Unit 2. Family matters

Start-up

I. Tongue twisters to be remembered:

a)

b) Listen:

c) Give appropriate translation to the proverbs and sayings; comment upon them. Work in groups:

d) * Make up a small proverbs-based dialogue.

II. a) Write down the dates you hear.

B) Write down the numbers you hear.

Lead-in

III. a) Look at the picture and describe it.

b) Listen to the information about Sidney Fisk and fill in the gaps in the text with the words given: relax; Mexico; children; long hours; lawyer; France; beautiful house; Texas; interior designer; Dallas; play golf.

45-Year Old Sidney Fisk near His House and the Car

Sidney Fisk is a 1) …. He’s paid very well, but he usually has to work 2) … . He works for an international company in Dallas, 3) …, so he travels a lot in his job. At the moment he is working in 4) …, and next week he is travelling to 5) … .

Sidney is married and he’s got two 6) …, aged eleven and fourteen. He rarely sees his children because so much of his time is spent away from home. He’s got a 7) …in a suburb of 8) … . It’s very big, with eight bedrooms. He wife is an 9) ….

If he’s at home at the weekend, he and his wife sometimes 10) …, but that doesn’t happen very often. They never have time to 11) … together. He says he doesn’t know if he’s happy. He’s too busy to think about it.

c) Title each paragraph and answer the questions:

1. What do you think are the good and bad things about Sidney’s life?

2. Do you think his life is exciting or boring? Would you like to have a life like Sidney’s?

3. Do you know any people with similar lives? Are they happy?

IV. a) Work in pairs. Have you got any brothers or sisters? In what ways are you similar or different? Which of your parents/grandparents do you take after? Think about the following things: facial expressions; health; looks; opinions and attitudes; tastes and interests; personality. Use the expressions below and from Appendix 2:

E.g.: People say I look like my sister …

I’m completely different from my mother – she’s … but I’m …

I think I take after my grandmother because I’m very …

B) Describe people in Appendix 3.

C) Compare two pictures in Appendix 4. Use comparative degrees.

V. a) Do you know any twins? If so, are they identical or not? What kind of relationship have they got?

B) Read the text “Parallel Lives” about the twins. What surprised you most?

c) Translate the words / phrases from Russian into English:

Возраст; близнец; жениться / выходить замуж в один и тот же день; почерк; воспитываться в разных семьях; женщина средних лет; гены влияют на нашу жизнь; разводиться; вступить в брак вторично; приемный, усыновленный сын; индивидуальные особенности личности; выражение лица; совпадение; иметь много общего.