7B Happy birthday
Vocabulary: Life Stages
E
x.20
Match the sentences 1-7
to the pictures a-g.
He retired many years ago and lives in a home for the elderly.
He's a pensioner now, but he's still very active.
He's a toddler.
He's a typical adolescent.
She's middle-aged, probably in her late forties or early fifties.
She's still a teenager, but she's very adult in some ways.
She's thirty something and she's got two young children.
Use the words in bold to make sentences about people you know. Talk about these people with a partner.
Ex.21 Work in pairs. Discuss these questions.
Which stage of life do you associate with the following adjectives: wise, rebellious, overworked, lively, irresponsible, happy, bored?
Which stage are you in at the moment? What are the advantages and disadvantages of being your age?
Which stage are you most looking forward to? Why?
Reading
Ex.22 a) You are going to read an article about a woman who is celebrating her 110th birthday. Answer the questions.
How do you think she's going to celebrate her birthday?
In what way has the world changed since she was a young girl? What do you think are the changes that have shocked her most?
b) Read the article and compare your ideas to the information in the article. Has Maria led a happy life?
Maria prepares to celebrate her 110th birthday
M
aria
Pettigrew says the odd drop of sherry in the evening has helped her
live so long.
Scotland's oldest woman, who has lived in three centuries, is today celebrating her 110th birthday. Maria Pettigrew explains that her recipe for a long life is a simple diet, not smoking and the odd drop of sherry in the evenings.
Her friends and family have been preparing a special party for her at the hospital where she lives. She wants to look good for her birthday and she has been putting together a special outfit for the occasion. Speaking from the hospital, she said: 'My nurse has taken me out shopping a couple of times, once to buy shoes and once to order a new wedding ring, because this one is getting a bit loose.'
Maria was born one of four children in Liberton, Edinburgh, to policeman Andrew Scougall and mother Helen. She left school at fourteen to work on a farm, where she met the two loves of her life. At nineteen, she married one of them, farm worker William McCardle. Her secret admirer, Tom Pettigrew, was heartbroken and he left for Australia to set up a new home.
Shortly after the First World, War William died in a flu epidemic. Maria brought up their three children on her own until thirteen years later when Tom returned from Melbourne. He confessed his secret love to Maria and the pair were married for 42 years.
Maria says: 'I've only had two boyfriends and they were both decent men. Two happy marriages – what more could a woman ask for?'
Maria keeps in good health, although her eyesight is beginning to fail. She lived in her own home, doing her own cooking and housework until five years ago, when she moved to the hospital.
Maria was born before telephones, televisions and washing machines were invented. Of all the changes she has lived through she says that 'the most extraordinary thing I ever saw was a motor car. I had never seen one before. I was so shocked I fell in a ditch.'
Maria has six grandchildren and fourteen greatgrandchildren and they have all been helping with the preparations for the party. Maria is sure she will enjoy sharing her birthday cake with her children, grandchildren and the rest of her family and friends she has invited. Though no doubt they'll have to help her blow out all those candles!
c) Read the article again and put the topics in the correct order.
Maria's childhood
her two husbands
Maria's secret for a long life
Maria's health
the changes that Maria has seen
preparations for her birthday party
Would you like to live to be 110 years old? Why or why not?
Active vocabulary
1) confess (v) – признаваться; сознаваться
to confess to doing sth – сознаться в каком-л. поступке
to confess frankly/ honestly – искренне, чистосердечно признаться
confession (n) – признание (вины, ошибки)
full confession – абсолютное признание
public confession – публичное признание
2) invite (v) – приглашать, звать
to invite over – приглашать к себе
to invite out – приглашать куда-л. (на обед)
invitation (n) – приглашение
cordial / kind invitation – сердечное приглашение
invitation card – пригласительный билет
invitation to a party – приглашение на вечеринку
to accept an invitation – принять приглашение
to decline / refuse an invitation – отвергать приглашение
to send an invitation – посылать приглашение
3) occasion (n) – возможность, случай, шанс; важное событие
on numerous occasions – часто, неоднократно
fitting occasion – подходящая возможность, удобный случай
happy / joyful occasion – счастливое, радостное событие
official occasion – официальное празднование
special occasion – особенное событие
unforgettable occasion – незабываемое событие
to celebrate / mark an occasion – отмечать событие
occasional (adj) – случающийся время от времени, иногда, редко; редкий, случайный
occasional visitor – случайный посетитель
occasionally (adv) – иногда, изредка, время от времени
4) odd (adj) – случайный, нерегулярный; чуждый, необычный, странный, эксцентричный
odd jobs – случайный заработок, нерегулярная работа
It was odd of her to do that. – Странно, что она так поступила.
odds and ends – разрозненные предметы, всякая всячина, остатки, обрезки, обрывки
the odd man (one) out – третий лишний
Look at the list of words and choose the odd one out.
Word combinations
to get in touch with sb – связаться с кем-либо
Life stages
baby – младенец, малютка
toddler – ребёнок, начинающий ходить (в возрасте от 1 года до 2,5 лет)
adolescent – подросток
teenager – подросток; юноша или девушка (в возрасте от 13 до 19 лет)
adult – взрослый
middle-aged – среднего возраста
pensioner – пенсионер
retired – вышедший на пенсию; в отставке
elderly – пожилой