UNIT 2

FAMILY

Text A
FAMILY
Diana, Sarah and Paul take a taxicab waiting at the taxi rank nearby and drive to
Sarah’s home.
Paul: Good morning! Are you free?
Taxi driver: Yes. Where to?
Paul: Can you take us to 19 Hendon Way, West End, please?
Taxi driver: Righto! Just get in while I’ll put your luggage in the boot1. And one more
thing. I’m afraid we’ll have to make a detour to avoid getting stuck in a traffic jam when
crossing the Thames. And that’ll cost you an extra £ 3 to the usual £ 10 fare2. Are you sure you
can afford it?
Paul: No problem at all. Just take us there safe and sound!
Taxi driver: Very well, sir. Here we go. (He starts the meter.)
Meanwhile, Diana and Sarah start talking about their families. Diana is eager3 to know
more about Sarah’s family.
Sarah: All my family is waiting for you at home; they’re all eager to meet you after all
I’ve told them about you.
Diana: You don’t say! I’m already beginning to feel a little nervous. All those questions,
you know.
Sarah: Rest assured. They may be comparatively old, but they never forget they were our
age once. But I’ll describe each of them to you briefly, just in case you’ll want to use some
information to your advantage. Let me start with the eldest members of my family, my
grandparents, who are in their late sixties. My grandfather is extremely interested in English folk4
culture, so you must be prepared to answer a long series of questions about Romanian folk
culture.
Diana: I just hope I’ll be up to his expectations. I’m not so keen5 on the subject, you
know. I’ve lived all my life in a town and I only go to the countryside to see my grandparents
once in a while.
 Sarah: Don’t worry, if he starts pestering you with too many questions, there’s always my
grandmother to cut him short. She can be so domineering6; she’s a Scorpio7, you know…
Diana: That’s reassuring enough. What about the rest of the family?
Sarah: Well, you’ve already met my elder brother, Paul. He’s twenty-two and he’s
currently a third year student at The City Law School in London. After graduation he wants to
practice in International Commercial Law. His fiancée, Anna, is 21 and she is a second year
student in Art at The College of Art and Design of the University of the Arts in London. Her
dream is to become an interior and spatial design specialist, but this, of course, only after getting
an MA in the field. I’m looking forward to their wedding, in May, next year, especially because
Anna asked me to be one of her bridesmaids.
Diana: Will I be meeting her tonight? I mean, is she at your house too, with the others?
Sarah: Yes, my mother invited her. You know, they are really getting along well, in spite
of what they say about prospective mothers-and-daughters-in-law and their cold relationships. In
fact, everybody likes Anna. She is beautiful, she is smart and charismatic8, I must confess, and
she is like a sister to me.
Diana: I know what you mean. I and my younger sister can talk freely about everything
we want. She may be younger than me, but she is very intelligent, too and she is always there for
me.
Sarah: In my case, although I care for Paul a lot, I’ve missed the presence of a girl about
my own age in the house. Of course, there is my cousin, Emily, who visits me now and then, but
she is so different from me; she is rather self-centred9 and I can’t talk to her about my own
problems.
Diana: But don’t you have your mother to talk to? At least this is what I do when I have
problems, especially emotional ones.
Sarah: I daresay my mother cares a lot for me, but she’s also a very busy woman, totally
dedicated to her career.
Diana: What does she do?
Sarah: She is an editor10 at ‘The Daily Journal’ and she works an average of ten hours a
day. But we have all supported her, especially my father, who understands her passion for
journalism. He himself works in the media. He is a television producer, you know.
Diana: With my family, things are the other way round. My mother works at home for an
IT company, while my father is a ship’s captain. His job is so unpredictable: there are times, I’m
ashamed to say, when he can become a real bore after staying three or four months at home with
us, but there are also times when we miss him terribly. Once he was at sea for six months or so
and then he was the only subject of discussion in the house.
They reach their destination, Paul pays the fare and the three of them get out of the
vehicle. Entering the house, Paul sees them into the living room, where Sarah’s family are
waiting.
Sarah: Hello, everybody! This is Diana, my friend from Romania.
Diana: Good afternoon! I’m extremely honoured to meet you all.
Mrs. Cooper: How do you do, Diana! I’m so glad to meet you at last. My daughter has
told me so many nice things about you. Now why don’t you make yourself comfortable and then
join us in a few minutes at the dinner table. (Diana takes about ten minutes to freshen up in the
downstairs bathroom then she joins the Coopers.)
Mrs. Cooper: Diana, you can sit right at the end of the table so that you can talk to Sarah,
Paul and Paula. You know, she has been looking forward to meeting you.
 Paula: Hi! How was your journey?
Diana: Fine, thank you. And may I ask you a confidential question? Was I the only
reason for this real family reunion?
Paul (cutting in): Actually, it is dad’s birthday. He is turning forty-three.
Diana: Happy birthday, Mr. Cooper! (to Paul and Sarah) I’m so embarrassed11! Why
didn’t you tell me on the way here? I could have bought Mr. Cooper a present!
Paul: Don’t you worry; I’m sure he wouldn’t expect a present from you.
Mr. Cooper: Sorry to barge in, but I couldn’t help overhearing what you were talking
about. So let me tell you Diana that your very presence here as my daughter’s friend is present
enough for me!
Diana: Thank you, Mr. Cooper. You are very kind.
Paula: My uncle is not so keen on receiving presents… having the whole family around
him counts more than anything.
Diana: And who are the other guests?
Paula: My uncle’s parents are sitting on his right. Then, there are my aunt’s parents,
sitting on her left. And here, facing us, are my parents.
Diana: Is your father Mr. Cooper’s brother? I can see a striking12 resemblance between
them.
Paula: You’re only half right, I’m afraid. They are in fact stepbrothers on their mother’s
side.
Diana: And who’s that little girl who’s been staring at me ever since I came in?
Sarah: She is Doris, my younger sister. She is only 6. And this is Anna, Paul’s fiancée.
Anna: Hello, Diana. Glad to meet you!
Diana: Glad to meet you, too. I must say, I’m going to have a wonderful time in London.

VOCABULARY NOTES
1
boot (BrE), trunk (AmE) – portbagaj;
2
fare – charge, bill (cost, tarif);
3
eager – very excited about something that is going to happen, anxious (nerăbdător);
4
folk – traditional and typical of the people who live in a particular area (popular);
5
to be keen on sb/ sth – to like someone or something; fond of (a plăcea);
6
domineering – a person who always tries to control others without caring (autoritar);
7
Scorpio – the eighth sign of the zodiac represented by a scorpion which some people believe affects the character
and life of people born between October 23rd and November 21nd (zodia scorpionului);
8
charismatic – with strong personal charm and the power to attract others (carismatic);
9
self-centred – paying very much attention to oneself (egocentric, egoist);
10
editor – someone who prepares a book or a newspaper article for printing by deciding what to include and
checking for any mistakes (redactor);
11
embarrassed – feeling nervous and uncomfortable in a particular situation (stânjenit);
12
striking – interesting enough to be easily noticed (uimitor).

SPEAKING AND WRITING ACTIVITIES

Exercise 1. Render in Indirect Speech the last 14-16 lines of the dialogue in text A (in oral
or/and in written form).

Language Functions
Describing People
 Physical features Personality
What’s he/she like? What type/ sort/ kind of person is he/she?
He /she is … He /she comes across as (being) …
What do you make of him/her?
What does he/she look like? He /she gives the impression of being …
He /she has got … What is he/she like?
It seems (to me) as if he/she is …
He /she is …
He /she looks/ seems …

Exercise 2. Imagine you meet an English friend who asks you to describe your family in
detail. Use as many as possible of the structures from the table above in order to develop
the dialogue between you and the English friend.

Exercise 3. Use your personal experience and/or your imagination to make the physical
portrait of the typical male and female Japanese, African and Swedish/Danish/Norwegian
person.

Exercise 4. Work in pairs and ask your colleague to describe the members of his/her
family.

THE BRITISH CORNER

The Geography of England. England (Latin Anglia) is the principal division of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. “England” is sometimes wrongly used in
reference to the whole United Kingdom, the entire island of Great Britain (or simply Britain), or
the British Isles. But the United Kingdom is made up of: England (whose capital is London),
Scotland (whose capital is Edinburgh), Wales (whose capital is Cardiff), Northern Ireland (whose
capital is Belfast).
One of the fundamental English characteristics is diversity within a small compass. No
place in England is more than 75 miles (120 km) from the sea, and even the farthest points in the
country are no more than a day’s journey by road or rail from London. The country’s island
location has been of critical importance to the development of the English character, which
fosters the seemingly contradictory qualities of candour and reserve along with conformity and
eccentricity and which values social harmony and, as is true of many island countries, the good
manners that ensure orderly relations in a densely populated landscape.
The capital, largest city and chief port of England is London, with a population of
7,172,000 (in 2001). It is also the capital of the United Kingdom and the site of the headquarters
of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The population of England is 49,855,700 (in 2003). The overall population density of 382
persons per sq km (990 persons per sq miles) is one of the highest in the world.
After London, Birmingham, population 976,400 (2001), is the second largest city and is
the centre of an extensive industrial area that contains major concentrations of the automotive
and other industries. Liverpool (439,500) is the second largest port and a major cargo export
outlet for Britain; it is also a great commercial and industrial centre. Manchester (392,900) is the
chief commercial hub of the cotton and synthetic-fiber textile industries, as well as an important
financial and commercial centre and a major port. Among other important cities are Sheffield
(513,100), the heavy engineering centre famous for its high-quality steels, cutlery, and tools, and
Bristol (380,600), a leading port and commercial centre.
Some facts about England
Population: 49,855,700 people.
Geographic size: 130,422 square kilometers or 50,356 square miles.
Capital: London.
Major cities: London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol.
Language: English (official)
Currency: pound sterling (£).
(adapted from free Internet source)

Text B
ENGLISH WEDDING TRADITIONS
Early Wedding Traditions
As early as the sixteenth, up to the nineteenth century, marriages were arranged by
parents or guardians1. In most cases, the bride and bridegroom did not know each other until
their marriage. The parents often made the marriage arrangements and betrothals2 while the bride
and bridegroom were small children (ages three to seven). The children would continue to live
with their own parents and meet from time to time for meals or holiday celebrations. Although
contested in the late seventeenth century, these prearranged marriages were valid3 if, after the age
of seven, the children called each other husband and wife, embraced, kissed each other, gave and
received gifts.
Later, young couples ran away and had a ceremony privately performed without banns4
or license5. These elopements6 and private ceremonies represented the beginning of a revolt
against their parents’ control of marital7 selection.
The Civil Marriage Act of 1653, passed by the Puritans8 under Cromwell, required a civil
ceremony before a justice of the peace9. This ceremony took place after a certificate from the
parish10 register was presented showing that banns had been published. If either party were under
twenty-one, proof of parental consent11 was needed. The wedding ceremony was very simple,
consisting of a formula that had to be repeated by the bride and the groom. The use of a ring was
forbidden.
If one wishes to marry in England or Wales, they must do so in a church which has a
register (which is like a special license), and they can do so only in the district (shire) where one
of the couple resides12. All Church of England parishes (Anglican13) are automatically registered,
regardless of their size. No blood tests or counselling are required.

Wedding Lore14
Traditionally, the safest season to marry was between the harvest15 and Christmas, when
food was plentiful16. An old English rhyme17 says “Marry in September’s shine, your living will
be rich and fine.”
Folklore has it that prior18 to the wedding, the bride must not allow her married name to
be used before the wedding takes place, or it might never happen.
 It is customary for the bride to be given a decorative horseshoe19, which she carries on her
wrist20. These days the horseshoes are rarely real, but instead lightweight21 versions are
manufactured22 specifically for weddings. The horseshoe is given for good luck.
In the seventeenth century, wheat23 was cast at the head of the bride when she came from
church. Nowadays it is customary to throw colourful paper confetti or rice24 at the bride and
groom as they leave the church after the ceremony.
In the north of England, one of the oldest inhabitants of the neighbourhood would be
standing on the threshold25 of the bride’s new home. She would toss26 a plateful of shortbread27
over her head, so that it should fall outside. Guests scrambled for28 a piece of this shortbread as it
was considered very fortunate to get a piece.
In Gloucestershire, in the early eighteenth century, a large cake was broken over the
heads of the couple. In Aberdeenshire, barley29 was thrown over the bridal pair as they entered
the feasting–place. In Wales, the bride was always carefully lifted over the threshold on her
return from the marriage ceremony because it was considered very unlucky for a bride to place
her feet on or near the threshold and trouble was in store for the maiden30 who preferred walking
into the house.

Present Day Wedding Traditions

Brides have “Hen” nights and bridegrooms have “Stag” parties similar to
bachelor/bachelorette parties. There are ceremony rehearsals31, but no rehearsal dinner.
If the couple marries in a church, banns announcing the proposed wedding are read aloud
in the church three Sundays before the wedding. It is unlucky for the bride and bridegroom to be
present at the calling of the banns.
Weddings are traditionally held at noon; afterward there is a seated luncheon32, called a
“wedding breakfast” (the most important part of the special day after the wedding ceremony
itself).

The Wedding Ceremony

The ceremony (most often in the Anglican Church) usually consists of two or three
hymns and, since most guests don’t sing, the church choirs33 are usually hired. English fathers
don’t kiss their daughters at the altar. During the ceremony, the couple will leave the sanctuary
area34 and with the Priest enter the vestry35 to sign the wedding documents. They are considered
officially married after this is completed. At the benediction36, a square piece of cloth, the “care
cloth” is held over the bride and bridegroom.

The Wedding Cake

In medieval England, guests brought small cakes and piled them in the centre of a table,
challenging the bride and groom to kiss over them. Wedding cakes are less elaborate in design.
The wedding cake is a rich fruitcake topped with marzipan; the top tier37 is called a “christening
cake” to be saved for the birth of the first child.

Wedding Attire38
The wedding gown is usually not richly adorned39, but rather simple and in good taste.
Brides are supposed to wear “something old, something new, something borrowed and
something blue, and a lucky sixpence40 in your shoe,” as in the old English rhyme. Horseshoes
are traditionally believed to bring good luck to the newly– weds. The horseshoes, rather than
being actual metal plates41, are crocheted42 and a long ribbon43 is attached in a loop44 from end to
end. The horseshoe is worn upside down over the arm of the bride during the wedding to bring
luck to the marriage.
The bridegroom rarely wears a tuxedo45 – only at a very large, formal wedding. Business
suits are normal. The bridegroom has a best man, who also wears a business suit.
The mother of the bride and the mother of the bridegroom never confer46 on outfit47
colours, nor do they take into consideration the bridesmaid colours.

Wedding Gifts
Monetary gifts are very rare. Usually, the couple makes a list of the items they need and
pass it around so that the guests should know what to offer them. Guests take their gifts to the
reception where they are opened.
(adapted from free Internet source)

VOCABULARY NOTES
1
guardian – someone who is legally responsible for looking after someone else’s child, especially after the child’s
parents have died; (tutore); guardian angel – a good spirit who is believed to protect a person or place (înger
păzitor);
2
betrothal – (old fashioned) an agreement that two people will be married (logodnă, promisiune în căsătorie);
3
valid – a valid ticket, document, or agreement is legally or officially acceptable; a valid reason/ argument/
criticism etc is a reason/argument etc that is based on what is reasonable or sensible; a valid password, ID etc is
one that will be accepted by a computer system (valabil, acceptat, justificat);
4
banns – a public announcement, made in a church, that two people intend to get married (strigări);
5
licence (BrE)/ license (AmE) – an official document giving you permission to own or do something for a period
of time; (autorizaţie, licenţă, permis); driving licence (BrE), driver’s license;
6
elopement – leaving your home secretly in order to get married (fugă (în ascuns, cu iubitul sau iubita));
7
marital – relating to marriage (matrimonial, conjugal); marital bliss – (humorously) the state of being very
happily married; marital status – (used especially on official forms) whether someone is married;
8
Puritanism – movement arising within the Church of England in the latter part of the 16 th century that sought to
purify, or reform, that church (puritanism);
9
justice of the peace (JP) – someone who judges less serious cases in small law courts and, in the US, can
perform marriage ceremonies (judecător de pace);
10
parish – the area that a priest in some Christian churches is responsible for (parohie);
11
consent – permission to do something; (consimţământ, aprobare); by common consent – with most people
agreeing; by mutual consent – by agreement between the people involved;
12
to reside – (fml) to live in a particular place (a locui, a domicilia);
13
Anglican Church or Church of England – the Christian church in England, Catholic in faith and order, but
incorporating many principles of the Protestant (Lutheran) Reformation and independent of the papacy (Biserica
anglicană);
14
lore – knowledge or information about a subject, for example nature or magic, that is not written down but is
passed from person to person (cunoştinţe (tradiţionale) orale);
15
harvest – the time when crops are gathered from the fields, or the act of gathering them; (recoltă); good/bumper
harvest – a lot of crops; poor/bad harvest – few crops;
16
plentiful – more than enough in quantity; (abundent, bogat, îmbelşugat)
17
rhyme – a short poem or song, especially for children, using words that rhyme (poezie (rimată); versuri);
18
prior – existing or arranged before something else or before the present situation; (anterior) prior
warning/notice; prior to something; prior claim;
19
horseshoe – a U-shaped piece of iron that is fixed onto the bottom of a horse’s foot (potcoavă);
20
wrist – the part of your body where your hand joins your arm (încheietură);
21
lightweight – weighing less than average (uşor);
22
manufacture – to use machines to make goods or materials, usually in large numbers or amounts (a produce, a
fabrica);
23
wheat – the grain that bread is made from, or the plant that it grows on; (grâu); a field of wheat; to separate the
wheat from the chaff (a separa grâul de neghină);
24
rice – small white or brown grains of a plant which grows in warm wet places (orez);
25
threshold – the entrance to a room or building, or the area of floor or ground at the entrance; the level at which
something starts to happen or have an effect (prag); a high/low pain/boredom etc threshold; to be on the
threshold of something ;
26
toss – to throw something, especially something light, with a quick gentle movement of your hand; (a arunca); to
toss a coin (esp BrE) – to throw a coin in the air, so that a decision will be made according to the side that faces
upwards when it comes down (a da cu banul);
27
shortbread – a hard, sweet biscuit made with a lot of butter (biscuit);
28
scramble for smth. – to struggle or compete with other people to get or reach something (a se înghesui pentru
ceva);
29
barley – a plant that produces a grain used for making food or alcohol (orz);
30
maiden – (lit.) a young girl, or a woman who is not married; damsel (fată, fecioară);
31
rehearsal – a time when all the people involved in a big event practise it together before it happens, e.g. a
wedding rehearsal (repetiţie);
32
luncheon – fml lunch (prânz);
33
choir – a group of people who sing together (cor);
34
sanctuary area – the part of a religious building that is considered to be the most holy (altar);
35
vestry – a small room in a church where a priest puts on his or her vestments and where holy plates, cups etc are
kept (sacristie);
36
benediction – a Christian prayer that asks God to protect and help someone (binecuvântare);
37
tier – one of several levels or layers that rise up one above the other (nivel, strat);
38
attire – fml clothes (veşminte, straie);
39
adorn – fml to decorate something (a împodobi);
40
sixpence – a small silver-coloured coin worth six old pennies, used in Britain in the past; (şase peni)
41
plate – number/license/registration plate (on a car) (placă, plăcuţă de înmatriculare);
42
crochet – to make clothes etc from wool or cotton, using a special needle with a hook at one end (a croşeta);
43
ribbon – a narrow piece of attractive cloth that you use, for example, to tie your hair or hold things together
(panglică);
44
loop – a shape like a curve or a circle made by a line curving back towards itself, or a piece of wire, string etc that
has this shape (laţ, nod, ochi, buclă);
45
tuxedo (esp. AmE) – a man’s jacket that is usually black, worn on formal occasions; a man’s suit that includes
this type of jacket (smoching);
46
confer – to discuss something with other people, so that everyone can express their opinions and decide on
something (a se consulta, a se sfătui); to confer a title/degree/honour etc – to officially give someone a title etc,
especially as a reward for something they have achieved (a conferi);
47
outfit – a set of clothes worn together, especially for a special occasion (echipament, ţinută).

COMPREHENSION
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions related to Text B:
1. Explain in your own words what a prearranged marriage is.
2. Describe the civil ceremony stipulated by The Civil Marriage Act of 1653.
3. What are the superstitions associated with marriage?
4. Mention some present day wedding traditions that are presented in the text.
5. What is the “care cloth”?
6. What does the bridegroom wear at the wedding?
 7. What kind of gifts are offered to the newly-weds?

VOCABULARY PRACTICE
Exercise 1. Use a suitable monolingual dictionary to write the phonetic transcription of the
words listed at Vocabulary Notes.

Exercise 2. Find the synonyms of the following words from the text: betrothal, cast, harvest,
proof, revolt.

Exercise 3. Using the prefixes dis-, in-/im-, un- form the antonyms of the following words in
the text: coloured, complete, continuous, customary, justice, lucky, official, regard, specific,
valid.

Exercise 4. Give the antonyms of the following words from the text: before, beginning,
consent, continue, forbidden, late, peace, plentiful, simple, special.

Exercise 5. Give the homonyms of the following words, write their phonetic transcription
and then translate them into Romanian: miner, missed, moan, moat, moose, morn, mot,
muscle, naval, nave, nock, none, oar, one, oral, pail, pain, pair, pall, pare, peace, peak, peal,
pearl, pedal, peer, phial.

Exercise 6. Give the derivatives of: break, care, child, luck, taste.

Exercise 7. Find and correct the 12 mistakes in the text below:

The wedding party walks to the church together in a procesion (an age-old custom that
protected the couple from jelous suitors!) Limousines are rare. They are not very practical on
small, winding roads. Transport usualy is by Rolls Royce or vintage car. Traditionally, english
brides had only one adult attendant (as a witnes). Today, it is the custom to have many young
bridemaids instead of adult atendants. A flower girl lead the way, sprinkling petals along the
road. This signifies a hapy route trough life for the bride and bridegroom. Ushers would be found
only at large, formal wedings; guests normally would seat themselfs.

Exercise 8. Fill in the blanks with words derived from the ones in brackets:

My dear friend,

As you know, the time has come for one of my (favour) moments of the year: my birthday party.
I think that I shall throw a (real) big party this year, with all my family and my closest (acquaint).
I’ve been shopping and making (prepare) for it for some months now, and there have been
(announce) and (advertise) almost every day about the event to come. Perhaps I went (board)
about it, but I (strong) wish my party were a most (success) event. This time, my mother let me
take all the (decide) and she didn’t get involved. This is how I found out that (origin) party ideas
are some of the (hard) things an (organise) has to think of. It is easy to come up with the idea of a
party, but what do you do with the guests when they get there? I’m in a great trouble now, you
see, and I’m looking forward to your (suggest).

Love,
Mary

Exercise 9. Fill in the blanks with the right words related to marriage. Choose from the
words listed in the table below.

bachelor divorce fiancé husband

single wedding widow widower wife

1. Her husband died last year. Now she is a … .
2. They always quarrel. They decided to … .
3. July 7th 2003 – it will be their … day. They are getting married.
4. She loves him. She wants to be his … . 
5. I saw Fiona’s  … . He is going to marry her.
6. I am a wife and Edgar is my … .
7. I am living alone. I am 18. I am … .

Exercise 10. Fill in the blanks with the correct word to build compound expressions related
to family relationships.
Example: If my mother gets married again her husband will be my step father.

8. Your … brother or sister has only one of the same parents as you.

9. Your … ones are members of your family and the people that you care about.
10. Your … of kin are your closest relatives.
11. Your … name is your surname.
12. Your family circle are your close …
13. The …-born is older than all the other children of those parents.
14. The … man at a marriage ceremony is the male friend or relative of the bridegroom.
15. If you are an … child, you have no sisters or brothers.
16. Blood … are the relationships that exist by birth rather than through marriage.
17. An … marriage is one in which the parents chose whom their son or daughter will marry.
18. A … relative is a person who is related to you but not closely.
19. A … parent is the parent who caused a person to be born.
20. A … man is a man who has a wife and children and enjoys spending a lot of time with
them.
21. A … child is a child whose parents are not married to each other. (dated usage)
22. A … brother is a man who has promised to treat another man as his brother in a
ceremony.
23. A woman’s  … name is the family name she has before she gets married.
24. A generation … is a lack of understanding between older and younger people.
25. A fortune … is someone who tries to marry a person who has a lot of money.
26. A family … is a drawing that shows the relationships between the different members of a
family.
 27. A black … of the family has done something bad which brings embarrassment to the
family.

Exercise 11. A) Match the following words describing Character and personality with their
definitions:

Words Definitions
1. amusing a) liking to say how good they are at something
2. articulate b) shy and feel uncomfortable in social situations
3. bashful c) careful to do any work well
4. bigoted d) unwilling to listen to anyone else’s opinions and unable to change his
own
5. blunt e) narrow–minded and intolerant
6. boastful f) very funny and make you laugh
7. callous g) with strong personal charm and the power to attract others
8. charismatic h) unsympathetical
9. cocky i) able to express clearly and effectively their thoughts and feelings
10. conceited j) believing that people’s reasons for doing things are bad and selfish
11. considerate k) with a very high opinion of themselves
12. conscientious l) very aware of the wishes, needs or feelings of others
13. confident m) very self–confident, but in an unpleasant way
14. cynical n) sure of themselves and of their abilities

B) Match the following words describing Character and personality with their definitions:

Words Definitions
1. domineering a) not able to make decisions quickly and effectively
2. emotional b) inclined to make a fuss
3. fussy c) with strong feelings and being easily moved by things
4. impressionable d) often trying to harm or annoy others, especially in some small way
5. indecisive e) easily influenced by other people and often too ready to admire them
6. malicious f) deliberately trying to hurt or harm others
7. obstinate g) very good at making practical judgements, especially when they are to
their own advantage
8. prejudiced h) always trying to control others without caring
9. rash i) refusing to change their opinion or behaviour in spite of attempts to
persuade them to do something else or to see another point of view
10. shrewd j) very impulsive and not thinking enough about the consequences of their
actions
1. smug k) guided by prejudices
2. spiteful l) too pleased with themselves and their qualities, positions etc.
3. thrifty m) very careful when spending and managing their money or resources
4. versatile n) able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities
5. witty o) with quick minds and able to express things in a clever and amusing
way
Exercise 12. Fill in the blanks with the adequate preposition:
1. I am keen … reading detective novels, I always buy one or two such novels every
month. 2. She goes weak … the knees every time she hears the phone ringing. 3. Jane is jealous
… of her brother’s success. 4. The nurse was very patient … me. 5. Is there sufficient food …
everyone? 6. You are right … the hour of the meeting, it is really 4 o’clock. 7. My mother tells
me I should not be so dependent … others. 8. I am very fond … cooking fish. 9. Wine is made
… grapes. 10. He thinks everybody is curious … his private life.

Exercise 13. Fill in the blanks with the missing words in the following table referring to the
zodiac signs, then write down the phonetic transcriptions of all of them:

The twelve zodiac signs A person born under one zodiac sign is
are: called:
AQUARIUS
Aries
CANCER
Capricorn
Gemini
LEO
Libra
PISCES
Sagittarius
SCORPIO
TAURUS
Virgo

Exercise 14. Write down some of the presupposed characteristic traits of each of the twelve
zodiac born persons.

Exercise 15. Combine the words in column A to the ones in columns B to create new
compound words (you may operate changes in the form of words, especially of the ones in
the second column). Use a monolingual dictionary to find the meanings of the respective
compounds:
A B
absent back manner
broad behave mind
high centre room
level concern seater
narrow confident some
self crossing spirit
single deception string
soft denial tech
strong face tide
 two hand time
weak head voltage
well heart will
knee wish
man

Exercise 16. Fill in the blanks with corresponding words from the list below: can’t,
carriage, dad, elementary, illusion, institute, this, together.

LOVE AND MARRIAGE

Love and marriage, love and marriage

Go ... like a horse and ...
This I tell you brother
You can’t have one without the other
Love and marriage, love and marriage
It’s an ... you ... disparage
Ask the local gentry
And they will say it’s ...
Try, try, try to separate them
It’s an ...
Try, try, try, and you will only come
To ... conclusion
Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage
... was told by mother
You can’t have one without the other
(sung by Frank Sinatra)

Exercise 17. Fill in the blanks with corresponding words from the list below, then translate
the text into Romanian: along, confidence, cried, expectancy, fail, fate, had spent, half, Hebe,
highly, just, look, manner, materializes, to probe, provincial, sang-froid, silky, studio, tailed,
underlip, whilst, wouldn’t go.
The sisters were women, Ursula twenty-six, and Gudrun twenty-five. But both had the
remote, virgin … of modern girls, sisters of Artemis rather than of …. Gudrun was very
beautiful, passive, soft-skinned, soft-limbed. She wore a dress of dark-blue … stuff, with ruches
of blue and green linen lace in the neck and sleeves; and she had emerald-green stockings. Her
look of … and diffidence contrasted with Ursula’s sensitive …. The … people, intimidated by
Gudrun’s perfect … and exclusive bareness of …, said of her: “She is a smart woman.” She had
… come back from London, where she … several years, working at an art-school, as a student,
and living a … life.
“I was hoping now for a man to come …,” Gudrun said, suddenly catching her …
between her teeth, and making a strange grimace, half sly smiling, … anguish. Ursula was afraid.
“So you have come home, expecting him here?” she laughed.
“Oh my dear,” … Gudrun, strident, “I … out of my way to look for him. But if there did
happen to come along a … attractive individual of sufficient means – well –” she … off
ironically. Then she looked searchingly at Ursula, as if … her. “Don’t you find yourself getting
bored?” she asked of her sister. “Don’t you find, that things … to materialise? Nothing …!
Everything withers in the bud.”
“What withers in the bud?” asked Ursula.
“Oh, everything – oneself – things in general.” There was a pause, … each sister vaguely
considered her ….
(from D.H. Lawrence, Women in Love)

Exercise 18. Translate into English:

A. Nu ştiu alţii cum sunt, dar eu, când mă gândesc la locul naşterii mele, la casa
părintească din Humuleşti, la stâlpul hornului unde lega mama o şfară cu motocei la capăt, de
crăpau mâţele jucându-se cu ei, la prichiciul vetrei cel humuit, de care mă ţineam când
începusem a merge copăcel, la cuptiorul pe care mă ascundeam, când ne jucam noi, băieţii, de-a
mijoarca, şi la alte jocuri şi jucării pline de hazul şi farmecul copilăresc, parcă-mi saltă şi acum
inima de bucurie. ... Dragi-mi erau tata şi mama, fraţii şi surorile, şi băieţii satului, tovarăşii mei
din copilărie, cu cari, în zile geroase de iarnă, mă desfătam pe ghiaţă şi la săniuş, iar vara, în zile
frumoase de sărbători, cântând şi chiuind, cutreieram dumbrăvile şi luncile umbroase, prundul cu
sioalnele, ţarinele cu holdele, câmpul cu florile şi mândrele dealuri, de după cari îmi zâmbeau
zorile în zburdalnica vârstă a tinereţii. (Ion Creangă, Amintiri din copilărie)

B. Adolescenţa este cea mai frumoasă, dar şi cea mai dificilă etapă din viaţa noastră.
Este atât vârsta marilor transformări fizice şi psihice, cât şi vârsta marilor speranţe, a hotărârilor
„definitive”. Pentru un adolescent, dezamăgirile pot fi fatale. O atmosferă tensionată acasă, lipsa
de înţelegere a părinţilor în ceea ce priveşte alegerea unei profesii sau pretenţiile lor exagerate îl
pot determina să fugă de acasă. Cum poţi preveni acest lucru? În primul rând, ascultă-l. Un
adolescent îşi descarcă sufletul cu foarte mare greutate, aşa că merită să-l asculţi cu atenţie atunci
când, în sfârşit, e dispus să o facă. În al doilea rând, fii atentă la comportamentul lui. Când simţi
că e preocupat de ceva, încearcă să-l faci să vorbească. Dar în loc să-l forţezi, ia-l cu binişorul. În
al treilea rând, nu-i planifica viaţa. Îl poţi sfătui, îi poţi spune ce ai dori tu pentru el, dar dacă vezi
că nu e prea încântat nu insista. Părinţii de adolescent trebuie să încerce să nu-i creeze senzaţia că
el este motivul pentru care ei se simt nemulţumiţi şi neîmpliniţi, că nu contează ce vrea el sau că
viaţa lui este de fapt a lor. (adapted from Femeia de azi, nr. 42, octombrie 2006)

ESSAY WRITING
Exercise 1. Write down a narrative essay in which to describe a Christmas in your family.

Exercise 2. Write down a descriptive essay drawing the portrait of one of your family
members.

Exercise 3. Write a descriptive essay about the wedding of your dreams.

READING EXERCISES
Exercise 1. Read the following text and look up the unknown words in a dictionary.
Exercise 2. Read the text again in order to decide whether the statements below are true or
false.
1. On Christmas Eve Mrs. Wilson, a young woman, was sitting in her rocking chair,
listening to Christmas carols on her radio.
2. Mrs. Wilson lived in a small apartment with her son, but usually spent Christmas
alone.
3. A few days ago, Mrs. Wilson had called her son to ask him to join her for Christmas,
but he said he could not. Still, he came.
4. After Paul showed up, his mother fed him with turkey.
5. The meal made Paul remember his family.
6. He considered that it felt good to talk about those he had lost two years before.
7. Paul slept on the couch in the living room that night.
8. Paul came to spend Christmas with his mother because he had nothing else to do.

A Blue Christmas

It was Christmas Eve and Mrs. Wilson, an elderly woman, was sitting in her rocking
chair, listening to Christmas carols on her radio. This was a family tradition that went on for
many, many years. Christmas just wasn’t Christmas in the Wilson household without listening to
carols on the radio.
“Oh my!” she sighed. “I’m so lonely. I wish my son, Paul were here to share Christmas
with me!”
Mrs. Wilson lived alone in a small apartment. This particular Christmas was very rough
on her. Normally, Christmas was spent with Paul, his wife Nelly, and their son Johnny.
However, this could not happen this Christmas. Paul had lost his wife and son in a car accident
earlier that fall. It was a very difficult time for Mrs. Wilson, but especially for Paul. Oh how he
had loved his wife and child!
A few days ago, Mrs. Wilson had called her son to ask him to join her for Christmas.
“Ma, I can’t,” Paul had told her. “I miss them so terribly. I keep expecting them to show
up at the doorstep.”
“Oh Paul,” cried Mrs. Wilson. “I know this is difficult for you, but do you honestly think
that you should be alone at a time like this?”
“I don’t know,” said Paul. “Right now, yeah, I do think that being alone is the answer.”
“Well dear,” she replied sadly. “If you change your mind, I’ll be here.”
“Thanks Ma,” said Paul. “And, Ma, Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you too, son,” said Mrs. Wilson.
The radio program was just finishing up for the night. Mrs. Wilson, yawning, got up and
turned it off.
“The radio program just wasn’t the same this year,” she sighed as she went into her
bedroom. “It’s just not the same without Paul, Nelly and Johnny. I sure wish Paul would change
his mind.”
 Later that night, she was awakened by a strange sound coming from her living room.
Quickly, she grabbed her house coat and went to see what was going on. There, standing by the
Christmas tree, with his arms full of presents, was Paul.
“Oh Paul!” cried Mrs. Wilson. “I’m so glad to see you.”
She embraced her son as tightly as she could.
“I just got to thinking that maybe being alone wasn’t the right thing,” said Paul. “After
all, aren’t we supposed to spend Christmas with family?”
“Yes, dear, we are,” said Mrs. Wilson, happily. “I’m so glad you came.”
“You know,” said Paul. “I’m glad I did too.”
“Can I get you something to eat, Paul?” asked Mrs. Wilson. “I have some apple pie and
ice-cream.”
“Now that sounds good,” said Paul. “Come to think of it, I’m starved.”
Mrs. Wilson dished Paul out a heaping dish full of homemade apple pie and a huge
serving of vanilla ice-cream.
“You know,” said Paul taking a fork-full of pie. “Johnny used to love your apple pie and
ice-cream. Remember the first time he had some.”
“Yes, I do,” said Mrs. Wilson. “It was his first Christmas. Remember the mess he made.
He had the pie and ice-cream everywhere!”
“Nelly sure had one mess to clean up after that one,” said Paul sadly. “Boy, I sure do
miss them.”
A tear formed on the corner of his eye. He wiped it away with the back of his hand.
“It sure is hard on you, isn’t it son?” asked Mrs. Wilson, sadly.
“It sure is,” said Paul. “But, do you know something? It feels good to talk to someone
about them. I’ve been keeping this all bottled up inside of me and it just isn’t doing me any
good.”
“I’m here for you, son,” said Mrs. Wilson. “Anytime you feel like talking, I’m here.”
“Thanks, Mom,” said Paul.
Paul slept on the couch in the living room that night. When he woke up, he could smell
his favourite Christmas breakfast cooking, peameal bacon and eggs.
“That smells delicious,” said Paul, sitting down at the table a few minutes later. “Is that a
turkey I smell, too?”
“It sure is,” smiled Mrs. Wilson. “You can’t have Christmas without a turkey.”
Paul reached over and turned the radio on.
“We can’t have Christmas without Christmas carols, either,” said Paul.
“Oh Paul,” cried Mrs. Wilson. “Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas to you too, Ma,” said Paul.
(Debbie Williamson, A Blue Christmas)

FURTHER DISCUSSION
Exercise 1. A. The title of a story is always relevant to one or other of its narrative elements,
such as theme, setting, conflict, action(s), main character, climax or denouément. Take, for
example,
N. Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, E. A. Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue, Swift’s
Gulliver’s Travels or Dostoyevski’s Crime and Punishment.
An example in point is also Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a
Ghost Story of Christmas, which helped redefine the importance of Christmas in England during
a time of dramatic decline in the traditional Christmas customs of hospitality, charity, and human
solidarity.
In his own words on its publication, he “endeavoured in this Ghostly little Book, to raise
the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each
other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay
it.”
Like Dickens therefore, Debbie Williamson lets known by her title that her artistic aim is
no other than Dickens’s, although resorting to a totally different story employing different
characters in a totally different situation.

B. 1. Comment on the religious significance of Christmas, then on the idea that Christmas is also
a custom of hospitality, charity, and human solidarity.
2. Explain how the adjective “blue” in the title used by Debbie Williamson gives the reader a
clue about the special circumstances under which the respective Christmas celebration is
going to take place.
3. Explain how the theme of death, tragic as it is, is used both by Dickens and Debbie
Williamson to have their totally different characters (Scrooge and Paul) get into the
celebrating mood of Christmas.
4. What moral lesson does Debbie Williamson want to teach by having the widowed Mrs.
Wilson and her son Paul celebrating Christmas following the tragic death of Paul’s wife
and only child?
5. Mention one or two elements identifying this narrative as a children’s story.
6. Comment on the appropriateness of telling children sad stories in order to teach them
serious moral lessons.