My family

Topic 1: Family

Read and translate the text:

I am Alex Novikov. Alex is my first name and Novikov is my surname. I am 17 years old. I want to tell you a few words about my family. My family is large. I have got a mother, a father, a sister, a brother and a grandmother. There are six of us in the family.

First of all some words about my parents. My mother is a teacher of biology. She works in a college. She likes her profession. She is a good-looking woman with brown hair. She is 44 but she looks much younger. She is tall and slim.

My father is a computer programmer. He is very experienced. He is a broad-shouldered, tall man with fair hair and grey eyes. He is 46. My father often sings and when we are at home and have some free time, I play the guitar and we sing together. My father knows all about new radio sets and likes to repair old ones. He is also handy with many things. When he was small, he liked to take everything to pieces. My grandmother told me a story that once my father tried to "repair" their kitchen clock. He managed to put all the wheels and screws back again - but the clock didn't work. They had to give it to a repairman. But that happened a long time ago. Now he can fix almost everything: a vacuum cleaner, a washing machine, a fridge and what not. He's got a few shelves where he keeps everything he needs. On the table there is always a radio in pieces.

My parents have been married for twenty-six years. They have much in common, but they have different views on music, books, films, sports. For example, my father likes horror films and my mother likes "soap operas". My mother doesn't go in for sports. But my parents have the same opinion about my education and upbringing.

My parents are hard-working people. My mother keeps house and takes care of me and my father. She is very good at cooking and she is clever with her hands. She is very practical. My father and I try to help her with the house work. I wash the dishes, go shopping, tidy our flat.

I want to become a student. I'd like to learn foreign languages. I think I take after my father. I'm tall, fair-haired and even-tempered. I always try to be in a good mood.

We have got a lot of relatives. We are deeply attached to each other and we get on very well.

Answer the questions:

1. What is your first name? What is your surname?

2. How old are you?

3. When is your birthday?

4. Is your family large? How many are you in the family?

5. Have you got any brothers or sisters?

6. What are your parents? Where do they work?

7. How long have your parents been married?

8. Do they have much in common?

9. Do you spend a lot of time with your family?

10. What sorts of things do you do together?

11. Who runs the house in your family?

Vocabulary:

name (first name, Christian name) имя

patronimic, middle name отчество

surname, second name фамилия

namesake тезка

maiden name девичье имя, фамилия

nickname прозвище

pet name ласкательное имя

call называть

call by first name называть по имени

call smb. after назвать чьим-то именем

change one's name back взять прежнюю фамилию

call smb. names ругать, оскорблять кого-либо

good-looking красивый, миловидный

wife жена

husband муж

slim стройный

experienced опытный, квалифицированный

broad-shouldered широкоплечий

to play the guitar играть на гитаре

to repair чинить, ремонтировать

to be handy with smth быть искусным в чем-то

to take to pieces разбирать на части

to manage cуметь, справиться

to fix исправлять, чинить

to have much in common иметь много общего

to be fond of smth увлекаться чем-то

to go in for smth заниматься чем-то

opinion мнение

upbringing воспитание

to take care of smb заботиться о ком-то

she is good at cooking она хорошо готовит

she is clever with her hands у нее умелые руки

to tidy убирать

pensioner пенсионер

to run the house вести хозяйство

to knit вязать

accountant бухгалтер

joint venture company совместное предприятие

scientist ученый

relative родственник

to be an only child быть единственным ребенком

twins близнецы

family pedigree семейная родословная

grandchildren внуки

ancestor предок

Godfather крестный отец

to be single быть холостым, неженатым

well-educated хорошо-образованный

ex (former) бывший

to wish smb. all the happiness in the world желать самого лучшего

sister-in-law золовка

brother-in-law деверь

mother-in-law свекровь, теща

father-in-law свекор, тесть

daughter-in-law невестка

son-in-law зять

to lose one's temper for no reason выходить из себя без причины

uncle дядя

aunt тетя

nephew племянник

niece племянница

cousin двоюродный брат, сестра

to miss smb. badly скучать сильно по ком-нибудь

nursery school детский сад

to take after быть похожим на

fair-haired светловолосый

even-tempered уравновешенный

to be in a good mood быть в хорошем настроении

to be deeply attached to smb быть глубоко привязанным

to get on well ладить

marriage женитьба

date свидание

to date smb встречаться с кем-то

make a date назначить свидание

a boy- (girl) friend друг (подруга)

court smb ухаживать за кем-то

courtship сватовство

fall in love влюбиться

propose to smb сделать предложение

be engaged to smb быть помолвленным

engagement помолвка

break one's engagement разорвать помолвку

fiance(e) жених, невеста

marry smb жениться, выходить замуж

marry for love выйти замуж, жениться по любви

be married/ get married жениться, выходить замуж

marriage certificate свидетельство о браке

marriage for convenience брак по расчету

illegal marriage незаконный брак

misalliance неравный брак

batchelor холостяк

dowry приданое

wedding свадьба, бракосочетание

wedding service венчание

civil marriage гражданский брак

wedding ring обручальное кольцо

matrimony супружество, брак

spouse супружеская чета, супруг(а)

prenuptial agreement брачный договор

bride's maids подружки невесты

best-man свидетель со стороны жениха

new(ly)-weds молодожены

honey-moon медовый месяц

divorce развестись

argue, have a row, quarrel ссориться, ругаться

to find faults with smb. придираться к кому-либо

Read the dialogues. Use the questions, ask for and give extra information:

1.

- I say, Ann. You've got some relatives here, haven't you?

- Yes, I have some.

- What relatives have you here?

- My aunt's family lives here.

- Do you often go to see them?

- Yes, I do. I visit them as often as possible. They are so nice, jolly and kind.

- Is their family large?

- Rather. There are five of them: my aunt, her husband and their three children.

- So you have three cousins. How nice! How old are they? What are their names? You are fond of them, aren't you?

- Not so many questions at once, please. Let's visit them one of these days. I'll introduce you to them all.

2.

- Good afternoon, Alice. Come in.

- Good afternoon, Lily. How are you?

- Quite well. Won't you sit down? Make yourself comfortable. How are you?

- Very well, thank you. I'd like to invite you to my wedding-reception. I'm getting married next month.

- Oh! This is a lovely surprise. Who is the lucky fellow?

- James Brown. We've known each other since childhood.

- My congratulations. I wish all the happiness in the world.

- Thank you.

Translate into English:

1. У него было две сестры.

2. Тот бухгалтер - моя мама.

3. Давай посетим их сегодня.

4. Ее кузен - светловолосый парень.

5. У нас был брачный договор.

6. Те ученые были на совместном предприятии.

7. Ее девичья фамилия - Петрова.

8. Он увлекается спортом.

9. То мнение было неправильным.

10. У них умелые руки.

11. Мы сейчас в свадебном путешествии.

12. Доктор Браун холост или женат? Его жене Хелен 30 лет, а сыну Бену 4 года.

13. Моя бабушка ладит со своей невесткой.

14. Мой двоюродный брат - единственный ребенок в семье.