An English family

We shall speak about an English family. It is a very big family. In fact there are really three families. Read about them and then make a family tree.

Alice and Arthur Heath are grandparents. They've got one son - Harold. They live with Harold and his wife. Arthur Heath is 70 years old. He had his birthday last week.

Fred Beaumont is a widower. He spends a lot of time with his grandchildren.

Bertha Beaumont died in 1990.

The Beaumonts had two daughters - Jean and Betty. Jean married Harold Heath.

They've got three children - one girl and two boys.

Harold Heath's father used to work on the railways, but Harold works for a car manufacturer.

Betty's husband is John King.

The Kings have four children. The names of the children are Shirley, Johnny, Christine and baby Sandra.

Elizabeth Heath is 16, and she is still at school. She is studying for her exams. Her favourite subject is Spanish.

David and Paul Heath are Arthur Heath' grandsons.

David spends a lot of time with his grandfather. They love trains, and old Mr. Heath is always telling David about the railways in the old days.

Robert King is Betty King's nephew. His father George is John King's brother. Robert has a wife Gwen and a little daughter Tracey who is going to be two years old next month.

Robert King's sister married Alan Marshall last year. They went to their wedding in an old bus.

Brian King loves cars. Brian is still at school. He doesn't like school much. He wants to leave school and work in a garage. Brian is fifteen, and so he's going to leave school next year. He loved his sister's wedding. He rode in an old bus and learnt about its engine.

Ex.15 Look at the pictures and speak about Ann (the first picture) and her relatives. Use the given information.

A. Ann — a girl of 18, a student. Her father — a man of 51, a turner. Her mother — a woman of 47, a librarian. Her grandfather — an elderly man of 71, a pensioner. Her grandmother — a woman of 69, a housewife. Ann's younger brother — a schoolboy of 16. Her elder brother — a man of 25, a painter. His wife— a young woman of 24, a school-teacher. Their son — a boy of 3.

B. Additional information:

to be like (unlike) her mother (father); to be thin (stout); to be short (tall); to be pretty (handsome, beautiful, nice, good-looking, attractive); to be dark (fair)-haired; to be blue (dark, brown, black, grey)-eyed; to be snub (straight, long, short)-nosed; to be well-dressed (dressed in good taste)

Ex.16 Compose short dialogues using the following sentences.

1. Meet my friend, father. I am very glad to meet you. 2. A pupil of the tenth form. He (she) is ... years old. 3. Her dream is to become .... . She (he) is just out of school. 4. He (she) is not old at all. He (she) is full of life and energy. 5. He (she) has a family of his own. He (she) is ... by profession.

Ex.17 Describe your own family or the family of your friend (brother, etc.). Speak about the relationship between the various members, their appearance and professions.