UNIT 1: FAMILY LIFE

VOCABULARY
Task 1: Complete these sentences with an appropriate word or expression from A, B or C.
1. Mr and Mrs Smith live at home with their two children. They are a typical example of a modern _______ family.
A. extended B. nuclear C. compact
2. Mr and Mrs Popatlal live at home with their aged parents, children and grandchildren. They are typical example of
a traditional __________ family.
A. nuclear B. enlarged C. extended
3. Mrs Jones lives on her own and has to look after her two children. There are a lot of ______ families like hers.
A. single-parent B. mother-only C. mono-parent
4. Some parents need to __________ their children more strictly.
A. bring down B. bring about C. bring up
5. When I was a child, I had a very turbulent __________.
A. upbringing B. upraising C. uplifting
6. Mrs Kelly is __________ and finds it difficult to look after her children on her own.
A. divorced B. divided C. diverged
7. Many men believe that __________ is the responsibility of a woman.
A. childhelp B. childcare C. childaid
8. __________ is a particularly difficult time of life for a child.
A. convalescence B. adolescence C. convergence
9. A person’s behavior can sometimes be traced back to his/her __________.
A. creative years B. formulating years C. formative years
10. The country has seen a sharp drop in the __________ in the last few years.
A. birth rate B. baby rate C. born rate
11. She has five __________ who rely on her to look after them.
A. dependants B. dependers C. dependents
12. __________ is on the rise, with over 30% of serious crimes being committed by children.
A. junior crime B. juvenile delinquency C. minor crime
Task 2: Match sentences 1-12 with a second sentence A-M.
1. Mr and Mrs White are very authoritarian parents.
2. Mr.Bowles is considered to be too lenient.
3. Mr and Mrs Harris lead separate lives.
4. Billy is a well-adjusted kid.
5. The Mannings are not very reponsible parents.
6. My parents are separated.
7. Parents must look after their children, but they shouldn’t be over-protective.
8. Professor Maynard has made a study of the cognitive processes of young children.
9. I’m afraid my youngest child is running wild.
10. She looks quite different from all her siblings.
11. There are several different and distinct stages of development in a child’s life.
12. Tony was raised by a foster family when his own parents died.
A. They don’t look after their children very well.
B. He is fascinated by the way they learn new things.
C. He very rarely punishes his children.
D. I live with my mother and visit my father at weekends.
E. He never listens to a word I say, and is always playing truant from school.
F. Brothers and sisters usually bear some resemblance to one another.
G. Although they are married and live together, they rarely speak to each other.
H. They are very strict with their children.
I. Of all of these, the teenage years are the most difficult.
pg. 1
J. Children need the freedom to get out and experience the world around them.
K. He’s happy at home and is doing well at school.
L. Foster families take in children who are not their own.
Task 3: Read this case study and fill in the gaps with one of the words or expressions from task 1 and 2. In
some cases, more than one answer may be possible. You may need to change some of the word forms.
Bob’s problems began during his (1) __________ years. His parents got (2) __________ when he was
young, and neither of his parents wanted to raise hime or his brother and sister, so he was (3) __________ by a (4)
__________ chosen by his parent’s social worker. Unfortunately, his foster-father was a strict (5) __________
and often beat him. Bob rebelled against this strict (6) __________, and by the time he was eight, he was already
(7) __________, stealing from shops and playing truant. By the time he reached (8) __________, sometime around
is thirteenth birthday, he had already appeared in court several times, charged with (9) __________. The judge
blamed his foster parents, explaining that children needed (10) __________ parents and guardians who would look
after them properly. The foster father objected to this, pointing out that Bob’s (11) __________ - his two
brothers and sister – were (12) __________ children who behaved at home and worked well at school.
This has raised some interesting questions about the modern family system. While it is true that parents
should not be too (13) __________ with children by letting them do what they want when they want or be too (14)
__________by sheltering them from the realities of life, it is also true that they should not be too strict. It has
also highlighted the disadvantages of the modern (15) __________ family where the child has only its mother and
father to rely on (or the (16) __________ family, in which the mother or father has to struggle particularly hard
to support their (17) __________). In fact, many believe that we should return to traditional family values and the
(18) __________ family: extensive research has shown that children from these families are generally better
behaved and have a better chance of success in later life.
Task 4:
Study links early friendships with high-quality sibling relationships
Children who experience a rewarding friendship before the birth of a sibling are likely to have a better
relationship with that brother and sister that endures throughout their childhood, said Laurie Kramer in a
University of Illinois study published in December’s Journal of Family Psychology.
“When early friendships are successful, young children get the chance to master sophisticated social and
emotional skills, even more than they do with a parent. When parents relate to a child, they do a lot of the work,
figuring out what the child needs and then accommodating those needs,” says Kramer. However, this is not usually
the case when two children are interacting.
The research showed that the benefits of early friends are long-lasting. Children who had a positive
relationship with a best friend before the birth of a sibling ultimately had a good relationship with their sibling that
lasted throughout adolescence, Kramer said. And children who as preschoolers were able to coordinate play with a
friend, manage conflicts and keep an interaction positive in tone were most likely as teenagers to avoid the negative
sibling interaction that can sometimes launch children on a path of anti-social behavior, she added. “From birth,
parents can nurture and help develop these social competencies (or skills) by making eye contact with their babies,
offering toys and playing with them” she said.
Read the text and find the suitable words
1. help someone/something develop and grow
2. agreeing to a demand
3. brother or sister
4. respond to somebody
5. the stage between childhood and adulthood
6. giving a lot of pleasure
7. communication
Read the text again and say whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F).
1. If young children have good friends then they will have a good relationship with their brother or sister.
2. Parents help their children develop more social and emotional skills than friends do.
3. Friends will give you what you want more often than your parents do.
pg. 2
4. Teenagers who fight with their brothers or sisters may behave in a way that is socially unacceptable.
5. If parents play with their children more then they will learn how to be more sociable.
Task 5: A lot of words connected with families and relationships can also be used in a different context. Complete the
sentences with a word from the box.
adopt conflict family nurture related relation relationship relative
1. The wolf is a member of the dog _______________.
2. The company decided to _______________ a new approach to staff recruitment.
3. The study found a strong _______________ between a lack of friends and sibling rivalry.
4. Whether you think the price of goods is high is _______________ to the amount of money you earn.
5. Studies have shown that stress in adulthood can be _______________ to an unhappy childhood.
6. Good teachers identify the talents of their students and _______________ them.
7. This evidence seems to _______________ with the findings from previous studies.
8. I am writing in _______________ to the job advertisement in yesterday’s paper.
Task 6: Match the words in box A with the words in box B to make 10 compound nouns. You will need to use some
words more than once.
A active family maternal sibling stable extended immediate physical striking

B family instinct rivarly upbringing gatherings resemblance role

Task 7: Fill in the gaps

FAMILY
Verb + family
1. Do you ___________ a family? I’ve got two boys and a girl.
2. I ___________ from a large family. I have five brothers and three sisters.
3. Many women today successfully combine a career with ___________ up a family.
4. Are they planning to ___________ a family? I know Jenny loves children.
5. People in low-income jobs often find it hard to ___________ their families.
Adjective + family
1. My family has always been very ___________. We ring each other and get together a lot.
2. Only Diana’s ___________ family and closest friends were invited to the wedding.
3. He comes from a very ___________ family. His father is a judge.
4. As a boy, I was surrounded by my ___________ family. Most of my aunts and uncles lived in the same village.
5. The ___________ family had colds last week!
6. Some people think that children brought up by both parents are less likely to get into trouble than children from
___________ families.
Noun + Preposition + Family
1. No, he’s not a relation. He’s just a ___________ of the family – somebody we’ve known for years.
2. She is the sole surviving ___________ of her family.
3. Despite ___________ from her family, Sue married a man 40 years older than herself.
4. I hear you’re expecting a small ___________ to the family. When’s the baby due?
5. Good parents always put the ___________ of the family first.
6. Jerry may be the ___________ of the family, but he’s also the ___________ of the family. He’s just finished
his degree at Cambridge University.
PARENT
Verb + parent
pg. 3
1. My parents separated when I was two, then got ___________ when I was four. I was brought up by my mother. I
only saw my dad at the weekends.
2. I ___________ my boyfriend’s parents for the first time last week. They seem very nice.
3. It’s nearly midnight. I’d better phone home, or my parents will start to ___________.
4. I hate this dress, but I only wear it to ___________ my parents.
5. My parents ___________ me up to believe that the only way to be successful in life is to work hard.
Verb + with + parent
Match the halves:
1. I can’t communicate with my parents. a. but now I have to look after them!
2. My parents brought me up, b. we could afford a flat of our own.
3. I’ve fallen out with my girlfriend again. c. They just don’t understand me!
4. My wife and I lived with my parents until d. We haven’t spoken to each other for a week.
Adjective + parent
1. Both my parents were very ___________. I wasn’t allowed out after 7 o’clock until I was 16!
2. I have to take care of my ___________parents. They’re both in their eighties, and they need daily help with
their housework and shopping.
3. Being a ___________ parent isn’t easy. Bringing up a family on your own is hard work.
4. The meeting will be held in the school hall tomorrow evening to allow ___________ parents to attend.
5. My real parents died in a car crash when I was a baby. I was brought up by ___________ parents.
CHILD/CHILDREN
Verb +child/children
1. My mother ___________ after the children every Monday. That’s the day my wife is at the office.
2. I believe in right and wrong, and I intend to ___________ up my children to know the difference.
3. The children are out ___________ in the garden with their friends.
4. I was very fat when I was a child and the other children ___________ me about it. They called me names like
“Porky”. Children can be very cruel.
5. The children were taken into care by social services because their parents had started to ___________ them.
6. I think it is important that children are ___________ how to share with others.
7. Both our children are ___________. Sadly, we couldn’t ___________ any children of our own.
Adjective + child/children
1. I’m an ___________ child. I often wish I had a brother or a sister.
2. The house is quiet these days. All of our children are ___________ and married now.
3. He has a wife and three ___________ children to support. The eldest is only 5.
4. Nowadays, the ___________ child spends about 20 hours a week watching television.
5. My brother is very clever. He goes to a special school for ___________ children.
6. Callum! Stop behaving like a ___________ child. You can’t have everything you want!
7. The teacher gave the children a chocolate for being so ___________ at the school concert.
Common expressions
Match the halves:
1. I was very happy a. and is ideal for children
2. The hotel has a leisure centre b. I’m 16 and I can make up my own mind!
3. The film contains a lot of violence c. as a child.
4. Would you stop treating me like a child! d. and is unsuitable for young childre.
HUSBAND AND WIFE
Verb + husband/wife
1. My brother __________ with his wife and two kids in Geneva.
2. I __________ my wife last year. I’ve been very lonely since she died.
3. Have you heard that Margaret Duncan has __________ her husband? She walked out on him after she found out
he was having an affair.
4. I __________ my wife at school when I was only 13. We got married when I was 18.
pg. 4
5. All my old school friends are married now, but I’m still __________ for a wife!
Adjective + husband/wife
1. She’s been married four times now. Her __________ husband is 20 years younger than her!
2. Lawrence was a family man and a __________ husband. We will all miss him.
3. My __________ wife is now a millionaire. Sometimes I wish I hadn’t divorced her!
4. These photographs bring back fond memories of my __________ husband, Jack. They were taken on holiday the
year before he died.
BABY
Verb + baby
1. Did you hear that Janet __________ a baby girl early this morning?
2. We’re __________ our first baby in August.
3. After the birth. Moira went back to work and her husband stayed at home to __________ after the baby.
4. When I __________ my tiny baby in my arms for the first time, I was so happy.
5. I went into the room very quietly, so as not to __________ the baby.
6. We’re thinking of __________ the baby Unda after her grandmother.
7. I have to __________ the baby every three or four hours. No wonder I’m so tired!
Common expressions
1. I didn’t get any sleep last night. The baby wouldn’t stop __________.
2. The baby only __________ about 2 kilos at birth. He was born a month premature.
3. The baby was lying in her pram, __________ with a rattle.
4. When’s the baby __________? I heard it was January.
5. I don’t really want to know the sex of my baby before it’s __________.
6. Try not to make too much noise. The baby’s __________.
BIRTH
Match the halves:
1. Birth control is a very difficult issue, a. how I can get a new one?
2. My teacher has just given birth b. on the birth of your daughter!
3. My great-grandmother doesn’t know her exact c. especially in poor countries.
4. Congratulations d. to twins, a boy and a girl.
5. It’s now quite common for fathers to be present e. date of birth. She thinks it’s 1912.
6. I’ve lost my birth certificate. Do you know f. at the birth of their children.
BIRTHDAY
Common expressions
1. We’re __________ a party for Faisal’s 50th birthday. Would you like to come?
2. I’m __________ my husband a digital camera for his birthday!
3. Let’s go out for a meal to __________ your birthday.
4. I’m sorry I __________ your birthday. It just slipped my mind. Here’s a card and a present.
5. Your grandmother can’t come to your party, but she __________ you a happy birthday and hopes you have a
great day.
Birthday + noun
1. Zaina blew out all 15 candles on her birthday __________.
2. The necklace was a birthday __________ from my husband.
3. I must remember to send Mikako a birthday __________. I forgot last year.
4. Sheila has invited me to her son’s 21st birthday __________.
Task 8: Complete the sentences with these words.
born    divorced    one-parent    only child    partner    single
1 If you are ____________, you aren’t married.
2 An ____________ doesn’t have brothers or sisters.
3 You can use the word ____________ to describe either a husband or wife or the person that someone lives with.
4 If you are married and then end the marriage, you are ____________ .
pg. 5
5 ____________ families are families where only the father or the mother lives at home and looks after the
children.
6 Approximately 670,000 babies are ____________ every year in Britain.
1 single 3 partner 5 One-parent 2 only child 4 divorced 6 born
Task 9: Read the text and choose a good title.
1 New technology in the USA 2 Protection 24 hours a day – is it a good idea? 3 Unhappy families
What are your parents doing now?
Maybe they’re watching you, listening to you or finding out where you are. How? It’s all thanks to new high-
tech equipment from specialist companies in the USA.
A company called BladeRunner has a jacket with a GPS system inside. It costs $500, and for $20 a month
your parents can always see where you are (or where your jacket is!). But that’s nothing. Do your parents want to
know what you’re eating? No problem. MyNutriKids tells them what you’re having for lunch at school. Do your
parents want to know your exam results? GradeSpeed is a service which gives them that information. Do they want
to know what online conversations you’re having? IMSafer tells them. You usually arrive on time for extra-curricular
sports classes. But if one day you don’t arrive on time, there’s a service which informs your parents. And there’s
another service which sends them a message if you go outside a specific area.
So, are your parents protecting you or are they spying on you? Babies and small children need constant care
and protection. But is it really important for parents to know where their teenage kids are every minute of the day?
Adolescents need to take their own decisions and make their own mistakes. Mistakes are an important part of
growing up, of passing from childhood to independence. We think it’s important for parents to give their children
the opportunity to do this.
Read the text again and choose the best answers.
1 The BladeRunner jacket
a costs $500. b only works if you pay regularly. c has a mobile phone inside.
2 GradeSpeed
a helps students to work fast in exams.
b helps students to have good results in exams.
c gives parents information about exam results.
3 One of the services
a tells parents if their children do not arrive at a place on time.
b stops children from entering a new zone.
c tells children if they are going into a dangerous place.
4 A lot of the new technology
a is dangerous for children.
b gives parents information about their children.
c is difficult to use.
5 In the article, it says that for young people it is
a bad to make mistakes.
b important to listen to parents.
c important to have the chance to make mistakes.
Find words in the passage.
1 something you do at school, but not part of your normal studies
2 things that you do wrong, that are incorrect
3 connected to the Internet
4 chance, possibility
5 permanent attention and help
6 written or spoken information that you send to somebody
7 tells
Task 10: Find 15 common collocations or fixed phrases by completing each space in the text with an
appropriate word from the box.
pg. 6
struck out patch sheltered live up to hit it off
follow spoilt commitment plucked up rebelled
pushy domineering trial interests pressure
I guess I was what one might call a (1) ______________ child, for I was the only child of Mary and David
Bettleman and I got whatever I wanted. I had a rather weak-minded mother and by contrast a very (2)
______________ father who had exceedingly high expectations of me, expectations that I could not (3)
______________ . You see, my father was quite an eminent lawyer and wanted nothing more than for me to (4)
______________ in his footsteps. He encouraged me to win at everything and to be ultra-competitive.
He just couldn’t see that he was being far too (5) ______________ and putting too much (6) ______________ on
me. He simply thought that he was acting in my best (7) ______________. Not surprisingly, perhaps, I (8) against
my upbringing by becoming thoroughly apathetic at school. As soon as I turned 18, I (9) ______________ on my
own and went off on a trip to India. It was there that I met Ingrid, a fellow traveller. It became clear that we
carne from very similar backgrounds. She too was running away from something: in her case a very (10)
______________ upbringing, caused by having two very over-protective parents. We (11) ______________
immediately, and I (12) ______________ courage and asked her to be my girlfriend. But I was young and I needed
space, and I guess I was too immature to handle the give and take of a relationship. Or perhaps I was just afraid
of(13) ______________ .Anyway, we went through a very bad (14) ______________ and had a (15)
______________ separation for a couple of months.
Task 11: Put each of the following words or phrases in its correct place below
possessive upbringing permissive rebelliousness
suppress formative adolescence run wild
inhibited authoritarian juvenile delinquency
How Much Freedom Should Children Have?
It is often said that we live in a (a) _______ age, one in which people are allowed to do almost anything they like. Is
this good for children? They are going through their (b) _______, which is a very (c) _______ stage of their
development since their final adult characters are beginning to take shape. Some parents think it is good or children
to be allowed to (d) _______ , without control or supervision. They say that this enables children’s personalities to
develop naturally and that they will learn to be responsible by the mistakes they make. However, this might lead to
(e) _____ with the children ending up in the courts, or it might simply make children self-centered, without any
consideration for others Other parents believe in being strict, but taken to extremes this can produce a too (f)
_______ atmosphere in the home, with the children being dominated and ruled by their parents. Parents can also be
very (g) _______ and try to keep their children dependent on them. These last two attitudes can encourage (h)
_______ (against parents, school, authority) in a child, or conversely (i) _______ a child’s natural sense of
adventure and curiosity. A strict (j) _______ by over-caring parents can make a child so timid and (k) _______
that he or she is unable to express freely his or her emotions and form mature relationships. To bring up, children
to be normal, well-adjusted human beings requires great wisdom, and perhaps a bit of luck.
Task 12: Choose the best answers.
a) As I am officially alan alien/outsider/stranger I have to register with the police.
b) Let me introduce you to my betrothed/engaged/fiancee. We’re getting married next month.
c) Jim is just a/an acquaintance/colleague/figure I met on holiday.
d) Why not bring your child along to the Mothers and Juveniles/Juniors/Toddlers group? It’s for one and two year-
olds.
e) Local people are campaigning for better facilities for the aged/ancient/elder.
f) Our ancestors/descendants/predecessors are all buried in the local churchyard.
g) Peter is 50 and unmarried and his friends call him ‘an eligible bachelor/independent/single’.
h) The bridegroom was handed the ring by the assistant groom/best man/godfather.
j) When I was a bloke/chap/lad I used to walk ten miles to school.
j) We call her ‘Auntie Flo’, though she is not really any Jam ily/relation/relative to us.
Task 13: Complete each sentence with the most appropriate word from the box.
aggressive attentive devoted insensitive solitary
pg. 7
apathetic conscientious extrovert mature prejudiced
a) Sharon works very hard and is extremely _________
b) David does everything alone. He is a rather_________ person.
c) What a lovely couple! They seem totally _________to one another.
d) Jim has extreme views, and is _________against all immigrants.
e) Very few students wanted to join in the activities. They seemed rather_________
t) Simon is always getting into fights, he’s so _________
g) Jane may look rather young, but she has a very_________ attitude.
h) Pauline is a good teacher, and very _________to the needs of the students.
j) Bill is shy but his brother Mike is more _________
j) Mary doesn’t realize how she hurts people. She is really _________
Task 14: Match each expression (a-j) with one of the explanations (1-10).
a) nearest and dearest 1 people who are alive at the same time or e.g. attend the same school
b) newlyweds 2 people who have only recently been (or are still) on their honeymoon
c) the nuclear family 3 all the people of approximately the same age
d) adults 4 the people in a family who live together under the same roof
e) a community 5 the entire range of relatives in one family
f) a generation 6 all the people living together in the same area
g) contemporaries 7 a person (or people) from your immediate family
h) the extended family 8 people who are no longer teenagers
j) a household 9 people abandoned by their families or by society in general
j) outcasts 10 parents and their children

Task 15: Complete each sentence with the most appropriate word from the box.
abandoned criticized neglected quarreled separated
adopted humiliated offended retired scolded
a) Keith’s parents _____________ him badly when he was a baby.
b) The small child was being _____________ by its mother for getting dirty.
e) Tom deeply _____________ Ann by ignoring her at the party.
d) David is not my real father, I was _____________ by him when I was small.
e) Ian and Fiona are _____________ and they may get divorced.
f) I _____________ with my boyfriend but we made it up in the end.
g) Jack _____________ on his 65th birthday and received his pension.
h) My parents _____________ me for having a ring in my nose.
i) Julie’s mother _____________ her when she was a few months old and she grew up in an orphanage.
j) My boss utterly _____________ me in front of important clients, so I resigned.
Task 16: Replace the words underlined with the most appropriate phrase from the box.
fell out turned him down moved in with got on well with
kept in touch ran away from got to know let him down
grew up went out together
a) When Brian asked her to marry him, Ann said no.
b) I communicated regularly with most of my old friends
e) Ann spent her childhood years in London
d) David and Jean dated for three months before they got engaged.
e) Kate quarreled with her boyfriend and they stopped seeing each other.
f) Helen had a good relationship with her in-laws
g) Harry left home without his parents’ permission.
h) Sophia promised to meet Michael after work but disappointed him.
j) After a few weeks I went to live in the house of sorne friends.
j) I grew friendly with Pam when we worked together
pg. 8
Task 17: Complete the spaces by finding one word which fits in all three sentences.
a) Barry was a very complicated individual who easily _________ offence.
I _________ to the job immediately and felt like I’d been doing it all my life.
After 36 days of fighting, the invading forces finally _________ the city.
b) After quarrelling with David, Martina was _________ to tears.
It was a _________ call, but I think Leupers just won it from Collins in second place.
In such sweltering heat, it was unbearably and humid on the underground.
c) Jane’s father _________ with rage when she told him she was pregnant.
Events in oil-producing countries _________ the confidence of investors.
The lion_________ its magnificent inane and gave an almighty roar.
d) John and Mary met at university, and they’ve been going _________ for almost five years.
‘_________ on - is that really what you want you to do?’
There has been a _________ decline in the number of male applicants.
e) ‘I just can’t imagine my Dad me down the aisle in church to get married! said Maggie.
Michael Schumacher is currently _________ the drivers’ championship.
She emerged from the stable _________ a beautiful black horse.
Task 18: Match the pairs of adjectives to the nouns
1. unconditional/parental a. bond
2. long-lasting b. attributes
3. spiritual/common c. impression
4. personal/ hidden d. family
5. nuclear/close-knit e. love
6. superficial/ working f. relationship
7. middle/only g. sympathy
8. heartfelt/popular h. child
Fill in the gaps with suitable words/ phrases
1. I’m very lucky in the fact that I have a very ……..family that sticks together when times get difficult.
2. My uncle made a(n) …………….impression on me. To this day, I remember his honesty and kindness.
3. ………………….love from one’s grandmother can be an incredible blessing to a confused teenager.
4. Unfortunately, in this day and age, the majority of us are involved in mostly …………….relationships
READING COMPREHENSION
Read the passage and do the task that follow.
The Family of Germanicus
Germanicus is not a name that many people are familiar with today, but the man and his family are central figures in
the story of one of the most colourful imperial dynasties the world has ever known – the Julio-Claudians.
The Julio-Claudians get their name from two families of the old Roman republic. Both families were old. The Julians
had an impeccable aristocratic pedigree, while the Claudians were one of the most politically powerful families in the
state. The two were thrown together into an alliance during the troubles which gripped Rome during the fall of the
Republic.
Julius Caesar, the most famous member of the Julian family, led his legions in the conquest of Rome. Though Caesar
was a great general, he lacked the political skills to control the Roman Senate and Caesar was killed by the senators
during one of their meetings. Another round of civil wars followed, and Caesar's great-nephew, Augustus, became
the ruler of Rome.
In contrast to Caesar, Augustus was a superb, uncompromising and ruthless politician. Early in his career, he
realized that his family could not rule alone, and he allied himself with the Claudians by marrying a woman called
Livia Drusilla. Livia was not only a Claudian herself, but the former wife of another Claudian. She had two children by
her first marriage, Tiberius and Drusus.
When he grew up, Drusus married Antonia, the daughter of Mark Antony. They had two children, one called Claudius
and the other named Tiberius after his uncle and grandfather (Tiberius was a common Roman name, and often used
for members of the Claudian family.)
pg. 9
Tiberius joined the army while he was still a young man, and turned out to be an excellent soldier. At the time, the
Romans were busy with a major war in Germany. This war had not been going well, and the Romans lost a number of
legions during a major battle in the Teutonwald forest. Tiberius was one of the commanders who helped to restore
the power of Rome, and to celebrate his victories, and to distinguish him from his uncle, the soldiers started calling
him Germanicus.
Germanicus, or Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus to give him his proper name, was not only an excellent commander,
but one who took great care that his soldiers were well supplied and looked after. He was loved by the troops he
commanded and this love helped him to bring the legions back under control when they mutinied on hearing of the
death of Augustus.
Since Augustus had no sons he had adopted Tiberius, the uncle of Germanicus. As the son of Augustus, Tiberius
became emperor after him. Augustus had known how popular Germanicus was, and considered adopting him instead
of Tiberius, but instead adopted Tiberius and made Tiberius adopt Germanicus. His plan was that power should go
from himself, to Tiberius and then to Germanicus and his sons. Germanicus had already become closer to the Julian
family by his marriage to Agrippina, the granddaughter of Augustus.
Sadly, the glittering career of Germanicus did not happen. From Germany, he went to Asia Minor where he again won
victories for Rome, but on his return from a trip to Egypt he became ill and died. Some modern historians believe
that Germanicus died of malaria, but Germanicus and his wife were both convinced that he had been poisoned by his
enemies. Among those they suspected was Tiberius, the emperor, since it was felt he wanted power to pass to his
own son rather than to Germanicus.
With the clear line of succession destroyed, members of the imperial court started to plot and scheme to see who
would be emperor after Tiberius, who was already an old man. The conspiracies drew in the surviving members of
the family of Germanicus, and the two eldest boys were accused of treason and killed. One daughter, Julia Livilla,
was married to the son of Tiberius and is believed to have poisoned him – partly to help the plots of her lover and
partly to avenge the 'poisoning' of her father. Agrippina, the wife of Germanicus was exiled and starved herself to
death.
One boy survived, a young man called Gaius. Tiberius made him live in his house where he could watch him carefully,
but also because Tiberius was true to his promise that when he died the children of Germanicus would come to
power. Gaius did indeed become emperor, but the mental stress of the earlier years could not be undone, and he is
known today as the mad emperor Caligula.
Gaius Caligula was assassinated, but history had not done with the children of Germanicus. The next emperor was
Claudius, the brother of Germanicus. He married, another daughter of Germanicus called Agrippina after her
mother. Agrippina, a direct descendant of Augustus, was thus the wife and niece of Claudius, the sister of Caligula,
and eventually, the mother of another emperor. This was Nero, the tyrant emperor whose death marked the end of
the descendants of Germanicus and the Julio-Claudian dynasty of emperors.
Questions 1-3: Look at the diagram (Family Diagram of Augustus) and Fill in the missing names in this family
tree.

pg. 10
Questions 4-11: YES/NO/NG
4. Agrippina, wife of Germanicus killed herself
5. Augustus was the great-great-grandfather of Nero
6. Claudius was the father-in-law of Caligula
7. Antonia was Livia's daughter-in-law
8. Agrippina was the daughter of Tiberius
9. Two of Germanicus' children died soon after birth
10. Nero had no brothers or sisters
11. Julia Livilla plotted to poison her lover
Questions 12-16: Fill in the family relationship described in the reading passage.
A. Grandmother B. Stepson C. Brother D. Mother-in-law E. Daughter F. Grandson G. Nephew
12. Livia was Antonia's ....................
13. Gaius Caligula was Claudius' ....................
14. Germanicus was Livia's ..................
15. Antonia was Gaius Caligula's .....................
16. Drusus was Augustus' .......................
Choose from A to E. Some of the choices may be required more than once.
Which father or fathers
tries to avoid physical punishment? 1 ____
initially resented the restrictions of fatherhood? 2 ____
made a conscious decision to have a child? 3 ____
arranged his accommodation to be near his children? 4 ____
is involved in the children’s daily routine? 5 ____
altered his professional duties to take account of his children? 6 ____
share interests with their children? 7 ____ 8 ____
appreciated his children more as they grew older? 9 ____
treated his children as if they were grown up? 10 ____
doesn’t force his children to maintain contact with him? 11 ____
was not as strict as his children would have wished? 12 ____
found his children’s interests helped him with his job? 13 ____
had their children close together? 14 ____ 15 ____
pg. 11
would have liked to attend more school events? 16 ____
did not want to repeat his parents’ mistakes? 17 ____
FROM HERE TO PATERNITY
A The theatre director B The advertising executive C The politician
‘Because of my bizarre personal ‘l was young when they were born, ‘My first child was born just as I
life, which I cannot be proud of, I only around 25, and I admit I was about to be elected onto the
have been blessed with 35 years of found the responsibilities and Greater London Council, and the
small children and I can honestly limitations quite irksome. It aged others followed ¡n quite quick
say I have loved every minute. I me quickly, but at the same time succession. My wife and I vowed
had the pleasure of feeding the it kept me young, which is something that we would carve out time for
baby this morning and that for me I have always valued. them but since I have become
is what being a father is all about. ‘As they became teenagers, they more and more politically active,
‘I’m terribly lucky with my children. introduced me to things I could time has become a real problem.
We all love the same things: opera, have drifted away from: music, ‘I make it a condition that I will
theatre, books, music. It creates a youth culture, clothes. In a funny only accept weekend meetings
great bond, especially now that they way that has been invaluable as far and public appearances where
are mostly grown up and I have as running the agency has been there are facilities for one or more
become a friend rather than a concerned. I have never felt out of of the kids to come with me. If I
father. touch. did not they would just get
‘I don’t believe in physical violence. I ‘Because I was struggling to squeezed out. This way they have
have been guilty of slapping my establish the business when they a sense of what I do when lam not
children in anger, but I don’t were young there were things I with them and there is no feeling
condone it. I’m sure I have not been missed: first concerts, sports days. of Daddy disappearing.
a deeply attentive father but I have I’m sad about that, but there are ‘I’ve noticed more and more
always tried to be available. I’m here compensations now, like being able to MPs bringing their kids to the
if they need me, always on the basis take them on holidays to the south House. Maybe we are all becoming
that they ring me. As soon as you of France. more conscious of the need to
start chasing them to ask why they ‘They get on well with a lot of our involve our children in our lives.’
have not been in touch, you impose friends and they come to parties
this terrible burden of guilt. My with us and advertising awards
parents did it to me and I would ceremonies without feeling
never do it to my children.’ intimidated. I think it has been an
advantage that I do something they
see as glamorous and interesting.’
D The writer E The TV presenter
‘My first marriage broke up when ‘I was ready for kids. I’d hit 30,
Kate and Bonnie were quite young, so met my wife, we had a lovely
I was forced to examine the whole house, so we thought, “Why carry
area of fatherhood more closely on going to the shops every
than I might otherwise have done. I Saturday spending our money on
made enormous efforts to stay in new sofas, when we could have a
touch with the children. My ex-wife kid instead?”
and I even experimented with living ‘Having my daughter Betty has
next door to each other for a while, forced me to come to terms with
so they could come and go as they who I am and what lam. You feel
wished, but I think Kate and Bonnie you are doing something very
would say now that they found that special when you conceive a child,
quite confusing. and you are. But you are also
‘Kate has said in interviews that I becoming just one more parent in
was always there for her, but I am a great long line of parents. It’s a
pg. 12
not sure I was a very good father. It great leveller.
is true I was around a lot, but, like a ‘I do resent it occasionally but
lot of Seventies parents, I think I if ever there is a moment of
treated the kids as adults too soon. irritation, it is dispelled by just one
Kate was complaining only the other look at her. A baby’s smile is the
day that we were too liberal.! think I greatest self-preservation
could have introduced more systems, mechanism in the world. It can melt
more order. Instead I took this very a grown man.’
loose approach. I regret that now.
‘I still worry about my elder
daughters as much as I do about my
youngest. In that way your kids
never leave you.’
Choose the best answer.
Jessica
The trouble was that Jessica had been brought up by a strong, clear-minded and independent woman, and (1) ___
with the expectation that she would be the same. This had meant that at the earliest (2) ___ she had been
encouraged to fly the nest and (3) ___ her wings. At no time had she considered marriage or ever having children;
the two things didn’t (4) ___ into her thinking. As a child there had been no bed-time stories of young girls being
rescued by handsome princes. “Whatever you want to do,” her mother would say when kissing her goodnight. “Believe
you can do it and you will.” And more important than anything else, make sure you enjoy what you do. Which might
have (5) ___ some children into becoming (6) ___ achievers, but not Jessica. What it did was convince her from an
early age that whatever she did would be because she wanted to do it, and for no other reason.
1. A. raised B. grown C. produced D. reared
2. A. occasion B. possibility C. opportunity D. moment
3. A. spread B. open C. flap D. try
4. A. come B. go C. move D. get
5. A. caused B. provoked C. incited D. incensed
6. A. great B. big C. huge D. high
Phone home
It was 7 a.m. and Amber Scott was driving to college. She had stopped at a level crossing when a truck ploughed into
the back of her car and (7) ___ her into the middle of the tram. The front of her car wedged under one of the
carriages and she was dragged along for more than three miles, sparks (8) ___.
At this point Amber dug out her mobile phone and phoned home. “I knew I couldn’t just sit there and be scared, so I
called my mom. Her mother, more accustomed to calls about the humdrum events of the (9) ___ grind, was
confused. For one thing, the phones’ battery was on the blink. “She could hear the noise of the train but she couldn’t
(10) ___ out what it was — all she heard was “Mom. mom! I’ve been hit!” and then the line went (11) ___. Finally,
after seven minutes, Amber was knocked clear of the train, nursing cuts and bruises, but (12) ___ unharmed.
7. A. shunted B. crashed C. pulled D. slipped
8. A. shooting B. flying C. blazing D. jumping
9. A. daily B. regular C. ordanary D. common
10. A. find B. make C. work D. get
11. A. cold B. blank C. quiet D. dead
12. A. otherwise B. elsewhere C. nevertheless D. conversely
Child’s play
Child’s play? Not at all, says Dr David Campbell consultant clinical psychologist, who explains that children as young
as seven are busy (13) ___ their identity outside the family. ‘They are developing relationships that give them (14)
___ about what kind of person they are - pretty, sporty, and so on. It’s a very important time for them. As they get
older, relationships become more routine.

pg. 13
Psychological theories indicate that women are more (15) ___ to find their identity through relationships than boys,
who define themselves more through activities,’ he adds. ‘At first, rejections are (16) ___ painful for girls, so they
can seem much more important than they really are.’ He points out that the oldest child may feel more threatened
by relationships that (17) ___ wrong. ‘If they lose a girlfriend at school, it reverberates with all their past
experiences of (18) ___ to siblings.’
13. A. constituting B. establishing C. basing D. grounding
14. A. feedback B. reports C. advice D. references
15. A. possible B. probable C. likely D. given
16. A. greatly B. extremely C. highly D. utterly
17. A. come B. get C. go D. do
18. A. losing out B. getting out C. bowing out D. running out
Fill in each gap with a suitable word.
Causes of conflict between adolescents and their parents
Some interesting discoveries have been made by psychologists studying conflicts between adolescents arid their
parents. One notable feature that they seldom argue about such major topics (1) _____ sex, drugs, or politics. This
is surprising, (2) _____ that great differences often exist between the attitudes of parents and adolescents (3)
_____ such issues. Researchers suggest the explanation may be that such topics (4) _____ not usually relate to
day-to-day family interaction and are (5) _____ discussed as they are not directly relevant (6) _____ family life.
Instead, parents and children tend to _____ out over everyday family matters such as housework.
Despite the changes that have (8) _____ place over the past fifty years, adolescents appear to have the same kinds
of arguments with their parents as their parents had (9) _____ they themselves were young. It seems to come (10)
_____ to the conflict between the adolescent’s desire for independence (11) _____ the parents’ authority.
Teenagers spoke of their right to be free of restrictions, while parents were equally (12) _____ of their right to
exert control, backing this up (13) _____ referring to the needs at the family as_____ whole. Interestingly, both
groups see the other’s (15) _____ of view even though they disagreed with it.
Growing pains
The teenage years are often a challenging and difficult time for parents, presenting (16) ................... with the
problem of how to maintain their children's respect and obedience, but at the (17) .................... time, allow their
independence to increase. It's quite normal (18) .................... children to be disobedient in some way, as they too
probably find it an awkward and confusing time. Generally, it's best to treat defiance calmly though, unless it's
causing serious (19) .................... at home or school.
Two things that parents should try to avoid doing (20) .................... their teenagers are, firstly to become much
(21) .................... strict, and secondly, to try to be 'one of the kids'.
Both these things (22) .................... only create bigger divisions and differences. The key lies (23) .................... keeping
up good levels of communication on (24) .................... sides. Parents need to learn (25) .................... to let their
teenager know (26) .................... they disapprove of something, (27) .................... being so critical or negative that their
child feels ignored or pushed away. (28) .................... angry or sarcastic rarely works; it only invites more of the same
kind of behavior from the child.

pg. 14