· To date, dating couples
· To marry, marriage, married, marital, marital problems, marital status
· To divorce, a divorce, to get divorced
· Spouse [spaʊz], loyalty to your spouse, to support your spouse, your spouse comes first, a spouse’s inability to support his or her partner.
· Husband, wife. My husband never protected me. My husband didn’t care for my dad.
· Relations, relationship, relatives
· To solve the problems, solution
· Should. What should you do? We should pay close attention.
· To argue (спорить, ругаться), have an argument (ссориться), arguments started, political arguments, political debates
· To hit (hit, hit), to fight (fought, fought). He never hit our kids or my mother. We fought about it.
· To get along with, to get along with your in-laws, to get used to your partner’s family, you can stay close to them, to avoid conflict.
· To matter, that doesn’t matter, in-laws matter.
Read a humorous story. Try to make a literary translation of it. Use the notes.
When a Man Marries
After a flaming row Mrs Meek slammed the door and walked out into the rain. Hearing that Mr Meek picked up his gun, aimed it at the ceiling and fired a shot. The lady who was still in the garden, heard it and rushed back but found the door locked. She had left the keys at home and realized she would not be able to get in unless she broke the door open. She set about the work at once but it was not so easy at all and, I daresay, she would no doubt have to give up the attempt if her neighbours had not heard her scream and wanted to give her a helping hand.
As the lady Struggled bravely at the door, her husband tip-toed to the kitchen, picked up a tin of tomato juice, and split the liquid all over his face, his sports jacket, and the brand new tie. Having done that he looked at himself in the mirror and, no doubt, satisfied with what he had done, made his way to the bedroom. There he took a paper, the Daily Mirror I believe it was, and lay down on the bed with his shoes on. For a time he played with the gun but then it occurred to him he had intended to read the press. So he put the gun on the dressing table, took the paper and set about reading. And how happy he was. There was nothing else he could wish at that particular moment... but what's that? The door had been broken open and he could now hear footsteps in the hall. He put away the newspaper, and closed his eyes trying to look as dead as he possibly could. Presently the door was torn open and his wife followed by a police constable ran into the room.
- It's all over now! - cried out the lady bursting into tears. She had taken stock of the situation at once, and whispered almost fainting:
— Poor me! He's split the last tin of tomato juice. What am I going to make soup with? Believe me, gentlemen, it's the last time I've ever left the larder open!
Notes:
A flaming row — пылкая ссора
To tip-toe — идти на цыпочках
A tin of tomato juice - банка томатного сока
Almost fainting - почти теряя сознание
To take stock of smth. – критически оценить что-то
A larder — кладовая
Arrange a round table discussion. Divide the group into two subgroups (tables) and discuss the following questions. Share the received information with each other.
TABLE 1
1. How many people are there in your family? Tell me about someone in your family.
2. Who is the oldest person in your family? Tell me about him / her.
3. What is the best age to get married? Why?
4. How many cousins do you have? Where do they live?
5. Which is better: being married or being single? Why?
6. Describe some fun family activities that family members can do together.
7. What advice can you give to couples who are planning to have their first children?
8. Will you live with your parents after you get married? Why? / Why not?
9. Do you enjoy going to weddings? Why? / Why not?
10. Describe what someone in your family looks like.
TABLE 2
1. How many people are there in your family? Tell me about someone in your family.
2. Who is the youngest person in your family? Tell me about him / her.
3. Which is better: lots of children, or only one or two children? Why?
4. How many aunts and uncles do you have? Where do they live?
5. How were families different 100 years ago?
6. What are some things families can do to be happy together?
7. Where were your grandparents born? What else do you know about them?
8. Why do couples decide to have children? How many kids do you have / want?
9. Who do you look like most in your family?
10. Who is the funniest person in your family?
UNIT VI. SLEEP
