8

Unit 1. Family nb! Information for self-study Look at the words, their definitions and examples and work out their translation:

Definition	Example	Translation
prenuptial agreement / prenup a contract between a man and woman before they marry, agreeing on the distribution of their possessions in case of divorce	Are prenuptial agreements a death for a happy marriage?
in-laws – relatives by marriage, esp. your spouse’s father and mother	In-laws can be a source of support, but they can also be a major problem in your marital relationship.
nuclear family a primary social unit consisting of parents and their children	The nuclear family was most popular in the 1950’s and 60’s.
extended family a social unit that contains the nuclear family together with blood relatives, often including three or more generations	The extended family may live together for many reasons: help raise children, support for an ill relative, or help with financial problems.
household the people living together in one house collectively	In a single parent family there is only one parent in the household raising the children.
Maternity leave a period of time when a woman temporarily leaves her job to have a baby	In the USA maternity leave is much shorter than that in Russia

Topic Vocabulary Exercises

Exercise 1

Explain the difference between the following words. Consult an English-English dictionary:

• baby / toddler / kid / child –

• sister / cousin –

• spinster / bachelor / single –

• fiancée and fiancé / bride and groom –

• wedding / marriage –

• middle name / patronymic –

• pen-name / nickname / namesake –

• handsome / beautiful / pretty / good-looking –

• fat / overweight / plump –

• plain / ugly –

• thin / slim / skinny / skin and bone –

• shy / reserved / quiet –

• old / elderly people –

Exercise 2

Fill in the missing letters:

F r . c . l .	B . c h . l . .	R . t . r . .
N . p . . w	R . s . r v . d	. n c . e
. t r . . g . t	M . s t a . . e	S . . n . m .
D . v o r . .	A . n .	N . . c e

Exercise 3

Complete the sentences using the words from Topic Vocabulary. Consult a dictionary where necessary:

1. The daughter of my sister or my brother is my_____________________

2. A new born child is a_______________________

3. A woman who has never married is a ________________________

4. A man whose wife has died is a______________________

5. A person who shares a name with me is my ____________________

6. A young child who is learning to walk is a _____________________

7. A woman and a man before they are married are ________________

8. My mother’s new husband is my________________

9. The son of my mother’s sister is my ________________

10. The mother of my father is my____________________

11. A woman and a man on the day of their wedding are __________________

12. The son of my daughter is my_________________

13. All the relatives of my husband are my__________________

14. A young person over 12 but under 20 is a _________________

15. One of the two children born at the same time is a_____________________

16. The son of my brother or sister is my ________________

Exercise 4

Translate the sentences using the words from Topic Vocabulary:

1. Вчера Джек и Мэри были помолвлены, и теперь они не просто парень и девушка, а жених и невеста. Их родители считают, что они слишком молоды, чтобы заводить семью, но молодые люди решили пожениться.

2. Говорят, если ребенок единственный в семье, то он растет капризным и избалованным. Однако, мой тезка Игорь, у которого нет ни брата, ни сестры, очень вежливый и воспитанный молодой человек.

3. Несмотря на то, что Коля и Ваня братья, они абсолютно разные: если Коля высокий и худой, то Ваня среднего роста и мускулистый. К тому же Ваня очень ленивый, а Коля, наоборот, трудолюбивый.

4. Видишь того бледного мужчину со шрамом на лбу? Это самый богатый холостяк в нашем городе. Он не сильно симпатичный, но за ним охотится половина всех наших незамужних женщин.

5. Том Бернер – очень опасный преступник. Возможно, он вырастил усы и бороду, но его все равно легко узнать из-за большой родинки на левой щеке.

6. Почему в наше время так много людей разводится? Неужели люди перестали верить в любовь? Я так не думаю, просто раньше брак считался святым, и не все решались разорвать его, если переставали любить своего супруга. Теперь брак – это официальное подтверждение ваших отношений, а брачный контракт – это способ обезопасить себя от последствий развода.

Exercise 5

Word-building. Match the words in the columns to make compound adjectives which describe character and appearance. Make up as many words as possible. Look up their meanings in the dictionary.

e.g. big-eyed - большеглазый

big blue brown dark fair green long middle red round short straight well smartly

aged built eyed faced haired headed legged skinned dressed

Exercise 6

A. Match the synonyms:

1. Devoted

2. Tender

3. Fair-minded

4. Self-assured

5. Courageous

6. Violent

7. Egocentric

8. Imaginative

9. Reliable

1. Trustworthy

2. Creative

3. Selfish

4. Brutal

5. Gentle

6. Loyal

7. Brave

8. Just

9. Self-confident

B. Match the antonyms:

1. Boastful

2. Brave

3. Generous

4. Outgoing

5. Emotional

6. Self-confident

7. Hot-blooded

1. Self-conscious

2. Quiet

3. Modest

4. Reserved

5. Calm

6. Cowardly

7. Mean

C. Make the meaning of the following words opposite by putting negative prefixes or suffixes.

Example: patient – impatient, tactful – tactless.

Obedient – Thoughtful –

Sensitive – Reliable –

Reasonable – Responsible –

Polite – Imaginative –

Kind – Modest –

D. Fill in the table with synonyms and antonyms of the following words in the table:

concentrated	reserved	reasonable	brutal	obedient	sociable
altruistic	weak	self-confident	greedy	forgetful	arrogant
loyal	sensitive	self-conscious	fussy	cold-blooded	flexible
forceful	generous	disobedient	brave	egocentric	just
unjust	quiet	obstinate	gentle	emotional	cowardly

hot-blooded

unfaithful

modest

Word	Synonym	Antonym
outgoing
strong-willed
violent
proud
sensible
selfish
courageous
mean
fair-minded
devoted		-
stubborn
absent-minded
passionate
self-assured
naughty
calm

Exercise 7

A. Find a suitable word in the box for each sentence:

cheerful	brave	sociable
reserved	naughty	unjust
emotional	patient	ill- bred
imaginative	wise	generous

1. She is a ……………. child, she never obeys her mother.

2. Don’t shout at me, you are so ………………

3. He’ll never give up the seat in the bus to an elderly lady, he is……………..

4. She’s an old ………….lady, everyone comes to her to ask for advice.

5. Ann’s a happy person, she’s always ……………. .

6. It was very ……… of Paul to save the cat from the fire.

7. I won’t go out today, I don’t feel very …………. today.

8. Mary won’t get angry with children no matter how naughty they are, she’s very…………….

9. Harry always pays for our dinner, he’s the most ……………….man I’ve ever known.

10. It’s ……………… when you treat your kids differently.

11. She’s known for being ……………., she never goes to parties.

12. To write a best-seller you have to be very ………………

B. Match the words with the descriptions given below:

modest	obstinate	cowardly
gentle	egocentric	mean
loyal	arrogant	forgetful
sensitive	polite	violent

1. Carry doesn’t think about the needs of others. She’s very………………………..

2. Marry can never find things that she’s put in their places. She’s very………………..

3. He treats his wife roughly. He’s extremely ……………….

4. You’ll never hurt even a fly. You’re very …………………….

5. Sarah never pays for her friends. She’s extremely……………………

6. She’ll never boast about her achievements. She’s very ……………….

7. Jim will stick by his friends. He’s absolutely ……………………

8. They’ve always thought they are better than anyone else. They’re so ………………….

9. She can cry if the movie’s very sad. She’s extremely…………………..

10. She won’t be able to fall asleep if she hears some strange noises in the house. She’s so……………..

11. She always minds her p’s ans q’s. She’s extremely ………………………..

12. Audrey will never change her mind even if she’s wrong. She’s very ……………….

C. Answer the following questions:

1. Tell what kind of person a good doctor / teacher/ politician/ nurse / interpreter should be.

2. What sort of do person you find attractive or beautiful?

3. What sort of person do you find unattractive?

4. Describe your parents’ character and appearance. Do you take after any of them?

5. What type of families do you belong to: single parent family, nuclear family, the only child family? Give advantages and disadvantages of each type.

6. Who do you consider to be better at bringing up children: parents, step-parents, grandparents, elder relatives?

Exercise 8

Fill in a suitable word into a sentence:

A.

1. He shook his ……… to show his disapproval.

a) hand b) arm c) leg d) head

2. A woman was wearing a necklace on her ………….

a) waist b) neck c) shoulder d) knee

3. She has a turned-up……….. which makes her look childish.

a) eye b) cheek c) nose d) chin

4. When she smiles, two …………appear in her cheeks.

a) freckles b) moles c) dimples d) scars

5. In summer her face covers with …………

a) spots b) freckles c) scars d) pimples

6. He can’t be called a very tall man. I would say he’s of medium ……..

a) length b) short c) height d) built

7. Her brother has got very broad …………

a) shoulders b)arms c) legs d) eyes

8. She’s got long straight ………..

a) hairs b) arms c) hair d) teeth

9. Last time I saw him he had grown ……..... and …………

a) beard and moustache b) hair and fringe c) spots and moles d) legs and arms

10. He’s neither fat nor slim, he’s of medium …………..

a) build b) height c) length d) short

11. Anne is 9 but she looks tall for her ………..

a) build b) height c) age d) complexion

12. Photographer said cheese and everyone grinned for the camera, showing beautiful even………

a) feet b) foreheads c) teeth d) lips

13. He hurt his ……….badly when he kicked the ball.

a) foot b) leg c) hand d) arm

B.

1. He never bought me anything. He is so…………

a) lazy b) mean c) extravagant d) shy

2. You can’t call him …………. He always gives promises but never keeps his word.

a) flexible b) reliable c) stupid d) boastful

3. Our new colleague hasn’t done any work since he’s been here, he’s so………..

a) organized b) flexible c) silly d) lazy

4. Sarah has always been so………, she finds it difficult to be in the company of strangers.

a) cheerful b) confident c) punctual d) shy

5. One of the greatest things about Dorothy is that she really cares about other people’s feelings. She’s very…………

a) sensitive b) friendly c) sociable d) wise

6. Mike, on the other hand, is quite …………. He doesn’t consider their feelings.

a) hard-working b) thick-skinned c) honest d) cheerful

7. Another thing about Mike is that he really wants to climb career ladder. Being .…… is not bad but to some extent, you know.

a) ambitious b) optimistic c) considerate d) relaxed

8. If you like the company of other people, you are ……….

a) intelligent b) hard-working c) sociable d) extravagant

Exercise 9

Do you believe in stereotypes? What is the common stereotype of Russians?

A. National character. How would you describe the characters of the nationalities below? Fill in the table, using the words from the box.

optimistic hard-working practical cheerful charming punctual casual hospitable romantic well-dressed sociable friendly quiet forceful shy intelligent generous cute reserved calm nationalistic lazy tolerant quiet passionate respectful fun-loving formal modest polite sympathetic humorous emotional outgoing self-assured obedient

Americans

British

French

Germans

Italians

Japanese

Russians

B. National appearance. How would you describe the appearances of the nationalities below? Speak about face (eye color, nose, teeth), hair, build (height, weight), and skin. Fill in the table, using the words from Topic Vocabulary and exercises 5, 6.

Scottish/ Irish

Indians

Afro- Americans

Finnish/ Swedish

Americans

Chinese

Italians

Exercise 10

Choose a fellow-student or any famous person and describe him/her, starting with his/her appearance, personality, character, but don’t name this person. Your group-mates should guess who you are talking about.

Exercise 11

A. Translate from Russian into English using Topic Vocabulary:

1. Не люблю очень честолюбивых людей, они часто бывают агрессивными, жестокими, недалекими и очень упрямыми, они никогда не признают, что были неправы.

2. Тщательно выбирай слова, когда будешь разговаривать с ней, она двулична и мстительна и может использовать твои слова против тебя.

3. Джон очень приятный и надежный человек, ты может положиться на него в любой ситуации; он очень умный и одаренный, тебе никогда не будет с ним скучно; а также он очень любит дарить подарки, он очень щедр. Однако, помни, он не любит лживых людей, поэтому ты всегда должна быть с ним честна и искренна.

4. Я думаю, Джейн станет настоящей бизнес-леди. Посмотри, как гордо она держится среди своих сверстников и как терпеливо объясняет правила игры. Все дети слушаются её, хотя она младше некоторых из них. Она разумна и упорна не по годам и уже сейчас знает, чего хочет добиться в жизни. Помнишь, как она отказалась съесть пирожное, потому что боится располнеть? Конечно, она пошла в свою маму.

5. Мне кажется, что все дети хвастливы в той или иной степени. Таким образом они пытаются получить поддержку и похвалу от окружающих. Даже взрослым иногда хочется похвастаться своими достижениями близким, чтобы их подбодрили, это придает энергии и желания двигаться дальше.

B.

1. Меня всегда интересовало, как внешность женщины влияет на ее жизнь. Внешность определяет характер. В молодости я пыталась изменить свой длинный нос, но вовремя поняла, что мой нос – мой характер. Я часто играю «плохих женщин» – это мои любимые характеры. Вы знаете, я думаю, что я очень умная, но и одновременно глупая. Внутри меня живут все эти упертые, глупые женщины с противными голосами. Я очень любопытна и люблю наблюдать за окружающими.

2. Описание внешности объекта. Имя – Эразм фон (von) Дорн. Возраст – не более двадцати. Рост около метра восьмидесяти; телосложение худощавое; волосы черные прямые; бороды и усов нет и непохоже, чтобы брился; глаза ярко-голубые, кожа белая, чистая; нос тонкий, прямой; уши небольшие. Особая примета – большая родинка на правой щеке.

3. У стола сидела золотоволосая девушка в черном платье и шляпе.

Было видно длинные ресницы, тонкий нос, точеный овал лица.

- Маса (японское имя), ты же говорил немолодая. Ей не больше двадцати пяти!

- Европейские женщины так старо выглядят, – покачал головой Маса. – Да и потом, господин, разве двадцать пять лет – это молодая?

- Ты говорил, некрасивая!

- Некрасивая и есть, бедняжка. Желтые волосы, большой нос и водянистые глаза – совсем, как ваши, господин.

- Ну да, – прошептал уязвленный Эраст Петрович, – ты один у нас красавиц.

Exercise 12

Read the following clauses from celebrities’ prenuptial agreements.Do you approve the idea of signing a prenuptial agreement? Would you have one? What kind of obligations would you include in your prenuptial.

Catharine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas

1. In case of divorce, Catharine Zeta-Jones will get 3,5 mln dollars for every year being married to Michael.

2. In case of being unfaithful to his spouse, Michael has to pay 5 mln dollars.

3. If Michael compares his wife with any other woman, he has to pay the fine of 50 000 dollars.

4. In case of divorce, Michael can leave to himself all wedding gifts, 18 000 dollars worth. Catharine will have to give back to her spouse all bank cards.

5. According to the prenuptial agreement, Catharine cannot spread intimate details of her relationships with her husband.

Jacqueline Kennedy and Aristotle Onasis

1. According to the prenuptial agreement, right after the wedding Jacqueline got 3 mln dollars.

2. Jacqueline had to spend all Catholic holidays and every summer with her husband.

3. In case of Aristotle’s death, widow had to be paid 200 000 dollars per year.

Melissa Matison and Harrison Ford

1. After divorce, according to the prenuptial agreement, Melissa got 85 mln dollars.

2. Harrison has to pay his wife part of his income that he gets from the movies which were shot during their marriage.

Melinda Gates and Bill Gates

In case of divorce, Melinda will get 10 mln dollars a year for each child, but she can’t claim the Microsoft shares.

Text Exercises

Exercise 13