G.+Family+&+Relationships



**Relationships & Family **
 * //**Who is the biggest user of technology in your family? **//
 * //**Do you think technology has increased the quality of communication in **////**your family? **//
 * //**How might technology decrease the quality of communication? **//
 * //**How could families become even more connected? **//

__**LISTEN AS YOU READ media type="file" key="081021-family.mp3" width="240" height="20" **__ __**Internet helps families stay more in touch **__ Much has been said about how anti-social the Internet and mobile phones are. The truth is however, according to new research, communication technology is bringing people closer together. A study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found family members were keeping in regular contact today more than ever before. And this is all down to e-mail, chat, our cellphones and SMS messaging. It makes sense. Years ago, it took a long time to write a letter, then find an envelope and go to the post office to buy a stamp and post it. Today we write mails while we wait for our change in the convenience store and they’re sent in an instant. Having free Internet telephone calls also helps us to stay in touch more often and for longer. Everyone’s at it, from five-year-olds to tech-savvy grandparents. According to the Pew survey, technology has a very positive effect on communication within families. Researchers asked 2,252 adults whether new technologies had increased the quality of communication with their family. Fifty-three percent said it increased communication with family members they did not live with, two per cent said technology decreased this. Numbers were similar for those living in the same house as their family. The project director Lee Rainey said: "There's a new kind of connectedness being built inside of families with these technologies”. Survey co-author Barry Wellman agreed: "It used to be [that] husbands went off to work, wives went off to a different job or else stayed home…and the kids went off to school…and not until 5:30, 6 o'clock did they ever connect," he said.

**Match the following synonyms from the article: **
 * SYNONYM MATCH: **
 * **1. much** || **// a. // quickly ** ||
 * **2 according to** || **// b. // writer ** ||
 * **3. down to** || **// c. // inside ** ||
 * **4. in an instant** || **// d. // almost identical ** ||
 * **5. savvy** || **// e. // as stated by ** ||
 * **6. within** || **// f. // linking ** ||
 * **7. decreased** || **// g. // a lot ** ||
 * **8. similar** || **// h. // know-how ** ||
 * **9. connectedness** || **// i. // lowered ** ||
 * **10. author** || **// j. // because of ** ||

__**1 Relatives **__ **Put the people below in the correct category. ** a biological mother, a cousin, a godmother, a great grandmother, a half-brother, a nephew, a son-in-law, a stepmother, an adopted son, ancestors, foster parents, in-laws **Blood relatives: ** **Non-blood relatives: ** __**<span style="color: #d63d3d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">2. Relations past and present **__ **//Complete the sentences below with the following words<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. //**
 * <span style="color: #d63d3d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">PHRASE MATCH: ** **<span style="color: #d63d3d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one. combination is possible):[[image:imagesnbvc.jpg width="302" height="219" align="right"]] **
 * **1. technology is bringing people** || **// a. // sense ** ||
 * **2 keeping in** || **// b. // being built ** ||
 * **3. It makes** || **// c. // instant ** ||
 * **4. sent in an** || **// d. // the Pew survey ** ||
 * **5. Everyone’s at** || **// e. // families ** ||
 * **6. According to** || **// f. // closer together ** ||
 * **7. communication within** || **// g. // they ever connect ** ||
 * **8. family members they** || **// h. // it ** ||
 * **9. There's a new kind of connectedness** || **// i. // regular contact ** ||
 * **10. not until 5:30, 6 o'clock did** || **// j. // did not live with ** ||

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">ancestors - descendant - ex-husband - fiancée - forefathers - offspring - orphan - widow ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">1. Vanessa got divorced last month and her ................. must now pay her $2000 a month in alimony. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">2. She became a .............. after her husband died in the plane crash. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">3. Julio got engaged to a beautiful girl. Have you met his ..................... yet? <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">4. The rooms were filled with old portraits of his ................... hanging on the walls. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">5. Benjamin Franklin was one of the .................... of America.6. He claims to be a ................. of an Italian prince. <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: left;">7. Aisha grew up as an ....................... . Her parents were killed during the civil war. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">8. Janet visited us with all her ...................... -- she has a son and two daughters.

__**<span style="color: #d63d3d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">3 Developing a relationship **__ //**Look at the expressions and verbs below. What do you think they mean? Match them to their definitions**// //**then check with a partner.**// <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">restaurant, especially for the first time in order to start a <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">romantic relationship || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">date (somebody)(US) || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">g. to start a conversation with someone because you have a <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">romantic interest in them || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">stable long-term relationship ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">1. tie the knot || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">a. to ask someone to marry you ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">2. chat somebody up (UK) || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">b. to be at the beginning of a romantic relationship with someone ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">3. have a crush on somebody || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> c. to date regularly ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">4. settle down || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> d. to feel that you like someone very much ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">5. go steady || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> e. to get married ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">6. ask somebody out || <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">f. to invite someone somewhere, e.g. to the cinema or a
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">7. go out (with somebody)(UK)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">8. propose || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">h. to start having a calmer life by getting married or having a

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Now complete the sentences below putting the verbs and expressions in their correct form: ** //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">1. Paul and Amber decided to ................ after only 6 months of dating. They've been // //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">happily married ever since. // //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">2. He decided to .................. her ............ on a date to a fancy restaurant. // //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">3. After a few drinks, Paul got the courage to approach Amber and ................ her ............... . // //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">4. Paul chose a romantic weekend in Paris to ................. to his girlfriend. To his // //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">delight, she accepted. // //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">5. I think it's about time for you to ................... . You've had your fun in life! // //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">6. After only a few weeks the couple started to ................ . They see each other // //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">almost every day now. // //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">7. I didn't know you had a boyfriend. How long have you been ..............? //

//**<span style="color: #d63d3d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Take a look at __" family"__ vocabulary. **//  **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">4. Verbs of liking and disliking ****//<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Look at the verbs below and the box on the next page. //** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The verbs <span style="color: #d63d3d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">detest, hate, can't stand, dislike, like, fancy, adore can be followed by a **person, thing or verb in the -ing form.** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">A person can worship **someone** or **something.** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">If something or someone repels you, it causes you to dislike it strongly. You can **be** repelled **by** someone or something. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The verb fancy is mainly **informal British English**. If you fancy someone, you are attracted to him/her.
 * <span style="color: #d63d3d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">detest ---> repel --> hate ---> can't stand ---> dislike ---> don't mind ---> like ---> fancy ---> love ****<span style="color: #d63d3d; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">---> adore ---> worship **

__**<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">3. Relationship problems **__ **//<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">In pairs, study the following sentences and complete the definitions below with the infinitive forms of the underlined verbs and expressions. //** **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">a. Eve was very unhappy in her relationship. In the end, she decided to dump her boyfriend. ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">b. The couple split up last year. They don't even talk to each other now. ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">c. John may seem bossy, but it's really his wife that wears the trousers in their relationship. ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">d. Borys cheated on his fiancée at the office party. However, the couple made up a week later. ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">e. Allie had an affair while her husband was away on business. ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">f. Their marriage has been on the rocks for a long time. I think they are going to get a divorce soon. ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">g. We never really had much in common, so over time we just grew apart. ** **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">1. : to suddenly end a relationship with somebody (informal) ** **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">2. : to end a relationship ** **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">3. : to have a secret (usually sexual) relationship involving a married person ** **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">4. : to be unfaithful towards someone who you are in a relationship with (informal) ** **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">5. : to be friends or partners again after an argument or disagreement ** **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">6. : to be likely to fail ** **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">7. : to gradually become less close in the relationship **
 * <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">8. : to be in control of the relationship and make all the decisions **

//**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">1. Is there a high divorce rate in your country? Why/why not? **// //**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">2. Do people generally get married at an early or late age in your country? What are the reasons for this? **//

//**__<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">LET"S TALK ABOUT IT EXTENSIVELY: __**//

//**<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Click here for further practise on Family relationships **//