Finding a long lost family member
寻找失散多年的家庭成员
Language Goal: Describe families, family histories, and family
members.
A Vocabulary
maternal
/mE?tB:nl/
paternal
/pE?tB:nl/
orphanage
/?C:fEnIdW/
stepfather
/?stepfA:DE(r)/
identical twins
/aI?dentIkl/ /twInz/
extended family
/Ik?stendId/ /?fZmElI/
carpentry
/?kA:pEntrI/
divorced
/dI?vC:st/
matching
/?mZtSIY/
give away 送出；失去
I had to give away my dog because I had no time to take care of it.
我不得不把狗送人，因为我没时间照顾它。
look up 查找
We can look up the word in the dictionary. 我们可以在字典里查这个词。
now that 既然
Now that a decision has been taken, let’s do it respectively. 既然决定了，我们就分头去办吧。
at birth 出生时
Their son weighed eight pounds at birth. 他们的儿子出生时有八磅重。
urge somebody to do something 敦促某人做某事
They urged parliament to approve plans for their reform programme.
他们敦促议会批准他们的改革方案。
C Dialogue Reading
Chris: Growing up in an orphanage must have been difficult for you, wasn’t it?
Carl: Yes, it was. I didn’t know that I had an identical twin brother. How did you know about me?
Chris: I heard my stepfather talk about it with my mother once. They must have thought that they
will never see you. Did you get adopted?
Carl: Yes. The family that adopted me was very nice. They adopted other children too, so I had
a lot of adopted brothers and sisters.
Chris: I’m happy that you had a happy life even if our parents gave you away.
Carl: Who told you to go looking for me?
Chris: It was our mother who told me to look for you. She must have felt that we need to meet
somehow.
Carl: Is that why you looked up my adoption papers?
Chris: Yes. I saw that our parents really gave up their maternal and paternal rights for you. I’m
really sad because of that.
Carl: Why are you sad?
Chris: It’s because I think it would have been better if I had grown up with you.
Carl: That’s true but now that we know each other, you can get to know me and the family I grew
up with. They can be your extended family.
Exercise
I. Complete sentences using words from the table.
A. stepfather B. orphanage C. identical
D. maternal
E. extended
1. They are twin brothers. They look ______.
2. He was brought up by his ______, who married his mom when he was four years old.
3. She had to give up the ______ right for her daughter because of her illness.
4. I grew up in a(n) ______ family with ten family members.
5. His parents died and he was sent to a(n) ______.
II. Complete dialogues like the example.
e.g. Teacher: Mary was not in her bedroom yesterday afternoon. She must…
Student: Mary was not in her bedroom yesterday afternoon. She must have been in
her classroom.
Teacher:
1. She doesn’t look well today. She must...
2. Bob told me about the story. He must...
3. My sister went to the lecture yesterday. She must...
4. They both looked angry when I came in. They must...
5. He didn’t call me yesterday. He must...
D Passage Reading
Identical twins usually share a lot of things. Their parents may buy them matching clothes,
shoes, and even toys. However, what if these twins get separated at birth? Will they still be able
to share the same things?
Meet Jim Lewis and Jim Springer. They are identical twins who were separated at birth. One
of them was adopted three weeks earlier than the other. Their respective adoptive families were
told that the child they’re adopting had a twin that died at childbirth.
Strangely enough, they were both given the name “Jim” by their respective adoptive families.
They both lived in Ohio, though in different cities. As schoolboys, they both enjoyed math and
carpentry and hated spelling. They both got the same jobs as they became adults. They became
security guards. They both married a woman named Linda, only to get divorced and marry a
woman named Betty. They both have sons named James Allan.
Jim Lewis’ adoptive mother always thought that Jim’s twin brother still lived despite what they
were told. For thirty-seven years, her maternal instinct kept nagging at her. She eventually urged
her son to look for his long-lost twin brother. She must have done something special because
fates brought the brothers together. Finally, on February 9, 1979, after thirty-nine years of being
separated, Jim Lewis and Jim Springer met each other.
It must have been difficult for both Jims to grow up in adoptive families. Both Jims must have
felt a kind of emptiness, somehow. Fortunately, they now know each other and are living happy
and successful lives.
Exercise
I. Answer the following questions.
1. What do identical twins usually share?
2. Who are Jim Lewis and Jim Springer?
3. What were the things that Jim Lewis and Jim Springer shared?
4. When did the two Jims finally meet each other?
5. How long were they separated from each other?
II. Have a conversation with your teacher about the following:
1. How can siblings and family members get separated?
2. Is it difficult for siblings to get separated at birth? Why or why not?
3. Is adoption a good thing or a bad thing? Why?