READING. 1. Who do you live with? Do other members of your family live near you, or do you have to travel to see them?

1. Who do you live with? Do other members of your family live near you, or do you have to travel to see them?

2. Read the introduction. What does ‘traditional family’ mean? Is it the same in Russia?

3. Read the texts and find out how many people Callum, Meera, Ben and Trudi share а house with.

What is а ‘traditional’ family nowadays? With more and more couples choosing not to get married, and with the number of divorces and second marriages increasing, the idea of the ‘traditional family’ (two married parents, an average of two children, grandparents living nearby) is rapidly disappearing in some countries.

I’m Callum, and I live with my parents in Cambridge, in the east of England. We moved here when I was five because of Dad’s job, but my mum comes from the north of England, and Dad comes from Scotland. I’ve got a grandma in Edinburgh and a granddad in Yorkshire. And I’ve got two cousins who live near London, because that’s where Dad’s sister and her husband live. We see my cousins about three times a year, and we go up to Edinburgh every New Year, but I can’t remember when I last saw my granddad in Yorkshire. He always sends me presents, though!

My name’s Trudi, and I’ve got a sister called Beth. Our mum and dad are divorced, so we live with just our mum in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Our dad has an apartment in the centre of town, and we spend every other weekend there. After school every day we go to our grandma’s house and have a meal there, because our mum doesn’t finish work until six o’clock. She collects us at half past six, except on Wednesday evenings when we go swimming with our dad.

I’m Ben, from Portland Oregon, and my family is a bit complicated! I’ve got a sister called Ella, but three years ago my parents got divorced and now both of them are re-married. We live with my mum, Julie, and my stepfather, Bob. Bob’s got a daughter called Daisy, but she doesn’t live with us, she lives with her mom. My father’s name is Pete. He and his second wife have just had a baby boy, Charles, so I’ve got a new half-brother!

My name’s Meera, and I live in Wolverhampton, near Birmingham, in England. I live with my parents, my brother and my sister. My grandmother lives next door. My mum was born here in Britain, but my grandmother moved here from India in the 1960s when my dad was a little boy. My dad has two sisters – Auntie Sunita and Auntie Rani. Auntie Sunita lives in the same street as us, and Auntie Rani lives in Birmingham, which is only 15 miles away. They’re both married, and I’ve got five cousins. We see them almost every week. Someone is always visiting our house, or we go to Birmingham to see them. And two years ago we all went to India to see our family there.

4. Underline the correct alternatives to complete the sentences.

1. Callum’s aunt and uncle / grandparents live near London.

2. Callum often / sometimes sees his cousins.

3. Meera’s aunts both live near / far away.

4. Meera often / rarely sees her cousins.

5. Daisy is Ben’s half-sister / stepsister.

6. Julie is Pete’s ex-wife / stepmother.

7. Trudi’s mum and dad live in different places / together.

8. Trudi never sees her dad / sees her dad regularly.