Lesson 1 & 3 

: Family Relationships
1. Circle the right alternative

1. My parents married when they were very young: my mother was eighteen and my father
twenty. They fell in love soon after they met and married nine months later. Fights and
arguments between my parents were a daily occurrence. After a fight my father ( will / would /
should ) leave and go to my grandparents'.

2. I was very close ( by / with / to ) my grandmother for she was a kind and loving person; the
total opposite of my mother. Hannah was an excellent ( cooker / cooking / cook ), seamstress
and housekeeper. She was also a nurse and would get up every morning cook, clean and then
go to work at the state hospital for boys. She babysat me, my brothers and sister constantly,
even after the divorce. Hannah was a saint.

3. When we went to the local football and high school basketball games, the cheerleaders were in
the spotlight for my mother. After a game she would compare ( which / whose / who ) was the
cutest, thinnest, heaviest cheerleader. I would practice cheers in my room and after my mother
caught me one afternoon she laughed and said that I had to lose twenty pounds. I laughed
along. But later I wrote in my journal how disgusted I was with my weight, how I secretly
wanted to be a popular cheerleader with many boyfriends. Unfortunately, Mum found the
journal and read it at dinner one night. I was so ( disappointing / embarrassing / upset).

4. As I got older our relationship was no better. I still ( remind / recall / remembered ) one
particular event. My first steady boyfriend Roger gave me a silver ring with a peace sign on it.
Mum immediately wanted me ( give / giving / to give ) it back. Of course I didn't and Roger
eventually broke my heart so I had to hear another round of "I told you so" when he asked for
his ring back. I was so humiliated.

5. Now that I am a mother, I can better understand why mum was so severe and overprotective
but I‘m doing my best to be my children’s friend!

2. Read the text and say whether these statements are true o false/ Highlight the
Justification in the text

a- The parents’ marriage wasn’t a happy one.

b- Marianne and her granny were very intimate.
c- Marianne’s mum was very conservative.
d- The mother respects her daughter’s private life.
e- The family split up but that didn’t affect the writer’s relationship with her grandmother.

3. Find in the text words/phrases having the same meaning as:

a- Conflict= …………………………………
b- Something that happens everyday= …………………………………
c- Because= …………………………………
d- A person receiving a lot of attention= …………………………………
e- To be unhappy/angry= …………………………………
f- Ashamed/embarrassed= …………………………………

4. Circle the appropriate explanation.

a- Hannah was a saint = means : A. a very good / B. a humble / C. an authoritarian

person.
b- I laughed along = means : A. laughed at her / B. laughed with her / C. laughed next to her
c- I had to hear another round of “I told you so” = means
1. She blamed me again
2. She thanked me
3. She argued with me again

5. Use suitable words from the text to label the following pictures:

1 …………………. 2………………… 3………………………… 4………………………..

6. Answer the following questions

1) What do you think of the grandmother? Justify your answer

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2) What do you think of the mother? Justify your answer

………………………………………………………………………………………………….
 ………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Vocabulary
Match the word with its meaning:

a- Aggressive b- grumpy c- authoritarian d- naughty e- conservative f-

stubborn g- narrow-minded h- violent

1. Someone who is determined to do what he wants and refuses to do anything else.

…………………….
2. Someone who doesn’t like change, fashion and modern styles. …………………….

3. Bad – tempered and easily annoyed. …………………….

4. Unwilling to accept or understand new or different ideas and opinions. …………………….
5. Someone who does something that is not right or good, but is not very serious or a child who
behaves badly. …………………….
6. Strictly forcing people to obey a set of rules or laws. …………………….
7. Behaving in an angry, threatening way, as if you want to fight or attack someone.
…………………….
8. Someone who is likely to attack, hurt, or kill other people. …………………….
  Grammar Point

Relative pronouns : who, whom, whose , which

Who and whom are used mainly for ………………………………..
. However, these pronouns can also be used to refer to animals that
are mentioned by name and seen as persons.
Which is used for ………………….. or …………………….. .

 This is the famous doctor. The famous doctor helped Sara

recover from her illness.
 ………………………………………………………………….
 He took out a photo of his son. He adores his son.
 ………………………………………………………………….
 That restaurant is on Milton Street. The restaurant is owned by
Trevor's brother.
 ………………………………………………………………….

Whose can be used for people, animals or things:

 The man is a tennis coach. His daughter won the tournament.
 ………………………………………………………………....
 This dog may cause an accident. Its owner lets it run loose.
 …………………………………………………………………

Let’s practice
 These are the kids …………………..parents fight a lot.
 This is the girl …………………… he fell in love with in
Madrid
 The women ……………….. live in Tunisia are reputed to be
elegant.
 Parents ……………………. children do well at school usually
consider themselves fortunate.
 My friend, ……………………..I visited last week, is taking a
holiday soon.