Name

Unit 6 Under the same roof Class

Date

Start thinking
1 Answer the questions.
1 Describe a typical family unit and the importance of family in your country. How many people make up your
family unit?

2 Where do the members of your extended family live? How often do you see them?

3 How would you describe the relationship you have with your grandparents? What do you think you have
learned from them?

Comprehension check
2 Watch the video. Choose the correct answers.
1 According to the video, relationships have a great impact on
a society’s future. b our personality. c migration trends.
2 Gerry and Michele’s family unit comprises … people.
a four b five c six
3 The Paz family are … with the arrangement they have with Gerry’s parents.
a content b dissatisfied c fed up

3 Watch the video again. Complete the sentences.

1 Through the years, the shape and function of the family has changed .
2 In the past, people used to live in close proximity to both immediate .
3 Today, people often have to leave the family home for .
4 In some cases, the role of extended family may be taken on by .
5 Gerry and Michele Paz have been married for over .
6 Lola and Victor are Michele’s .
7 Gerry moved to the USA when he was .
8 In general, grandparents have the experience to remain calm in .

4 Complete the summary. Write a word in each gap.

Although the form and role of the family are changing, it is still the cornerstone on which modern 1
are built. In the past, several 2 of the same family lived under the same roof, but now people tend to
leave the family 3 in order to fend for themselves. One family that does not fit into this mold is the
Paz family from New Jersey. Gerry and Michele rely on Gerry’s 4 to help them run the family. Not only
do they help with practical things like cooking, but they also enjoy passing on their culture and 5 to
their three grandsons and their 6 . Without Victor and Lola, Gerry’s connection with 7 ,
his home country, may well have been forgotten. Both Gerry and Michele are grateful that they have been able to
learn so much from the older couple’s child-raising 8 .

5 Work in pairs. Answer the questions.

1 Do you prefer the idea of extended or nuclear families? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type?
2 Apart from your parents, who has had the greatest input in your upbringing?
3 What are the advantages and disadvantages of having grandparents with a different cultural background to
your own?

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 Vocabulary
6 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs below.
adopt appreciate benefit hinder make remain spare swing
1 Grandparents who have time usually enjoy looking after their grandchildren.
2 Having several young children often a mother’s employment prospects for a time.
3 It’s often difficult for parents level-headed in situations involving their children.
4 Although doctors promoted formula milk for a time, the pendulum seems back in favour
of breastfeeding.
5 I everything my parents did for me if I was a single mother / father.
6 If you live at home as a student, you have a compromise between helping out and having your
own life.
7 Children from contact with other children because they learn valuable social skills.
8 The eldest son in a family often the role of dominant male if the father isn’t around.

7 Join the words in A to the words in B. Then complete the text.

A close-knit integral much-needed fast-paced day-to-day extended formative mutually beneficial
B arrangement community family helping hand lives part relationships world

Keep it in the family

In contrast to the 1 around them, the Bedouins of North Africa and the Middle East
have succeeded in maintaining family values over the years. Bedouin families live in a 2
known as a clan, and several clans form a tribe. The ideal domestic unit is the three-generation 3
, which is the starting point for a newly married husband and wife. This is a 4
for both parties, as the couple will have a roof over their heads in return for their help
in the home and on the land. Moreover, the older women can lend a 5
when the couple have children. The 6 of the women revolve around cooking, cleaning
and watching over the young. During this time, the children’s 7 are established, as
they do not tend to leave the group. Family is an 8 of a Bedouin’s existence and it is
something they value above all else.

Extension
Work in groups. You are going to have a debate on the following motion: ‘Family values are outdated’.
One group will be for the motion and the other will be against the motion.
1 Choose one person in your group to take notes. In your group, think of as many arguments as possible and
write them down.
2 Now choose the five best arguments. Give examples where possible.
3 Your teacher or chairperson will start the debate. One person in your group will give a speech, presenting
your arguments. He / She should talk for about three minutes.
4 When both groups have finished their speeches, you can respond to each other’s arguments.
5 At the end of the debate, the teacher or chairperson will hold a vote.

Useful expressions: Comparing past and present

… seems to be a thing of the past …
In the recent / distant past it was common practice to …
Historical precedent shows that …
Nowadays, the trend appears to be reversing …
As we speak, the tables appear to be turning …
The present norm is for … to …

insight Advanced DVD worksheets PHOTOCOPIABLE © Oxford University Press