Reading Task 2. Read the text and circle the suitable answer.

1. When my granddad was a boy, most people had big families. He told me that his best friend
had five brothers and a sister. And of course Gran, you know, his wife, has got three sisters.
So it was very unusual that he was an only child. Granddad says people were a lot poorer then too. What that meant was he usually had better clothes and toys than the other kids in his street. That doesn’t mean that he was pleased about it, though. No, Granddad wanted some brothers and sisters so he could play games at home.
2. Yeah, it’s true, you know? Nowadays families are very different, aren’t they? I mean, there
are so many divorced people, aren’t there? In the school I visited, more than half of the kids I spoke to told me their parents were divorced. Often the parents had remarried and so children had new families too. This could be quite good. They told me about their half brothers and sisters or about stepbrothers and stepsisters. You might think that there were a lot of problems, but actually most kids loved having larger families.
3. I think it’s great if you’ve got a lot of cousins. My friend Kevin hasn’t got any-that’s strange.
You know, at Christmas and in the summer holidays, I get together with my cousins James and Rosie and we have a wonderful time. I suppose that, because I haven’t got any brothers or sisters, my cousins are really important to me. Maybe if you’re not an only child, you see things differently. Anyway, I know that my cousins are my family and they care about me, which is why they mean so much to me.
4. I realize at the moment you think nothing can take the place of your friends and that we are
just your boring family. But you’re wrong. You may think that we’re always criticizing you, but we only want what’s good for you. Your friends don’t care whether or not you pass your exams. And later, if they forget about you because something else is more interesting, you know you’ll come running back to us. You see, that’s why family is so important- we’re always here for you, and we’ll love you forever.
5. Everyone loves my granny but that doesn’t mean she is perfect. Not at all! In fact, sometimes
she drives me crazy! She’s really warm, you know? A very kind woman and she’ll do anything for you but she’s hot-tempered too. You know, the littlest thing can make her so angry. When she’s like that, it’s best to run and hide! But at least she’s not like my friend’s gran, who’s really cold-hearted sometimes. My gran may not like somebody, but she will always help them out if they need it.
1. You hear a young girl talking. What kind of family did her grandfather want?
A) a large family with three sisters B) a family with five brothers C) a family with some sisters and brothers
2. You hear somebody talking on the radio about modern families. How do most children
feel about their parents remarrying?
A) They like having many people in the family. B) They have a lot of different problems.
C) They worry that their family is different.
3. You hear a young boy talking. What does he say about his cousins?
A) They are strange B) They mean a lot to him C) They are more important than brothers and sisters.
4. You hear a father talking to his daughter. Why is he talking to her
A) He thinks that their family is very boring. B) He wants her to understand the importance of family.
C) He thinks she does not care about her family at all.
5. You hear a woman talking about her grandmother. How does she describe her?
A) She is the perfect grandmother. B) She is warm but cold-hearted sometimes. C) She is kind but hot-tempered.
6. Family members are:
A) kinsfolk, neighbor, parents B) parents, relatives, friend C) daughter, parents, son
7. ) My granddad was a boy, most people had big families. T---F