Unit 1

generation: all the people who are about the same age

In my generation the divorce rate is very high.

The story has been handed down from generation to generation.

ancestor: a person in your family who lived a long time ago

My ancestors were French.

gene: a part of a cell in a living thing that controls what it looks

like, how it grows, and how it develops. People get their genes

from their parents:

Red hair is in / my genes.

genealogy: the study of the history of families

cooking over a charcoal fire

mystery: something strange that cannot be explained or

understood

They never did solve the mystery of his disappearance.

great-grandparent: the parent of a grandparent

Queen Elizabeth is Princess Charlotte’s great-grandmother.

public record: a record required by law to be made and kept

in a public office

I would like to know how to do a public record search.

DNA: a substance that carries genetic information in the cells

of the body
DNA test: a test of a sample of DNA, for example to see if

they have committed a particular crime or are the parent of

a particular child.

looks [PLURAL]: the attractive appearance of someone, especially their face

She’s got everything – looks, intelligence, and money.

relative: someone in your family

Her husband is a close/distant relative of mine.

divorce: the legal ending of a marriage

His parents are getting a divorce.

father-in-law: the father of one’s husband or wife

mother-in-law: the mother of one’s husband or wife

extended family: a family that includes not only parents and children but
also other relatives (such as grandparents, aunts, or uncles)

Our extended family and friends know how much our parents love us.

resemble: to look like or be like someone or something

She resembles her father when he was her age.=

She looks like her father when he was her age.

Prince Charles resembles/ looks like his mother,

Queen Elizabeth.

pass away: to die

He passed away in his sleep at the age of eighty-four.

pass down: to give or teach something to your children

or people younger than you, who will then give or teach

it to those who live after them, and so on

These traditional stories have been passed down from parent to child over
many generations.

piece sth together: to create something by joining the

separate parts of it together or by joining different

things together

The police are collecting clues in order to piece together the details of the
day she died.

grow up: to become older or an adult

She’s really starting to grow up now.

Write down: to write something on a piece of paper

As soon as I have an idea, I write it down.

Check out: to examine someone or something in order to be certain that

everything is correct, true, or satisfactory
Go to the doctor and get yourself checked out.

break up: if two people break up, they end their relationship

break up with: He’s just broken up with his wife.

look up to: to admire and respect someone

He’s a role model for other players to look up to.

turn to someone: to go to someone for help when you are

having difficulty dealing with a situation

I always turn to my dad for advice.

bond: to develop feelings of love, friendship, or duty towards

other people, or to make someone develop these feelings

bond with: He never felt like he bonded with any of the other students.

identify with: to feel that you can understand and

share someone else’s feelings

He didn’t seem to be able to identify with ordinary people and their

aspirations.

sort out: to do what is necessary to deal with a problem, disagreement, or

difficult situation successfully

He has to sort out the computer file problems as soon as possible.

inherit: to get money or things from someone after they die

He inherited a lot of money from his grandmother.

immigrate: to come to live in a different country

My ancestors were Greek but they immigrated to Canada and lived there.
object: to say that you do not agree with a plan

object to: I object to your interfering in my business. You don't have

the right to do that!

mind: to feel annoyed or upset about something:

The expression on Dan's face showed that he did mind, very much.

grieve: to feel very sad because someone has died.

He grieved for a long time after his wife had passed away.

raise: to take care of children while they are growing up

For most parents, raising a family is a positive challenge.

adopt: to take somebody else’s child into your family and

become its legal parent

The couple are unable to have children of their own, but hope to adopt.

take on: to accept some work or responsibility

I can’t take on any more work at the moment.

get engaged: if two people are engaged, they have formally agreed

to get married

We got engaged about this time last year.

get married:

When are you getting married?

get divorced:

They got divorced after only six months of marriage.

keep a secret: If you say that someone can keep a secret, you

mean that they can be trusted not to tell other people a secret

that you have told them.

I can trust Tom. He is sensible and can keep a secret.

keep a diary: to write regularly in a diary (a book in which

you write down the things that happen to you each day)

She kept a diary of her trip to Egypt.

have sympathy: have the feeling of being sorry for someone

who is in a bad situation

I have a lot of sympathy for her; she lost her new mobile phone.

have a family:

I hope to get married one day and have a family of my own.

pay a visit:

I think it's time we paid granny a visit.

pay a compliment: to say something nice about someone or to someone

She was very happy when the teacher paid her a compliment.

fall to pieces: to be so upset or unhappy that you cannot behave normally

He fell to pieces when his daughter passed away.

fall in love:

They happily got married after they had fallen in love.

unique: different from everyone and everything else

Each person's fingerprints are unique.

honest: a person who is honest does not tell lies or cheat people,

and obeys the law

Thank you for being so honest with me.

reliable: someone or something that is reliable can be trusted

or depended on

Alice can look after the children. She’s very reliable.

be fond of: to like someone or something very much

I'm fond of playing football

be keen on: to like someone or something

I'm not keen on cabbage.

interested in: willing or keen to do something

If you are interested in helping, just turn up on Saturday.

elderly: Elderly people are old.

a well-dressed elderly man

easy-going: not easily upset, annoyed, or worried:

His boss shouted at him but he didn't mind. He is very easygoing.

scruffy: untidy or dirty

You can't go to the party like this! Your clothes are really scruffy.