then somehow they slowly began to _________ (8), until finally they decided to _________ (9) their _________ (10).
Part 2
bride
engaged
bridegroom
consent
propose
wedding
civil
reception
honeymoon
toast
One evening, although he was nervous, Joe decided to _________ (1) to his girlfriend, Linda. She accepted his proposal, they became _________ (2) and he gave her a ring. After a year they had saved enough money to get married. They were both over 18 so they did not need their parents' _________ (3). Some people have a religious ceremony with a priest, but Joe and Linda decided on a _________ (4) ceremony in a registry office. On the day of the _________ (5) Linda, the _________ (7), was very calm, but Joe, the _________ (6), was nervous. Afterwards, at the _________ (8), speeches were made and the guests drank a _________ (9) to the happy couple, who finally left for a _________ (10) in Spain.
TASK 9. Explain the difference between the following words and expressions.
to be fond of and to be in love with
to be separated and to be divorced
a fiancée/a fiancé and a bride and bridegroom
a mother, a step mother, a foster mother, an adoptive mother and a mother-in-law
a step child, and adopted child and a foster child
ancestors and descendents
a pet name and an nick name
a cousin and a cousin twice removed
a patronymic and a middle mane
a pseudonym and a maiden name
to be engaged and to be married
a love match and a marriage of convenience
to court somebody, to go out with somebody and to date with somebody
a spinster, a bachelor and a widow/widower, a grass widow
middle-aged people, elderly people and old people
TASK 10. Fill in the gaps in the sentences below with a preposition.
Bob and Lena are going _____ together, and Sam is going ___ ____ Lena.
Derek was too nervous to ask Fiona _____, though she's very fond _____ him.
_____ the beginning of the wedding reception we drank a toast _____ the future happiness of the newly-weds.
Henry fell _____ love _____ Tina at first sight, though he knew that she was engaged _____ a young policeman.
Jim is very happy because he is getting married _____ Liz next month.
Philip’s parents don't approve ______ his fiancée. Probably, they don’t have confidence _____ him.
Do you remember how Mr. Darcy felt when after he proposed _____ Elizabeth Bennet _____ the first time, he met _____ a refusal?
Mr Morton was born in South Africa, the son of a Scottish oil executive who had married _____ a local Afrikaner family.
James's own marriage _____ convenience _____ Margaret Tudor took place in 1503, after he had sired a number of children on various mistresses.
_____ coffee and a home-baked cake the Bentles told me of their plans to marry their eldest daughter _____ _____ a wealthy merchant.
In initial discussion Mr and Mrs Smith expressed their main problem in broad terms as being that they did not seem to get _____ well: they were always ‘_____ each other's throats’.
Margaret came _____ a wealthy family, and Richard was anxious not to arise any suspicion that he had married _____ money.
At that time Diana was separated _____ Prince Charles, and she felt that was free to do whatever she wanted.
TASK 11. Each of the fourteen people in the brain teaser below is married to one of the others. From the given information, find out who is married to whom. Note there are three generations here.
Alan is Caroline's nephew and Larry's cousin.
Barbara is Larry’s mother and Maggie's sister-in-law.
Caroline is Edward's daughter and Maggie's sister-in-law.
David is Gordon's brother-in-law and Alan's uncle.
Edward is Ingrid's grandfather and Maggie's father-in-law.
Fanny is Caroline's mother and Alan's grandmother.
Gordon is Helen's son-in-law and Nigel's brother-in-law.
Helen is Barbara's mother-in-law and Larry's grandmother.
Ingrid is Gordon's niece and David's daughter-in-law.
John is David's father and Gordon's father-in-law.
Karen is Gordon's daughter-in-law and Maggie's daughter-in-law.
Larry is John's grandson and David's son.
Maggie is Larry's aunt and Fanny's daughter-in-law.
Nigel is Ingrid's father and Fanny's son-in-law.
TASK 12. Choose the most suitable word or phrase to complete the sentences below.
Last week Mrs. Jones gave birth to a trio/treble/triplets.
It could seem like a miracle but the week before her neighbour Mrs. Vine had quarts/ quadruplet /quartet.
Twins often seem to hop/skip/jump a generation.
There was a case of Japanese/Chinese/Siamese twins in our town recently.
There's a story/history of twins in our family - on my father's side/line.
To my regret, I was an only/the only child in the family so there was no one to blame but me.
All the members of our football team are related by/to/with marriage.
Having done some genealogical research, I found out that my ancestors/descendents originated from a tribe of Red Indians.
Not many of my own blood/bloody relatives are still alive.
I am proud that my grand-grand-grand grandfather /great-grand-grand grandfather /great-great-great grandfather fought at the Battle of Waterloo.
My brother-in-law inherited $1,500,000 in his uncle's will/testament/fortune.
I was left $50 and a cat by a distant/remote relative; I believe it was a cousin - or perhaps it was a great-aunt/grand-aunt.
Paul comes from a broken home; he has lived with a number of foster/adoptive parents before he came off age.
Mary was from a single-parent family; now she's looked after by her warden/guardian.