Family background (family history)

My grandfather was a market gardener in Ireland. He grew flowers, fruit and vegetables and sold them in the market every day. He worked hard all his life, and when he died, his son (now my uncle) and his daughter (my mother) inherited¹ a large house and a garden. They carried on² the business together until my mother met my father. They got married, moved to England and I was born two years later. They didn’t have any more children, so I am an only child.

¹to inherit /In'herIt/ - унаследовать

²to carry on /"kxri'Pn/ - продолжать, вести (дело)

Task 24. Make up a short story about your own family background.

Task 25. Answer the questions about yourself and your family.

1) What is your name?

2. How old are you?

3. Have you got a family of your own or do you live with your parents?

4. Is your family large?

5. How many are you in the family?

6. How old are your parents?

7. What do they do?

8. What education did they get?

9. What is your mother like?

10. What is your father like?

11. What do they like doing in their spare time?

12. What are your parents’ likes and dislikes?

13. Are you an only child?

14. Have you got brothers or sisters?

15. What is your brother’s/sister’s name?

16. Is he/she younger or older than you?

17. How old is he/she?

18. What does he/she do?

19. What is he/she interested in?

20. Are your grandparents alive?

21. How old are they?

22. What do they do?

23. What are they like?

24. Where do they live?

25. How often do you visit them?

26. Have you got any aunts or uncles?

27. Where do they live?

28. What do they do?

29. Have you got any cousins?

30. What do they do?

31. Have you got common interests?

32. Who are you closest to in your family? Why?

33. Do you spend much time with your family?

34. What family traditions have you got?

Task 26. Make up a story about your family.

Task 27. Translate the text.

The law and the family

The law sees the family as a special institution.

Beyond the mere function of providing a new generation of children, the family is often promoted for its moral contribution¹ to society. In some societies the family is thought to be so important that there is very little legal intervention in family life². In many Islamic countries, for example, fathers, brothers and sons are allowed considerable authority over the females in their family. As late as the 1970, the male head of the household in Switzerland was deemed to represent the interests of³ everyone within that household, and none of the women could vote in national elections.

But in many parts of the world, the law now promotes the rights of⁴ individuals within the family unit, and regulates family relations through legislation⁵. Child Benefit⁶, raised from the taxes of the working population as a whole, is paid directly to the mother. Retirement pensions are paid to grandparents, so that they are less dependent upon financial support⁷ from a family member. In Sweden parents can be prosecuted for⁸ physically punishing their children. In Britain, as in many countries, there are special family courts with very strong powers to control and transfer private property⁹ in the interests of children¹⁰. Much of the work of other courts is also directly relevant to family life.

¹moral contribution- моральный вклад

²intervention in family life - вмешательство в семейную жизнь

³to represent the interests of somebody - представлять чьи-то интересы

⁴to promote the rights of somebody - поддерживать чьи-либо права

⁵to regulate family relations through legislation – регулировать семейные

отношения через законодательство

⁶Child Benefit - пособие на детей

⁷financial support - финансовая поддержка

⁸to prosecute for something - преследовать в судебном порядке за

что-либо

⁹private property - частная собственность

¹⁰in the interests of somebody - в чьих-либо интересах

Task 28. Translate the texts in writing.